Portable Solar-powered Apartment Battery Bank Part 1

Pickles and Ammo demonstrates how to hook up a portable solar panel system for your apartment or home on the cheap.

Category:

Howto & Style

Tags:

• solar-power
• back-up
• power
• portable
• solar
• panels
• battery
• system

[BlueHoleScuba]

Everyone needs to realize, charging a lead-acid battery (liquid filled) gives off hydrogen gases. Always vent or store batteries to the outside!

[picklesandammo]

True! Fortunately, the xpower 1500 uses a sealed AGM (absorbed glass mat). We've had no problems with this system at the nearly 1 year mark.

[superchink28]

how long does it take to charge the battery from empty to full?

[picklesandammo]

That depends on how much sun we're getting. Since posting this video, we've added 2 more 12-watt panels (identical to the one in the video). We run the system for a few hours at night (mostly 2 bedroom lamps), and if the sun is shining the next day, the system is usually charged up before noon. It will definitely sustain us for a few rainy days, though. For battery health, we try not let it drain deeper than 50%.

[packagewarren]

you didn't indicate how strong the battery was, how many volts or amps. otherwise, pretty good job. very understandable. what was that little comedy scene with the beer,lol?

[picklesandammo]

The battery in the xpower 1500 is a 12-volt battery, with a capacity of 61 amp-hours new. The charge controller used is a 10-amp charge controller, so that's the maximum load we can pull through the load terminals on the charger. However, the xpower itself can be used to jump start a car - so directly from the battery you can probably get a several dozen amps. Thus my cautionary notes to be careful when working with it!

[Jetli2013]

6:10

LOL !! MOM HAS YOUR LUNCH READY !!! XD

RIGHT WHERE A WOMAN SHOULD BE. ROFL !!!

[kendalismyname]

pack up your pickles, ammo and solar panels and join me in France. I need your genius. :-P

[OneSproutAtaTime]

Hi, any recommendation on where to find the Xantrex XPower 1500 for a good price? The ones I saw were about $500.

[rclark23]

well done mate!!

[vention4wh]

LOL, funny ending.

Not a bad start. It's a great idea to get some kind of backup power supply even if you live in an apartment. I own a condo (LOL I actually own the condo since I paid it off 2 weeks ago) and I have the exact same system. I added 4 extension batteries on top of the unit though, and made a nice little tray to hold them stable.

[sirmasterpimp]

@GingerBunny82 Sure you can, an sla battery is a sealed, with no free moving acid. Its acid / electrolyte is held in an absorbent glass mat, the acid won't even come out if you remove the cover and shake it (I have many sla / agm batteries). That is why ups battery backup systems use them, some of mine are mounted sideways and one is upside down. The only battery you have to worry about is flooded lead acid (like a car battery you can add water too).

[GingerBunny82]

@BlueHoleScuba - Good point, however Sealed Lead-Acid batteries do not and have the advantage of being stored in any position.

[kargaroc386]

just make sure it doesn't explode, because if it does it would be atleast like a grenade or a block of C4

[blsixty9]

Where did you purchase the Xantrex X power 1500 battery on wheels?

[testbooster]

that same battery is now $500