Iron Edison... anyone purchased from them?

[alyaz]

I suspect we will be looking for new batteries in the next few years (Our Davidsons are about ten years old now) and maybe now is the time to start learning about and watching the newer technology.

Has anyone purchased from Iron Edison, and what do you make of these?

https://ironedison.com/24-volt-lithium-iron-battery

Is it mostly the price that is still somewhat prohibitive or are there other features that make them less viable for an off grid application?

Apparently our current 1065 a/hr flooded bank could be substituted with a 400 a/hr lithium iron bank?

[Vic]

Hi Al,

Have never used NiFe batteries,  and do not personally know anyone who does.
But a member here,  Mike95XXX,  has been using them for a few years ...

Personally,  I would not be willing to deal with NiFe batteries;
  They have relatively high impedance  --  poor surge current performance.
  They  are quite inefficient compared to other chemistries.
  They consume copious amounts of distilled water.
  The electrolyte probably needs to be replaced at about five or so year intervals.
  They seem to have a wide variation in charge voltage,  which could tax most  inverter/charger's ability to accommodate this large voltage range in a normal charge cycle.
... and so on.
Again,,  this is based on reading about this general type of battery,  and NOT from personal experience.

Am sure that Mike will chime in ...   FWIW,  YMMV,   Vic

[alyaz]

Thanks Vic.

[mike90045]

What Vic said.  mostly.

It also depends on your location and what your winter sun is like.   We regularly have 10+ days of clouds in the winter.  For flooded, that would be a death sentence, either for the batteries or your fuel budget (to get the cells up beyond sulfation).
But for NiFe, i'm happy to get them to where the charger internal to the inverter, reaches "good enough for another 12 hours".

Yes, they are only 70% efficient recharging, so you need more PV.  High internal resistance, so you have to over buy to handle peak surge.  And have a handy source of distilled water.

But next summer is the unavoidable "drain and refill" of the cells.  Going to be nasty, unbolting 40 cells, hauling them out of the battery room and inverting a 90# battery full of "lye" to drain and refill, will take 100 gal of distilled to re-mix electrolyte.  I figure 5-7 days to do it all, and I'll have to run nights on a sacrificial bank of golf cart batteries.  And then maybe in 5 more years, the LFP will be proven out and I'll replace my bank with them.

[alyaz]

Wow!  Thanks Mike.  Guess that helps me determine that I will keep looking, reading and dreaming of the perfect battery bank   

[alyaz]

Okay, how about this?  What would you guys throw out there as being battery types I should be considering?  We are on the Sunshine Coast, north of Powell River, BC Canada.  We maybe get one or two days of sun a week, through the winter months.  However in the spring summer and fall we have more solar than we can use.  I’m not against buying flooded batteries again if they are the best bet.

[mike90045]

without sun in the winter, you will burn a lot of fuel charging lead acid that last 20%
LFP and NiFe won't care about less than a full charge, but Lead-acid will sulphate on you.

[alyaz]

Reading about all the battery types out there and the pros and cons (much written by competitors) of the various variations of technologies makes my eyes glaze over.  Sheesh.

[CDN-VT]

We are on the Sunshine Coast,  We maybe get one or two days of sun a week, !!!

Im just below you , but the funny is posted above !! , Web feet receding
I OVER PANELLED or under Celled .
Gas or Diesel will be at 120/L  till the next crunch & then what choice will we have .

VT

[russ_drinkwater]

Just finished reading a few reports on oil situation.
Oil may bottom out again soon below $30 a barrel, so do not dispair!
Can never understand why our fuel prices in australia never go under $1.00 a liter.

[russ_drinkwater]

I am out of most of the tax system in this country and so my contribution to most government and royals coffers
is severely limited. A bit of indirect tax on goods is all I pay nowadays as it was sending me broke "playing the game".
No tax returns, no business gst statements, no bank loans, and accountant fees for me anymore.
Home grown veges, beef and pork and a few direct sales to supplement our small cash requirements.
Our solar arrays return us $2,500 to $3,000 a year tax free as well.
Fuel is homemade and we have 1000's of acres of timber for royalties and heating.
Can not wait to sell off carbon offsets.
So HRH can kiss my butt!

[TomW]

I am out of most of the tax system in this country and so my contribution to most government and royals coffers
is severely limited. A bit of indirect tax on goods is all I pay nowadays as it was sending me broke "playing the game".
No tax returns, no business gst statements, no bank loans, and accountant fees for me anymore.
Home grown veges, beef and pork and a few direct sales to supplement our small cash requirements.
Our solar arrays return us $2,500 to $3,000 a year tax free as well.
Fuel is homemade and we have 1000's of acres of timber for royalties and heating.
Can not wait to sell off carbon offsets.
So HRH can kiss my butt!

Russ;

Please keep your political comments to yourself.

I let one or two slide but we are getting complaints from  forum users.

These posts are absolutely way off topic in this thread and are not acceptable on the forum anyway.

Political and religious subjects are simply too volatile for a Company official support forum!

Lets stick to the subject at hand.

Thanks.

Tom

[russ_drinkwater]

My bad.
Too be fair I did not start that and I only made a comment on oil prices in regard to the costs of fueling a generator
to top up batteries!