Alternative Power sources - Where Do You Get Your Batteries?

Author

Where Do You Get Your Batteries?

Too_Many_Tools

2007-01-11, 8:25 pm

When setting up a home power system, batteries are a key component of
the system.

And with most of us, so is the cost.

Where do you get your batteries and why?

And are used batteries worth the effort to seek them out?

Thanks

TMT

Too_Many_Tools

2007-01-13, 1:25 pm

So no one uses batteries? ;< )

I would be especially interested in your experiences with used
batteries.

Thanks

TMT
Too_Many_Tools wrote:
> When setting up a home power system, batteries are a key component of
> the system.
>
> And with most of us, so is the cost.
>
> Where do you get your batteries and why?
>
> And are used batteries worth the effort to seek them out?
>
> Thanks
>
> TMT

InspectorGismo

2007-01-14, 3:25 am

Yes they are worth getting a great set and set them up at 48 volts or
higher.
http://wind.dynalias.com or http://acemtf.com/usasolar

Too_Many_Tools wrote:
> When setting up a home power system, batteries are a key component of
> the system.
>
> And with most of us, so is the cost.
>
> Where do you get your batteries and why?
>
> And are used batteries worth the effort to seek them out?
>
> Thanks
>
> TMT

Steve Spence

2007-01-15, 5:25 pm

Too_Many_Tools wrote:
> When setting up a home power system, batteries are a key component of
> the system.
>
> And with most of us, so is the cost.
>
> Where do you get your batteries and why?
>
> And are used batteries worth the effort to seek them out?
>
> Thanks
>
> TMT
>
Used batteries are usually toast, which is why the original owner is
getting rid of them. Occasionally, folks get rid of perfectly good
batteries in order to upgrade their pack (don't mix old with new). Last
year, we gave our old T-105's to a friend, and they still were
performing well. We upgraded to a set of L16's. Ours came from
http://www.newenglandsolar.com

--
Steve Spence
Dir., Green Trust
http://www.green-trust.org

hallerb@aol.com

2007-01-16, 3:25 am

my best friend has a wind generator he built himself in 1960/

he collects used car batteries from friendly neighborhood garages, has
about 15, its a big bank of used batteries but its free.

he swaps bad ones so it costs no one money just his time, he marks all
dead ones with paint so he doesnt bring them home twice.

lots of folks replace car batteries before there gone, like me they
dont want to get stranded

Buy_Sell

2007-01-16, 9:25 am

If you live near a large city, then go to the yellow pages and make a
list of all of the metal recyclers in your area. Next, go and visit
them. Walk around their yard and see what they are disposing of. If
anyone asks you what you are doing there, you reply that you are a
buyer and you are looking for whatever it is that you are looking for.

Most really large companies routinely dispose of their banks of UPS
batteries when the due date has arrived. I frequently find these
batteries in large quantities and I pay the price of used lead for
them. It usually works out to between $5 and $10 CAD each. This is
not a bad deal because when I am done with these batteries, I either
sell them back to the place where I bought them or I just make a deal
and trade them. It is amazing what you can achieve when you buy lunch
for a metal recycler. They like free gifts, just like anyone else
would.

BTW, I always bring a 1000 cold cranking amp load tester with me, so
that I don't waste any time or energy moving these heavy batteries back
and forth. On average, I have been able to get at least two years out
of these time expired batteries. Large businesses cannot afford to
risk any downtime on their computer equipment and insurance companies
don't like paying out for downtime, so the batteries always get
disposed of, on their due date.

Reminds me of the date on the milk container. If the milk is properly
stored at a good temperature, it will usually last longer than the due
date.

-----------------------------------
Too_Many_Tools wrote:
> When setting up a home power system, batteries are a key component of
> the system.
>
> And with most of us, so is the cost.
>
> Where do you get your batteries and why?
>
> And are used batteries worth the effort to seek them out?
>
> Thanks
>
> TMT

WisJim

2007-01-17, 9:25 pm

> Too_Many_Tools wrote:

>
When we set up our first wind system in 1977 we had a set of 840 amp
hour 2 volt cells that were used telephone company batteries, and later
got a set of 1680 amp hour cells. We used them in a string of 16 for
our 32 volt DC system, and the 1680 set, which we got directly from the
local phone company when they were doing some major system work, lasted
us over 10 years. We junked them when we moved out of that home, and
made money as the price of lead had gone up. We are now using a 24
volt set of fork-lift truck style batteries, 1500+AH, that we bought 8
years ago. They still look and operate like new. Most large cities
have a dealer in electric fork lifts, and often battery dealers that
deal with those kinds of batteries, and you should be able to find them
through the yellow pages. Or check out the ads in the latest Home
Power magazine.

The main problem that I find with used batteries now, is that the phone
companies and similar busiiness consider them to be hazardous waste and
don't want to get into trouble by selling or giving them to anyone
without a hazardous waste permit.

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