Battery Backup at a clinic in the Dominican Republic

[keithwhare]

My sister-in-law is a Presbyterian mission worker in the Dominican Republic. She is currently serving as a lab technician in at the Clinica Buen Samaritano in Batey Seven in the sugar cane fields in southwest DR. The clinic usually gets utility power in the afternoons and evenings, but not during the morning clinic hours. There is a generator that works sometimes but in the last six months has spent more time broken than working. All of this makes it difficult to use instruments such as a microscope and centrifuge.

There are lots of modified sine wave inverters in the DR, but we were unable to locate a full sine wave inverter at a reasonable price in a reasonable location.

I knew the clinic has "120" volts from the utility and didn't think I could count on getting "240" volts.

For work, I travel a lot and so have sufficient status on Delta Airlines that I can check two 70 pound bags at no additional cost. I brought my son with me, so we could do four checked bags.

So, I purchased a few parts in the USA, packed them carefully, and brought them with me. Specifically, we carried in:

   
• Magnum MS4024 Inverter/Charger
• Midnite Solar E-panel
• T-fuses
• Surge Suppressor
• Midnite Solar Battery Monitor
• 100 Feet of NML Flex
• Tools, etc.

We purchased the batteries, wire, cables, etc. in the DR.

We installed the system this week.

[keithwhare]

The batteries are Napa 8143 Absorbed Mat 6-volts. I think these are about 200 amp hour batteries, but I haven't found the exact specifications.

We have two strings of four batteries. Each string has a 110 Amp T-Fuse. The battery cable is a bit smaller than I would have liked -- #4 was the largest cable we found in Barahona. The battery racks are bolted to the wall, but we found a welder to add support at the front of the racks.

[keithwhare]

There were a couple of complications to this installation. We ended up replacing 200 feet of #12 between the utility pole and the clinic with #4 THHN. Since we were running new wire, we had the "lineman" run two hots and a neutral, so we could have used a 48 volt inverter and a single battery string.

We added a decent ground and were getting higher voltages between hot and ground than between hot and neutral. With the neutral tied to our new ground in the entrance panel, we were getting about 90 volts, although I expect that our ground has improved power for other people on the line.

Since we had two hot legs, I picked the one with the better voltage.

The Magnum 4024 low voltage cutoff can be set as low as 60 volts. I set this one to 70 volts.

When we are running on the inverter, we are getting 122 volts, a definite improvement over 90.

On the picture of the inverter, you might notice a large blank space to the right. Eventually, I would like to install a charge controller in this space.

[keithwhare]

Here's a picture of the E-panel before I closed it up.

The E-panel makes it look like I know what I'm doing.

[Westbranch]

Keith, what is the meter to the right of the Epanel, with the gray wire coiled  above it?

[Halfcrazy]

I believe it is the Magnum Remote for the inverter.

Ryan

[dgd]

A nicely set up sytem. So is it worth expanding the system to include some PV panels and a Classic solar controller?
I expect that in DR there would be lots bright overhead sunshine 

dgd

[keithwhare]

Westbranch -- Ryan is correct -- that is the Magnum ME-RC remote control mounted in the bracket that came with the e-panel. You can install a Magnum inverter without the remote, as long as you don't want to see what is happening or change parameters. The remote comes with a 50 foot cable, which was more than I needed.

DGD -- I would be delighted to make another trip down to help install a charge controller and solar panels. Three years ago, I helped install a similar system at a clinic outside of Port au Prince Haiti, about 75 miles east of here. The Haiti system system is doing very well, so I expect one here the DR to do well also. I need to get my brother to figure out PV panel prices here, so I can work out a design and budget. Then we can look for funding.

The Haiti system has an Outback FM60, but my choice this time would be a Classic 150. A charge controller fits easily in carry-on, so that's a piece of cake now that the e-panel is here and installed.

The biggest issue will be getting a welder to build a rack for the panels, and that shouldn't be too bad.

[Westbranch]

Have you done any training yet? I remember your Q and choice of the MNBCM

[keithwhare]

I did some training, hopefully enough.

I'd be happier if I could monitor the system remotely, but there is no internet connection at the clinic, so I didn't install the Magnum remote data device.

The best we can do is use good equipment, put it together really well, and come back and check it every year or so.

Keith

[Westbranch]

yes. I can see the benefit of making the whole system install a 2 part process,
1 - as you have a GT supported battery powered backup
2 - add Solar as supplemental power for extended outages.

good idea.