thirteen in 13 challange - Alternative Energy

I've been learning about batteries, and after planning on getting some Costco golf cart batteries I decided I would try fixing some free batteries that I already have. First I'm going to get a new computer controlled battery charger and try charging up the batteries. If they won't hold a charge then ill attempt desulphating. Its 1/3/13 and I just picked up my new battery charger. I opted to go with the schumacher 150a microprocessor controlled unit suggested by Stephen Harris at battery1234.com. Later today ill hook up the old batteries and let them charge on the 2amp setting. For 24 hours and see if they are any good. I got the charger put together and two of the 4 batteries hooked together and the charger on the. Only one cell in each battery was a tad low, so I topped them off with distilled water. I hooked the charger up to them and they were reading 11.6v which I think is a pretty good sign because they have been sitting, unused for at least 5 years! I hit the 2amp charging selection and pressed auto charge and the charger started humming away. 1/8/13- Well, I got the 150amp schumacher charger recommended by Steven Harris on battery1234.com. It has desulfating mode in its programming, but the batteries are too far gone to even hold a charge...so I guess I'm going to have to get some new batteries. I did figure out how I can use the batteries and inverter as a business expense in my event decorating business though... as well as a lot of other equipment preps that I might want to get.

I will be getting a set of 6 Costco GC2 6volt golf cart batteries. 

I will also be getting a 2000W inverter to go with them. I have an event decorating business that i have been running for 7 years now. I recently got a request for some lighting in a off-grid location. I will be getting the above mentioned items to be able to perform this new service. This way i will be able to use the items as a business expense!


Breaking news!! I just scored big on 10kW of solar panels. Only .35 cents per watt. Also got a xantrex 5kW GridTie inverter for only $1500. I'm selling 1/2 of the panels and the 5kW inverter to my dad and will be helping him install a system on his house this year!


Update 5/6/2013

I have my basic system set up.  I purchased the costco GC2 golf cart batteries last week. I decided to go with 8 instead of the original 6 I was thinking. I have the hooked up in sets of 2 for 12v. the 4 sets of 2 are then wired in parallel for a battery bank that has 800 to 880 amp hours.  After searching the inverters i decided that there were a lot more 12v things available and they were more commonly stocked that the odd voltages 14, 36, or 48. Plus i already had 2 12v inverters. I have a 400 watt and an 800 watt...

I got a super cheap charge controller on eBay months ago...I hooked it up yesterday to a sharp 125watt 12v panel that i had everything seemed to be in order so i hope that the charge controller doesn't cause me any trouble. I'm not 100% sure that one panel will charge such a large battery bank, so i am looking into the midnite solar classic 150 charge controller. With the classic i will be able to use 2 or 3 of the larger 285w 36v panels that i was given off of the solar project at the place i work. As i understand it the classic can take the higher input from the panels and drop it down to 12v for the battery bank. 

One other thing I have started on is installing a solar sub panel in the garage next to the main breaker panel. I need to do some more wiring, but firstly i plan on getting my 2 chest freezers off grid. Then i will expand from that point!