What did you do today? 2017 version

[Ronstar]

Swapped out a bathroom vanity top, sink and faucet. Then chased this guy around the front yard.

 

[aja8888]

Swapped out a bathroom vanity top, sink and faucet. Then chased this guy around the front yard.

Now that's a healthy looking buck there Ron! Down our way, they don't fill out as much.

 

[Ronstar]

Now that's a healthy looking buck there Ron! Down our way, they don't fill out as much.

They normally don't fill out that much here either. And I normally see about 100 does per 1 buck. So this is extremely rare siting. Especially considering that he waited in the front yard while I went into the house, got my camera, switched lenses, found a memory card and came back outside - he was still in the same spot.

 

[NW-Bound]

Late yesterday evening, I took delivery of a crate loaded with lithium batteries, enough to build a 17kWh bank. The UPS freight truck driver was running late. The 18-wheeler was a strange sight in this residential neighborhood.

 

[6miths]

Wood guy was here at 730 to dump 2 face cords of wood which I just finished stacking. Drizzle this morning of course after a run of nice days.

 

[Nemo2]

Not today, but we're contemplating a 4:00 a.m. start (clocks go back tonight, so we get an extra hour) tomorrow:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g2100898-d2626651-Reviews-Septemvri_Dobrinishte_n

 

[brewer12345]

Yesterday I did stuff around the house then split with DD2 to help set up the major fundraiser for her 4H club, a haunted hayride and a bunch of ancillary games and concessions. She and I ran the petting zoo. Since the person responsible forgot to get straw and feed I made a last minute run to get them, then spent the night restraining a pair of 250 pound sheep and a large goat from trampling small children who had a tendency to get a bit too enthusiastic with them. I can say with certainty that I will never have any interest in the "sport" of mutton busting and after being stomped on several times I finally understand the point of steel toed boots. Today I am doing things around the house again (racking 20 gallons of beer into kegs, etc.) and then doing the second night of sheep wrestling.

 

[travelover]

Late yesterday evening, I took delivery of a crate loaded with lithium batteries, enough to build a 17kWh bank. The UPS freight truck driver was running late. The 18-wheeler was a strange sight in this residential neighborhood.

Whatcha building , N-W? Partnership with Elon?

 

[ERD50]

Late yesterday evening, I took delivery of a crate loaded with lithium batteries, enough to build a 17kWh bank. The UPS freight truck driver was running late. The 18-wheeler was a strange sight in this residential neighborhood.

Whatcha building , N-W? Partnership with Elon?

Curious. So how big and heavy is a 17kWh battery (is 'bank' redundant? A battery is already a group of 'cells', right? A group of a group?)?

Can you regularly drain all 17 kWh, or is that a max, and you use less to extend the life?

Probably best to start a new thread?

-ERD50

 

[NW-Bound]

Earlier this summer, in late June, I came back from a heat wave in Europe (96F in Paris) to 122F at home! That month of June, my home electricity usage was 120 kWh/day in the hottest days, and we were not even home.

So, watching solar panel prices at $0.50/W, I thought it was time for me to do a DIY solar project. I will not apply for any subsidy, and my system will be an off-grid one, and not grid-tied. The idea is that it will run one or two supplemental mini-splits (to be installed), to off-load the central 5-ton AC.

Then, seeing that the on-peak rate lasts until 8PM while the outside temperature can be above 100F until midnight, it would be nice if I could store some of the surplus energy, if I will have any, to continue supporting the AC after sundown. Hence, the battery bank.

The 17-kWh capacity is a drop in the bucket compared to the 120kWh daily usage, but it's a start.

Elon is offering a Tesla Powerwall with a 13.5 kWh battery for $6,200, and the additional installation cost was reported to be from $5000 to $8000.

I will not be able to design one as slick, but I will be able to beat that price, and still have money left over to build a pergola to mount the solar panels on top, and also to have a couple of mini-split AC's added to the home. It's the big advantage of DIY for no installation costs.

A lot of work, but also a lot of fun. I have learned a lot about the quirks of lithium battery, specifically the Lithium Iron Phosphate type.

I also already have 3 kWh in a bank of 3 batteries for my motorhome. Still working on how to install them with a DIY BMS (battery management system).

 

[NW-Bound]

Curious. So how big and heavy is a 17kWh battery (is 'bank' redundant? A battery is already a group of 'cells', right? A group of a group?)?

Can you regularly drain all 17 kWh, or is that a max, and you use less to extend the life?

Probably best to start a new thread?

-ERD50

150 kg or 330 lbs. At 100% DoD (depth of discharge), they lose 30% capacity after 2,000 cycles. At 50% or less DoD, many many cycles. It's better to have more than less storage capacity.

Temperature has a big effect too. That's my concern right now. Air-conditioning the garden shed?

Large storage capacities are not always built up from individual cells. Rather, they are often assemblies of smaller batteries which are built up from individual cells. Hence, the word "battery bank" is appropriate.

As mentioned earlier, I still have to install a set of 3 lithium batteries for my motorhome. Each battery is a bit larger than the usual lead-acid auto battery, with 4 large prismatic cells inside. Each cell is 100Ah of 3.2V, hence each battery is actually 4 x 3.2V x 100Ah = 1.28 kWh. The bank of 3 such batteries is 3.840 kWh.

 

[NW-Bound]

Here is a large battery that is built-up from individual cells, of 141-lb total weight. Its capacity is 4 x 5 x 100Ah x 3.2V = 6.4kWh. It's a 12V system, the same as my motorhome system while my larger home storage system will be 48V.

The photo was linked from Technomadia, an RV'er couple who has been championing the use of lithium battery to replace the common lead-acid type.

 

[Walt34]

Speaking of lithium batteries, I have some charging now to go fly an R/C airplane later on when (hopefully) the wind dies down enough in late afternoon/evening.

DW has left me again to go babysit the grandnieces, she'll be back tomorrow.

 

[Philliefan33]

We got a bit of the winter prep done at the mountain house today. All of the kayaks, the canoe, the SUP, and the sailboat are put away for the winter. (Don't tell DH, but I'm willing to bring out the whitewater kayak again if the right opportunity arises). We put the deck chair cushions away and moved the grill onto the shed.

The weather has been warm so I felt like we were rushing things. Then it dawned on me that next week will be November already. Where does the time go?

 

[Dash man]

We got a bit of the winter prep done at the mountain house today. All of the kayaks, the canoe, the SUP, and the sailboat are put away for the winter. (Don't tell DH, but I'm willing to bring out the whitewater kayak again if the right opportunity arises). We put the deck chair cushions away and moved the grill onto the shed.

The weather has been warm so I felt like we were rushing things. Then it dawned on me that next week will be November already. Where does the time go?

I was going to do the same today, but I took a nap instead. I’ll do it after the approaching storm passes.

 

[6miths]

Not today, but we're contemplating a 4:00 a.m. start (clocks go back tonight, so we get an extra hour) tomorrow:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g2100898-d2626651-Reviews-Septemvri_Dobrinishte_n

We don't change back to Standard time until next weekend as far as I know and Google and DW seem to confirm.

 

[REWahoo]

Some people like to beat the rush.

 

[Nemo2]

We don't change back to Standard time until next weekend as far as I know and Google and DW seem to confirm.

Yabbut, in Bulgaria they/we are on Eastern European Time, and the clocks go back at 04:00 a.m. Oct 29.

 

[6miths]

We got a bit of the winter prep done at the mountain house today. All of the kayaks, the canoe, the SUP, and the sailboat are put away for the winter. (Don't tell DH, but I'm willing to bring out the whitewater kayak again if the right opportunity arises). We put the deck chair cushions away and moved the grill onto the shed.

The weather has been warm so I felt like we were rushing things. Then it dawned on me that next week will be November already. Where does the time go?

I was swimming in Lake Huron last weekend which is very unusual for end of October. And it wasn't a Polar bear scenario, it was a going into the water to cool off and walking around afterward with only bathing suit on. The weird thing was that neighbour was out putting his snow fence up along the shore. Probably wise as with the lake so warm we could be in for a very snowy winter up there but who knows. Almost nothing last year.

 

[6miths]

Yabbut, in Bulgaria they/we are on Eastern European Time, and the clocks go back at 04:00 a.m. Oct 29.

Sorry Nemo2, I didn't click on your trip advisor link, had no idea you were so far afield. My bad! Hope you have a great time and that you are having good weather. Enjoy!

 

[Nemo2]

Sorry Nemo2, I didn't click on your trip advisor link, had no idea you were so far afield. My bad! Hope you have a great time and that you are having good weather. Enjoy!

Hey..it gave me a smile....and I did double check the change date.

 

[Meadbh]

Yabbut, in Bulgaria they/we are on Eastern European Time, and the clocks go back at 04:00 a.m. Oct 29.

It was all synchronized until George W Bush changed the time of the switchover in the US due to his impression that it would save fuel for the war in Iraq, or something. It’s very confusing if you are traveling between North America and Europe that week!

 

[MRG]

It was all synchronized until George W Bush changed the time of the switchover in the US due to his impression that it would save fuel for the war in Iraq, or something. It’s very confusing if you are traveling between North America and Europe that week!

I've traveled and done business(only 3 continents) during that horrible period of the year.

What a joke!

Surely if we could agree on DST we could agree on world peas!

 

[aja8888]

Worked on the yard.

Raked and bagged 8 tall bags of leaves. Trimmed trees of dead branches, cut back some of this years growth, washed the tool shed, etc. About 6 hours of outdoor work in nice cool conditions.

 

[6miths]

I always wondered what the rationale was for changing the clocks at such disparate dates compared to the respective equinoxes. About 8 days before the vernal equinox but not until about 45 days after the autumnal equinox.