Mobile? View This Module Here

.

Video Updates What Others Have Been Searching+Watching

News Updates

Latest News Headlines Recent Updates Alternative Energy Trends Alt Fuels-Hybrid-EV Renewable Energy Wind Energy Environment News Ecology News Featured News Feeds subject to availability Acid Rain News Air Quality News Alt Fuels-Hybrid-EV News Alternative Fuel Vehicles-Hybrid-EV-HEV News Alternative Energy News Carbon Level News Climate Change News Conservation News Drought News Earth Times Earth Science - Environment News Earth - Climate News Eco-Enviro News Energy News Energy News 2 Environment News Extinction News Fossil Fuel News Flooding News Fuel Cell News Geothermal News Glacier News Global Warming News High Energy News Materials News Metals News Mineral News Nano Tech News News sources Ocean News Ozone News Patent News Petroleum News Pollution News Precipitation News Rain Forest News Recent News Renewable Energy Robotics News Sci-Tech News Solar Energy News Science News Science Daily Related Live Bookmark News Feeds Sea Ice News Solar Energy News 2 Vehicle News Wind Energy News Zero Point - Alt Energy News

Related

Resources

Fahrenheit to Celsius Fahrenheit: Celsius to Fahrenheit Celsius: Horsepower Calculator Enter your vehicle's quarter mile time (assuming you know it) and vehicle weight and this program will display your car's estimated horsepower. Car Model : Vehicle Weight With Driver : (in Pounds) Quarter Mile time : (in seconds) More Calculators Video - More Energy Saving Tips

--

Around The Web

Resource Files

Article Archives

Renewable Energy Resources Alliance To Save Energy Environmental and Energy Study Institute American Coalition for Ethanol American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy American Hydrogen Association American Methanol Institute Association of Energy Engineers Association of Energy Services Professionals Energy and Environment Boston Area Solar Energy Association renewableUK Building Performance Contractor's Association Canadian Renewable Fuels Association Ontario Association Of Power Producers(Canada) Canadian Wind Energy Association Center For Energy Policy and Economics Cellulose Insulation Manufacturers Association CENSOLAR Climate Alliance of European Cities Con.Web Danish Wind Turbine Manufacturers Association Texas Solar Energy Center Nickel Metal Hydride Energy Technology Center Electric Power Research Institute Earthship Efficient Windows Collaborative Electric Auto Association Electric Vehicle Association of Canada Electric Vehicle Association of the Americas Energy-Cites Energy Design Tools Energy Efficient Building Association Energy Management Association of New Zealand Energy Quest Energy Star EnergyNet Environmental Building News Eole European Solar Energy Association European Wind Energy Association EV Online EV World Florida Solar Energy Center GeoExchange Information Center Geothermal Education Office Global Energy Network International Greenpeace International Green-e Renewable Electricity Branding Program Energy Technologies Area Eliminating Oil For Transportation By 2050 International District Energy Association International Energy Agency Heat Pump Centre International Energy Agency Solar Heating and Cooling Programme nternational Ground Source Heat Pump Association International Institute for Energy Conservation International Performance Measurement and Verification Protocol International Solar Energy Society Iowa Energy Center Lighting Resource Masonry Heater Association of North America Midwest Renewable Energy Association National Affordable Housing Network National Association of Energy Service Companies National Association of State Energy Officials North Carolina Solar National Biodiesel Board National BioEnergy Industries National Center for Photovoltaics National Fenestration Rating Council Technology Transition Corporation Natural Resources Canada Office of Energy Efficiency New Mexico Energy Conservation and Management Division New York State Energy Research and Development Authority North Carolina Solar Center Northeast Advanced Vehicle Consortium Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance Pacific Northwest National Laboratory Passive Solar Industries Council PV Power Resource Site Renewable Fuels Association Renewable Resource Data Center Rensselaer Polytechnic A/Texas Rocky Mountain Institute Renewable Energy Association of Central Texas Solar Electric Light Foundation Solar Energy Industries Association UNDP Southface Energy Institute Energy Resource Engineering Sustainable Building Sourcebook Energy And Resource Institute Understanding Organic Certified Foods Union of Concerned Scientists United States Council for Automotive Research University College Dublin Energy Research Group Department of Defense Fuel Cell Demonstration Program Willow Biomass for Energy Windpower Monthly News Magazine

Related Electronics and Java Applets Solar Cell Design Applet DC Circuits Electric Field Applet Inductance Applet Magnetism III Moving Point Charge Applet

Battery Bank Basics

Off Grid Battery Bank Building a battery bank and having a method of keeping them charged is one of the first steps in building an alternate energy system for off grid applications. A battery bank can be used to run lighting, t.v., radio, microwave, etc. Sizes range from a few batteries, a charging system and an inverter, to hospitals and universities that need power for lighting and important equipment. All battery systems have to be properly recharged. This is done by the generator or other source of alternate energy. The larger the system, the larger the generator or other source of charge has to be. Batteries are rated in voltage and ampere hour capacity. The greater the amp hour capacity of the battery bank, the longer it can power equipment before needing to be recharged. Energy from the generator or alternative energy source can be stored for later use. With the cost of fuel, oil and maintenance it makes sense. Rather than running a generator all the time to get power, it only has to be operated when equalization charging takes place and when the system does not have sufficient capacity to power heavy loads. The initial investment in a battery bank is well worth it, providing power 100 percent of the time. Battery backup is increasingly used in grid tied systems as well. Battery banks are wired and sized to produce energy needed in voltages ranging from 12, 24, 48, 60,vdc and sometimes higher. The higher the loads (demand) placed on the system, the higher the voltage has to be to match the input voltage required by more powerful inverters that are needed for larger loads. Once you have figured out your daily watt hour consumption and have revised that figure by practicing energy management, you can calculate your battery capacity. Use the following formula. (watt hours) wh/day x days of storage x bat.eff. x dod(depth of discharge) = ampere hours. battery efficiency ( 75-90%) effbat battery voltage ( 12,24,48,60+,etc ) maximum depth of discharge from( 20-80% )

Battery Bank Wiring Examples

Solar Insolation Maps

----

Equipment Consumption Averages/Starting Wattage

Item	Starting Wattage	Running Wattage
1/4' Drill	300	300
12' Concrete Cutter	3600	1800
7 1/4' Circular Saw	3000	1500
Air Compressor (Average)	4000	2000
Belt Sander	1000	1000
Central Air Conditioner
10,000 BTU	2200	1500
20,000 BTU	3300	2500
24,000 BTU	4950	3800
32,000 BTU	6500	5000
40,000 BTU	6700	6000
Chain Saw	1200	1200
Circular Saw	2400	1200
Disc Grinder	4000	2000
Disc Sander	1200	1200
Drill	1800	720
Edger	2400	960
Electric Chainsaw	2400	1200
Electric Lawn Mower	4320	1440
Electric Pressure Washer	3600	1200
Electric String Trimmer	1500	600
Electric Weed Trimmer	500	500
Furnace Fan, gas/fuel oil furnace
1/8 horsepower	500	300
1/6 horsepower	750	500
1/4 horsepower	1000	800
2/5 horsepower	1400	700
3/5 horsepower	2350	875
Jig Saw	1800	720
Jigsaw	300	300
Miter Saw	2100	840
Orbital Sander	1800	600
Paint Sprayer	1080	360
Planer	2400	960
Router	1500	600
Water Pump	3000	1000
Wet/Dry Vacuum	2500	888
Winch	5400	1800
Worm Drive Saw	3100	1560

Basic Energy Formulas And Equivalents - Appliance Average Consumption Ratings

• Energy is ability to do work. 1 newton of force over 1 meter is 1 newton-meter or joule or watt second of work done.

• Power is the rate of doing work. lifting 1 pound weight

• 1 foot in one second is 1 foot-pound per second. if you lift 550 pounds one foot in one second that's 1 horsepower of power required.
• Most people would have problem lifting 550 pounds (249.48 kg), directly. but you can lift that weight with a winch over longer time and the same amount of work was done, just took longer so required less power.
• Same principle with levers or pulleys. The force is reduced but distance the force is applied increases. So total of force * distance remains the same. (minus any friction loss) the same amount of work can be done by letting the weight fall, but then you have to do work to lift it back up.
• 1 btu = 252 calories
• 1 btu = 1055 joules (watt seconds) = .293 watt hours
• 1 btu raises 1 pound of water 1 degree fahrenheit
• 1 calorie raises a gram of water 1 degree celsius 1kilocalorie is used for diets = 1 kilogram water 1 deg celsius
• 1 calorie = 4.186 joules
• 1 therm = 100,000 btu = 29.3 kwh
• 1 ton of refrigeration = 12,000 btu/hr
• 1 lb residential garbage = 2,500 btu =0.73 kwh
• 1 lb coal = 13,000 btu = 3.81kwh 1ton=7.62 mwh $1.31 per million btu = 0.44 cents per kwh
• 1 lb wood = 3,500 btu = 1.03 kwh
• 1 gal propane= 92,000 btu = 30 kwh
• 1 gal fuel oil= 138,000 btu = 40.45 kwh ($1.00 gallon = 2.5c/kwh)
• 1 cu. ft. nat. gas = 1,000 btu = .29 kwh (44cent per 100 cuft=1.5c/kwh)
• 1 hp = 745.7 watts = 2545.3 btu hr
• 1 hp = 33,479 btuh (boiler)
• 1 hp = = 550 foot-lbs/sec = 33,000 foot-lbs/min
• 1 hp = 42.44 btu/min.
• hp = torque in pound-feet x rpm/5252
• (revolutions per minute /60) *2 *pi = radians/second s rpm * 0.1047 = radians/sec
• note: torque is measured in "foot pounds" but should be described as "pound feet" or 1 pound force at 1 foot radius to avoid confusion with work done lifting 1 pound 1 foot, unit of energy.
• 1 joule = 1 watt second = 1 newton meter
• Energy is a scalar, with basic si units of kg-m^2/sec^2 (also defined to be the joule).
• Einstein's equation: e = mc^2 would be for 1 gram of mass and c = velocity of light =3 * 10^8 meter/sec 1 * 10^-3 kilograms * 9 * 10^16 = 9 * 10^13 joules or 9 * 10^13/3.6 * 10^6 = 2.5 * 10^7 kwh.
• Kinetic energy of a moving mass is 1/2 * m * v^2 joules, m is mass in kg and v is velocity in meters/sec.
• Momentum is a *vector*, with basic si units of kg-m/sec.
• Rotational momentum is p = j x w, where j is the moment of inertia (same as used for calculating rotational kinetic energy).
• Ke of rotationally moving objects equation ke = 0.5 x j x w^2, where j = moment of inertia (rotational analog of mass, related to the object's mass and its distribution around the axis of rotation), an w = rotational speed, radians/second. acceleration is the change in velocity/time earth gravity acceleration is about 32 feet/sec^2 or 9.81 meters/sec^2.
• That means that velocity of something falling without wind resistance or other force, will increase 32 feet per second, every second or 9.81 meters/second, every second. stopping or deceleration is calculated the same.
• v is velocity, d/t, meters/second or feet/second d is distance a is acceleration, change in velocity/time, m/s^2 t is time in seconds
• v= at, t = v/a, a=v/t, d = 1/2at^2, t= 2d/v, t = (2d/a)^0.5 {sqrt}, d = 1/2v^2/a, a = 1/2v^2/d, v = (2ad)^0.5 {sqrt} d = vt for constant velocity
• Using same units such as a = 32 feet per second^2, in two seconds the distance traveled would be 1/2 * 32 feet/sec^2 * 2 sec^2 = 64 feet or 1/2 * 9.8 m/s^2 * 2 sec^2 = 19.6 meters
• 1 watt = 1 volt x 1 amp
• 1 amp = 1 coulomb of charge per second (6.02 * 10^23 electrons)
• 1 ohm = resistance that has 1 volt for 1 amp current

• Ohm's law e for voltage, i for amperage, r for resistance ohms, p for watts
• e=ir, e=p/i, e=(rp)^0.5, i=e/r, i=p/e, i=(p/r)^0.5, r=e/i, r=p/i^2, r=e^2/p, p=ei, p=i^2r, p=e^2/r
• 1 watthour = 3.412 btu
• 1 kilowatt-hr = 3412 btu = 3.6 * 10^6 joule
• 1 kilowatt = 1,000 watts
• 1 kilowatt = 1.3405 horsepower

• 1 atmosphere = 14.7 lbs./sq. inch
• 1 atmosphere = 29.92 inches of mercury
• 1 pound per square inch = 6.899 kilopascals.
• 1 pascal is newton of force over 1 meter square, pressure.
• 1 centimeter = .3937 inches
• 1 cubic foot = 1728 cubic inches
• 1 cubic foot = 7.48 gallons us
• 1 cubic foot/minute = 7.482 gallons/minute
• 1 cubic foot water = 62.4 lbs @ 60 deg. f
• 1 foot of water = .4333 lbs/sq. inch
• 1 foot-pound = .001286 btu
• 1 foot-pound = 1.356 newton meters
• 1 newton meter = 0.7376 foot pounds = 1 joule
• 1 newton accelerates 1 kg at 1 meter per second^2 (about 9.81 newtons = 1kg force in earth gravity)
• 1 foot/second = 0.68182 miles per hour
• 1 mph = 1.46667 feet per second.
• 1 meter/second = 3.6 kilometers/hour
• 1 meter = 39.37 inches = 3.28084 feet = 1.0936 yards
• 1 foot = .3048 meters
• 1 inch = 2.54 centimeters = .0254 meters.
• 1 gallon us = 3.785 liters = 231 cubic inches.
• 1 gallon us water = 8.35 lbs
• 1 inch of water = .03613 lbs./sq. inch
• 1 foot of water = 0.4335 psi
• 1 liter = 1.057 quarts
• 1 fluid ounce = 1.805 cubic inches
• 1 fluid ounce = .02957 liters
• 1 cubic inch = 16.387064 cubic centimeters 1 pound = 0.4536 kg or 1 kg = 2.2046 pounds
• 1 oz = 28.35 grams

• Celsius deg * 9/5 +32 = fahrenheit, f-32 * 5/9 = centigrade
• 212 deg fahrenheit = 100 degree celsius, water boils
• 32 deg fahrenheit = 0 degree celsius, water freezes
• -40 deg fahrenheit = -40 deg celsius
• Absolute 0 degrees or kelvin = -459.7 fahrenheit or -273 c

• The speed of light in a vacuum is approx 2.998 * 10^8 meters/second or 186,000 miles per second. rounded off 3 * 10^8 meters/second.

• 1 megahertz frequency wavelength is 300 meters.
• The formula for determining load in watts is:

  watts = amps x volts or p(watts)= i(current) x e(voltage)

  note: 1 kw = 1000 watts

• space heater 1200 watts


• weed trimmer 850 watts


• clothes dryer (gas) 720 watts


• clothes dryer (electric) 2400 watts


• light bulb (100w) 100 watts


• small radio am/fm cd 50 watts


• radio, cb 50 watts


• fan 200 watts


• television 50-250 watts (cathode tube), plasma flat screen 125-250 watts


• LED flat screen tv 50-120 watts


• microwave oven 1200 watts


• air conditioner (12,000 btu) 3250 watts


• furnace fan (1/3 hp blower motor) 600 watts


• vacuum cleaner 600 watts


• sump pump (1/3 hp) 700 watts


• refrigerator/freezer 800 watts


• deep freezer 500 watts


• circular saw 6" 800 watts


• floodlight 150 watts(incandescent) LED 75 watts


• drill 1/2" electric 1000 watts


• toaster 1200 watts


• coffee maker 1200 watts


• skillet 1200 watts


• chain saw 14" electric 1200 watts


• water well pump (1/2 hp) 1000 watts


• hot plate/range (per burner) 1000-1200 watts


• table saw 10" 2000 watts


• elect. water heater 3000 watts


• dc battery/device charger 120 watts

• Video Channels
• Recent Videos
• News Channels
• Calculators
• Community-Groups
• Photo Share
• Archives

Privacy

Contact

© copyright - 2000-2022 alternate-energy.net and the Alternate Energy Resource Network