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FREECALL 1800 853 315SHOP ONLINE OR VISIT THE STOREWebsite: www.aussiebatteries.com.auEmail: in fo@auss iebat ter ies .com.auStore: 8 Technology Drive, Warana QLD 4575

AUSSIE BATTERIES & SOLAR

All you need to know about:✓ Deep Cycle Batteries✓ Portable Solar Panels✓ Portable Fridges✓ Generators✓ Battery Chargers✓ Inverters✓ Complete DIY Solar Kits

Complete Battery and Solar e-book

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Complete Battery and Solar e-book v2

September 25, 2015 3:56 PM

All you need to know about batteries and solar panels

CONTENTSAbout this eBook .......................................................................................... 4

1. BATTERIES 5- Overview ..................................................................................................... 5- Flooded cell and Calcium batteries: ........................................................... 6- AGM Deep Cycle Batteries: ....................................................................... 7- GEL Batteries: ............................................................................................ 8- Lithium Batteries: ....................................................................................... 9

2. BATTERY MAINTENANCE: 10- Charging: .................................................................................................. 10- Sulphation: ............................................................................................... 11- Battery Levels: .......................................................................................... 12- Battery Terminals: ..................................................................................... 13- Linking Batteries ....................................................................................... 14- Linking in Parallel: .................................................................................... 15- Linking in Series: ...................................................................................... 16- Connecting to linked batteries: ................................................................ 17- 240v Battery chargers: ............................................................................. 18- Charging from Solar: ................................................................................ 20- I strongly recommend AGM’s, But Why? ................................................. 21- Expected Life of Batteries ........................................................................ 26- What is battery cycles VS. build life ......................................................... 26

3. SOLAR 28- Solar Overview: ........................................................................................ 28Fixed Solar Panels: ..................................................................................... 30- Portable Solar Panels: .............................................................................. 31- Regulators: ............................................................................................... 33- PWM – Pulse Width Modulation Regulators: ........................................... 34- MPPT – Multi Power Point Tracking: ........................................................ 35Petrol / Diesel Generators ........................................................................... 36Will you need a regulator? .......................................................................... 37WATTS / VOLTS / AMPS ............................................................................. 37Formula: ...................................................................................................... 37Calculating Solar and Battery Setup .......................................................... 38Technical Data Explained ............................................................................ 40- Inverters .................................................................................................... 41- Modified Sine Wave Inverter: ................................................................... 42- Pure Sine Wave Inverter: ......................................................................... 43- Inverters Overview: ................................................................................... 44

4. REFRIGERATORS 46- Overview: .................................................................................................. 46- Compressor Fridges: ................................................................................ 47- 3-Way fridges: .......................................................................................... 49

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About this eBook

The purpose of this solar bible is to help guide you,

the reader, in making informed choices about solar and

independent power systems. There is a lot of information in

the market for people looking to move into solar power and

quite often this can be conflicting and confusing. We hope

that this booklet will offer some guidance and explanation

of what is involved in current solar systems and help you to

make an informed decision as to what will best suit you.

All information in this booklet is current at the time of

printing but new and exciting advances in technology are

taking place regularly so it’s always worthwhile checking with

your local solar experts, to see what new products may be

available.

1. BATTERIES

- Overview

Batteries in essence are a portable source of power.

We use them in everything from torches and radios to the

space shuttles and aircraft. For solar power systems there

are three main categories of batteries used and they are

flooded cell batteries (including calcium batteries), AGM

(absorbed glass matting) sealed deep cycle batteries and

GEL sealed batteries.

Each type of battery has its own unique properties with

varying pros and cons associated with it.

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- Flooded cell and Calcium batteries:

Flooded cell and calcium batteries are usually used in automotive and marine applications. They are commonly referred to as “starting” batteries as they usually have a high CCA (Cold Cranking Amp) rating and an internal design which allows them to produce a short sharp burst of energy such as what is required by motor vehicle engines to start. These batteries have acid in their cells as their name suggests and are not sealed and so if they tip over or are damaged, they can leak corrosive acid and cause damage. Flooded cell batteries also produce hydrogen gas as they are charged and discharged. If these batteries are used within a confined space, this hydrogen can accumulate and given it’s highly flammable nature, can catch alight if there is a spark or naked flame in near vicinity. Under-bonnet of cars is no problem for these batteries as there is space for the gas to dissipate, but it’s strongly advised not to use them as internal batteries for caravans or motor homes etc. as there is a chance of an explosion or fire taking place. Flooded cell batteries are cheaper than AGM or GEL batteries, however the trade-off is that their service life is shorter with an average automotive battery expected to last 3 years approximately under normal usage.

- AGM Deep Cycle Batteries:

AGM sealed deep cycle batteries are the work horse of the battery world. Their construction and design allows them to have low to medium current drawn out of them, over a long period of time. AGM batteries are still a lead-acid battery but in between the lead plates is a thin sheet of Boron-Silicate glass mat. This glass mat is what the electrolyte (acid) of the battery rests in, rather than being free flowing like its wet-cell cousin. This makes the AGM “unspillable” as the acid is contained by the glass mat and therefore won’t leak even if tipped on its sides. This characteristic, as well as not producing gases while they charge, makes AGM batteries perfect for use in caravans, boats, RV’s or as a second battery in a dual battery system. They can be placed in sealed compartments and also will handle corrugated roads or vibration because they are designed and built to withstand these conditions. AGM batteries are not designed to be cranking batteries, however using them as a cold cranking occasionally will not affect there overall service life. The draw needed at start up is too high to be sustained by the battery and continued use in a cranking situation or a situation with a high draw out of the battery will affect service life. AGM and Gel batteries are also sensitive to heat and are not suited to be mounted under bonnets of vehicles unless they are in an insulated covering.

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- GEL Batteries:

GEL batteries are very similar to AGM batteries and are

quite often used for similar applications as AGM batteries.

GEL batteries have the electrolyte mixed into a paste and

then placed between the lead plates. They have the same

properties as AGM batteries in that they are non-spilling and

non-gassing and can be placed on their side or in positions

that traditional wet cell batteries cannot. GEL batteries are

more sensitive to voltage spikes and over charging and like

to be charged at 14.4v which requires a dedicated charger

that specifies it can be used with GEL batteries. Anything

over this voltage can damage the battery and lead to a

shortened life or battery failure.

- Lithium Batteries:

Lithium batteries are a technology coming to the

forefront now as an exciting alternative to traditional

batteries. They are smaller in size than a lead-acid battery

with the same storage capacity and yet weigh less too.

Unfortunately the cost of Lithium batteries is prohibitive,

for most applications, being 2-3 times more than a lead-

acid battery and can be more unstable with the chemicals

involved being more volatile than those used in lead-acid

batteries. We believe that these batteries will be the way

of the future and technological advances are being made

regularly but just at the moment, we’d recommend looking

into your lead-acid battery options first.

“Different batteries should be used for various applications and if you’re unsure as to what type of battery would be suit you situation, feel free to give your battery experts at Aussie Batteries and Solar a call and we can point you in the right direction.”

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2. Battery Maintenance:

- Charging:

It is important to know the type of battery that you are

charging and the correct voltage that it should be charged

at. Over charging batteries can compromise the internal

structure of the battery, shortening its life and performance.

Each type of battery has a different rate of charge it prefers

to be charged at and most modern battery chargers will

have settings for Flooded, AGM and GEL batteries. If you’re

battery charger is a bit older, just make sure that it will suit

the type of battery you are wanting to charge in order to

avoid over charging the battery.

Type of Battery: Required rate of ChargingFlooded/Calcium 15.7v

AGM 14.7vGEL 14.4v

- Sulphation:

Sulphation is one of the most common causes of

battery failure. The sulphuric acid within lead-acid batteries

reacts with the lead in the plates of the battery to form lead

sulphate on the negative plates of the battery. This barrier

reduces the surface area of the acid on the lead plates and

over time reduces the ability of the battery to hold its charge

and makes it hard to even recharge the battery.

There are a few battery rejuvenation products on the

market which will help in reducing the effects of sulphation

on your battery and you can even buy battery chargers

which will assist in preventing sulphation of your battery.

Reverse Pulse Desulfation Chargers are completely different

from conventional chargers you may find on the market.

The reverse pulse technology helps reduce battery internal

impedance while charging and will help reduce the effects of

sulphation on your battery.

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- Battery Levels:

In traditional automotive batteries you can top-up the

level of electrolyte within the cells of the battery by adding

Distilled or deionized water. Be careful not to overfill or have

the level too low and its worth checking these levels once a

month or so. A growing trend in automotive batteries is to

use maintenance free* batteries that don’t require topping

the cells up and they instead have a hydrometer which

will let you know the state of the battery. It’s good to keep

an eye on this to make sure that your battery is in tip top

condition.

- Battery Terminals:

Corrosion on your terminals can now be prevented

with a number of sealing products. These usually come

in spray can form and can be sprayed on your terminals

after a battery is fitted forming an airtight barrier around the

terminal and preventing corrosion. If corrosion is present on

your terminals, some warm water and bi-carbonate of soda

brushed over with an old toothbrush is a great way to get it

off.

Clean Terminal

Terminal Corrosion

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- Linking Batteries

When linking up batteries, you basically have two

options. Linking in Parallel or linking in series. Both of these

options will be explained in more detail in the following

paragraphs. When linking batteries, they need to be the

same type, same size and same age in order to avoid

equalisation problems when charging. A good thick cable

should be used to link your batteries (2 or 3 B&S should do)

this will allow a good flow of electrons and prevent voltage

loss.

- Linking in Parallel:

Linking batteries in parallel is done the same way as

jump starting your car. Connect the positive terminal on the

first battery with the positive terminal on the second battery

and also connect the negative terminals together. This will

allow you to keep the same voltage of your batteries, but

increase the capacity.

Eg. If you link 3 x 125AH, 12 volt Deep cycle Batteries in parallel you will have 375AH (Capacity) at 12 volts.

You can link up to 4 batteries in parallel safely before

equalisation may become an issue and as previously

mentioned, they should be the same type (eg. Not a flooded

cell linked with an AGM), same size (capacity) and same

age.

B&S Cable

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- Linking in Series:

Linking batteries in series is the same as putting batteries into a torch. Connect the positive terminal of one battery to the negative terminal of the second battery. This will result in the capacity of the batteries staying the same but see an increase in the voltage output.

Eg. If you link 2 x 410AH, 6 volt Deep cycle Batteries in series you will have 410AH (Capacity) at 12 volts.

You can link more batteries in series than you can in parallel but just be careful because the higher the voltage, the more dangerous it becomes and remember that high voltage can injure or cause death. Most solar systems deal with 48v or under.

- Connecting to linked batteries:

When you have more than one battery in your bank

and are wanting to draw off it through an inverter or some

other device, the best way is to use the positive terminal on

the first battery in your battery bank and then the negative

terminal on the last battery in your battery bank. When

connecting a charging device to the battery bank, it’s best to

use the same terminals that you are using to draw from your

batteries.

Connecting to your batteries in this fashion will allow for

an even draw through the batteries and help to get the most

even wear on the batteries and the longest life out of them.

CONNECTION TOINVERTER NOTINCLUDED

12V 1025AH BATTERY WIRING

+

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- 240v Battery chargers:

Battery chargers have come a long way in recent years

with the coming of age of “smart” chargers. These chargers

have the ability to automatically detect the type of battery

being charged (Flooded, AGM or GEL) and charge them

appropriately. They start by being connected to the battery

and then send a pulse into the battery in order to determine

the internal resistance of the battery. From this it will know

the type of battery being charged and will charge it at the

voltage that best suits that type of battery. These smart

chargers are usually staged and will usually have a “float”

charge as its final stage allowing the user to not worry about

the battery being overcharged or when they have to remove

the battery from the charger.

When using an older charger it’s important that the

charger be compatible with the type of battery you are

charging. If you charge an AGM battery with a charger

designed to charge wet cell batteries alone, it will

overcharge the AGM and damage it, shortening its life span.

As a rough guide battery chargers should be rated at

10% of the AH capacity of the battery that it’s charging. For

example if you are charging a 100AH battery, then a battery

charger rated to 10amps would be the ideal size to charge

it. Up to 5% either side of this 10% figure is fine but placing

a small battery charger on a large battery or battery bank

may take it too long to charge or it may never reach full

charge and placing a charger that’s too large for a battery

can cause it to charge too quickly and cause damage to the

battery.

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- Charging from Solar:

Solar panels, after the initial set up cost, are a way of generating free power to charge batteries and run appliances. They convert sunlight into an electric current which can then be harnessed and used to power other devices. This is now a viable solution for people who need power and are unable (or unwilling) to connect to grid power. When you need to charge a battery and don’t have access to grid power, solar power can be used to charge your batteries. Solar panels after being placed in the sun will produce power that will run through a regulator. This regulator should be able to be set to the correct type of battery you are charging and then will charge it accordingly. 12v solar panels can actually produce between 12 and 21v. This fluctuation in power levels would wreak havoc on a battery if left unregulated, so by having a regulator in place, the correct voltage will be put into the battery and it will be charged properly. Most modern solar regulators are also staged and will switch to float charge after the battery has reached full capacity. The most important thing is that the regulator is set to the correct battery type for what you are charging in order to prevent overcharging of the battery.

- I strongly recommend AGM’s, But Why?

Absorbed Glass Mat (AGM) Valve Regulated Lead

Acid (VRLA). They are the best lead battery available and

have many characteristics that make them far superior to

conventional batteries.

Sealed Absorbed Glass Mat (Ca/Ca) VRLA deep cycle

batteries (also known as “starved electrolyte” or “dry”) have

a very fine fibre Boron-Silicate glass mat between their

flat Lead with Calcium alloy in the positive and Lead with

Calcium alloy in the negative plates. The AGM battery was

invented in 1980 and first used in military aircraft in 1985.

AGM batteries have several advantages over both

gelled and flooded batteries, at about the same cost as

gelled batteries:

• Much safer then wet batteries (due the hydrogen

gas recombination during charging)

• Do not require water

• Lower self-discharge rate (typically 1%-2% per

month)

• Longer service life (approx. 2-3 times life

expectancy of Flooded lead acid)

• Higher resistance to vibration

• Lower deep discharge failure

• Less forgiving when accidentally overcharged

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• Higher bulk charge acceptance rate (which means

up to a 15% shorter recharge

• time and reduced cost than Flooded lead acid)

• Do not require special hazardous shipping

• Can be used in saltwater applications

• Spill proof and can be mounted in virtually any

position (because they are sealed)

• Can be used inside an enclosed area, like the

passenger compartment or trunk

• Greater terminal corrosion resistance

Only Purchase “Deep Cycle Model” AGM

Many companies throw around the words “Deep Cycle” as a marketing term.

YES, All AGM batteries have some cyclic ability.

NO, Standard model AGM’s are not created for true deep cycling applications and will not last if used for this.

Make sure you check that the AGM batteries you are purchasing are truly “Deep Cycle Range” AGM

• They will have 30%+ better cyclic ability than their

standard AGM counterparts.

• They will have thicker plates and therefore be

heavier, I constantly hear from my customers “but I

want to save on weight”, the fact is, it is the lead in

the battery that gives it a larger AH and more cyclic

life, the more lead-the better the battery, there is no

way around it.

• They will have a 2 year Warranty, not a 1 year

warranty. The warranty is set by the manufacturer

and they only give a 1 year warranty on their

standard batteries.

• If you are going to try to use standard batteries for

cyclic applications, the fact is, they are not going to

last. As a rule of thumb, expect about half the life of

their superior Deep Cycle Model cousins.

CHECK THE RATING IS AT 20HR DISCHARGE

Rating batteries- Comparing apples with apples

Part - or most - of the loss in charging and discharging

batteries is due to internal resistance. This is converted to

heat, which is why batteries get warm when being charged

up. The lower is the internal resistance, the better. AGM

batteries have resistance levels up to 5 times lower than

standard batteries.

Slower charging and discharging rates are more

efficient. A battery rated at 180 amp-hours over 6 hours

might be rated at 220 AH at the 20-hour rate and 250 AH

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at the 48-hour rate. Much of this loss of efficiency is due to

higher internal resistance at higher amperage rates - internal

resistance is not a constant - kind of like “the more you

push, the more it pushes back”.

Typical efficiency in a lead-acid battery is 85-95%, in alkaline and NiCad battery it is about 65%. True deep cycle AGM’s can approach 98%.

The 20-hour rate is the most common for standardising batteries in Australia, while the USA uses a 10-hour rating system.

EXPECT LONG WARRANTIES ON BATTERIES

Sellers know if there products are going to last the

distance and give warranties that reflect this. If a seller is

only offering a 12month warranty, alarm bells should be

going off. A top quality battery (and that is all you should be

buying) should have a 2 year warranty. A top battery will last

many years and the warranty reflects the manufacturers and

seller’s belief in the product.

ASK QUESTIONS

At the end of the day, if you want to get the most out

of your purchase you need to know the A-B-C’s of what

you are getting. You can learn most of what needs to be

known in as little as 20 minutes, read through our website

for relevant information and feel free to ask us any questions

you have. We pride ourselves on knowing nearly everything

about batteries and solar, so use us for the information,

we’re happy to help.

WHY AGM?

AGM batteries have several advantages over both gelled and flooded, at about the same cost as gelled:

• Much safer then wet batteries (due the hydrogen gas recombination during charging)

• Do not require water• Lower self-discharge rate (typically 1%-2% per month)• Longer service life (approx. 2-3 times life expectancy

of Flooded lead acid)• Higher resistance to vibration• Lower deep discharge failure• Less forgiving when accidentally overcharged• Higher bulk charge acceptance rate (which means

up to a 15% shorter recharge time and reduced cost than Flooded lead acid)

• Do not require special hazardous shipping• Can be used in saltwater applications• Spill proof and can be mounted in virtually any

position (because they are sealed)• Can be used inside a enclosed area, like the

passenger compartment or trunk• Greater terminal corrosion resistance

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- Expected Life of Batteries

These are some typical (minimum - maximum) typical expectations for batteries if used in deep cycle service. There are so many variables, such as depth of discharge, maintenance, temperature, how often and how deep cycled, etc. that it is almost impossible to give a fixed number. But here goes anyway:

• Starting: 3-12 months• Marine: 1-6 years• Golf cart: 2-7 years• AGM deep cycle: 5-10 years• Gelled deep cycle: 2-7 years• Telephone (float): 2-10 years. These are usually

special purpose “float service”, but often appear on the surplus market as “deep cycle”. They can vary considerably, depending on age, usage, care, and type. When used for cyclic abilities they tend to last 2-4 years

• Ni-Fe (alkaline): 5-35 years• Ni-Cad: 1-20 years

- What is battery cycles VS. build life

A battery “cycle” is one complete discharge and recharge cycle. It is usually considered to be discharging from 100% to 20%, and then back to 100%. However, there are often ratings for other depth of discharge cycles, the most common ones are 10%, 20%, and 50%. You have to

be careful when looking at ratings that list how many cycles a battery is rated for unless it also states how far down it is being discharged. For example, one of the widely advertised telephone type (float service) batteries has been advertised as having a 20-year life. If you look at the fine print, it has that rating only at 5% DOD - it is much less when used in an application where they are cycled deeper on a regular basis. Those same batteries are rated at less than 5 years if cycled to 50%. For example, most golf cart batteries are rated for about 550 cycles to 50% discharge - which equates to about 2 years.

Battery life is directly related to how deep the battery is cycled each time. If a battery is discharged to 50% every day, it will last about twice as long as if it is cycled to 80% DOD. If cycled only 10% DOD, it will last about 5 times as long as one cycled to 50%. Obviously, there are some practical limitations on this - you don’t usually want to have a 5 ton pile of batteries sitting there just to reduce the DOD. The most practical number to use is 50% DOD on a regular basis. This does NOT mean you cannot go to 80% once in a while. It’s just that when designing a system when you have some idea of the loads, you should figure on an average DOD of around 50% for the best storage vs. cost factor. Also, there is an upper limit - a battery that is continually cycled 5% or less will usually not last as long as one cycled down 10%. This happens because at very shallow cycles, the Lead Dioxide tends to build up in clumps on the positive plates rather in an even film.

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3. SOLAR

- Solar Overview:

Solar panels are used to convert energy from the sun

into a usable energy form that can then be used to power

other appliances. Solar panels use photo-voltaic cells in their

construction and it’s these cells which allow the panels to

produce a usable form of electricity. There are three main

types of cell that are used in modern solar panels and they

are:

Mono-crystalline (Works best in direct sunlight)

Poly-crystalline (Works slightly better than mono-crystalline cells in low-light conditions)

Amorphous (Thin flexible film panels, more expensive and less efficient than it’s crystalline siblings, makes up a small percentage of the solar panel market)

Solar panels are graded on the quality of the quality of

the cells used in their construction with higher quality cells

being more efficient and producing more energy. Make sure

that the cells you are purchasing are a high grade cell from a

reputable manufacturer.

Solar systems are becoming a viable alternative as

power costs keep on going up and up. Solar can be used

in fixed systems such as on the roof of houses or portable

systems such as folding camping kits or panels mounted on

the roofs of camper vans etc. The world of solar power is

being opening up a lot of exciting power solutions.

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Fixed Solar Panels:

Having solar panels mounted or fixed in position on the

top of your caravan, boat, camper van or 4WD is a great

way of utilising a solar system. They are out of the way, will

work even while you are traveling and require no set up or

pull down once you are at your favourite camping spot. The

disadvantages of this type of system is that in order to get

the most out of your panels, you’ll need to park your vehicle

in direct sunlight which can be painful during the summer

months and also because they will be laid flat, the panels will

lose about 20% of the power they potentially could produce

in a day due to not being able to follow the arc of the sun.

Depending of course on what you are wanting to run off your

solar system, most caravans have space to hold a system

that will cover nearly all of their power needs.

- Portable Solar Panels:

Portable panels allow you to “chase the sun” during

the course of the day and generate the most power possible

from your panels. They can be placed in the sun while their

cable runs back to your vehicle, which can then be parked

in the shade keeping you nice and cool while your battery

charges. Portable panels have the disadvantages of needing

to be set up and packed down each time you are wanting to

charge with them and depending on their size, they can be

quite large and heavy. Security of the panels is also an issue

but a chain through the handles or legs on the panels and

then wrapped around a pole or stake driven in the ground

should be enough of a deterrent for any would be criminals.

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Quality of portable panels varies hugely amongst those available these days. Make sure that good quality latches, hinges and handles are used in the construction of the panels you are buying.

Another thing to consider is the size of the cable used to run from your panels back to the battery. If the cable size is too small or the length of the cable is too long, then you could experience voltage drop and not get the most out of your panels.

A good quality regulator should also be included with your portable panel kit. Most portable panels have the regulator mounted on the panels themselves and the length of cable coming from this to the battery.

You can have the regulator mounted separately and ideally it will be closer to the batteries than the panels but going this way can reduce the “portable” characteristic of your panels. Properly sized cable on your portable panels will help neutralize any negative effects that having the regulator mounted on the panels may have.

- Regulators:

Regulators are used to regulate the voltage produced

by solar panels to a level that will safely charge batteries

and run appliances. 12v solar panels can produce anywhere

between 12v and 21v and if this voltage were to be put

straight into the battery it would overcharge the battery

and damage it. The regulator is put in place to temper

this voltage to the correct charging voltage of the type of

battery connected to it. There are two mainstream types

of regulator available, these are PWM regulators (Pulse

Width Modulation) and MPPT regulators (Multi Power Point

Tracking). All regulators serve the basic function of regulating

the voltage produced from solar panels, but there are many

additional options available such as waterproof regulators,

“smart” regulators that automatically detect the type of

battery it’s charging or regulators with LCD displays and

readouts. It pays to

shop around to find

the regulator that is

best going to suit

your needs.

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- PWM – Pulse Width Modulation Regulators:

PWM regulators are a tried and tested technology that

charges batteries in a way that prolongs battery life, reduces

heating and gassing of the batteries and reduces sulphation

of the batteries. These regulators are usually cheaper than

their MPPT cousins but work on around a 70% efficiency

rate when it comes to transferring energy from the panels to

your batteries.

- MPPT – Multi Power Point Tracking:

MPPT regulators are a newer technology that offers the

battery friendly properties of the PWM regulator (prolonged

battery life, reduced heating and gassing of batteries and

reduced sulphation) whilst offering an efficiency rate of 95%-

97% from your panels to your batteries. MPPT regulators are

usually a little more expensive than PWM regulators but the

increase in efficiency is well worth the investment. It will help

you get the most out of your solar system, especially if you

are in an area with low light levels or are flat-laying your solar

panels.

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When purchasing solar panels (fixed or portable), it’s important to make sure that what your panels are rated to, is the actual output that they are producing. A lot of inferior panels may say they are rated to 120w but in reality they perform at a level much lower than this. The cause of this can be caused by a number of factors including inferior cell quality, poor craftsmanship or inferior wiring. Make sure that your panels are a good quality brand, that they have a solid warranty and that the company you are buying through is going to be there and provide good after sales service.

Petrol / Diesel Generators

You might think that generators are not exactly alternative power, but they certainly are useful. You should not rule them out, particularly as a small generator could provide you with reliable guaranteed backup power. The last thing you want is 4 days of heavy cloud and find yourself without power from day 5 onwards. A small generator of reasonable quality could cost less than $200.

Will you need a regulator?

Yes, if you are dealing with solar panels, you will

generally need a regulator. Most solar panels come with a

regulator as standard, this converts the solar panel volts

of 18+Volts to a consistent and workable 14.7V for ideal

battery charging. Without a regulator the batteries would

continue to charge past 14.7 Volts and be destroyed.

WATTS / VOLTS / AMPS

Formula:

• Watts / Volts = AMPS• Solar panels are rated in Watts• Batteries are rated in Volts• Energy is stored and used in AMPS• 160 Watt Solar Panel / 12 Volt Battery = 13.3

AMPS produced per hour• 200 Watt panel will only be able to put 160 Watts

into a battery per hour because of Voltage loss (explained below)

• A common misunderstanding is the Voltage difference of Solar panels and Batteries and how that affects true input values.

To put it as simply as possible:

• Solar Panels work at approx. 18 Volts• Batteries charge at approx. 14 Volts• A Solar regulator steps the voltage down from

18V-14V• Therefore you have a loss of 20% from total

possible power generation.

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Calculating Solar and Battery Setup

So if you have a 12V Fridge running at 2 amps average per hour how much solar panels and batteries do you need?

• 2 Amps x 24 hours Day = 48 Amps per day needed

to run the fridge

• A 120 Watt Panel will produce:

• 120 Watts / 12 Volts = 10Amps per hour

But remember the 20% loss = 8Amps per hour of

direct sun 8Amps x 6 hours of direct sun per day =

48Amps

• A battery needs to last about 2/3 of a day without

sun before being recharged. Therefore at 50%

discharge level the right battery size is: 48Amps

x 2/3 x 2 = 63AH battery. This doesn’t account

for personal needs of individuals that need to be

considered, some examples are:

• Wanting to last more than 24 hours before a need

to use alternative energy source on cloudy days.

Needing to recharge the battery from previous

cloudy days. Occasionally needing to run other

appliances, etc. etc.

• Margin needs to be added to the above formula for

all these and more individual factors. Personally I

would look at adding an extra 20% solar power to

help recharge from previous cloudy days.

• A convenience of having 3 days minimum before

needing to use other energy source (ex. Generator)

• Adding 10% more for occasionally needing more

power than expected.

• This would give the following requirements for the

same fridge setup:

• 140+ Solar Panel

• 260AMP battery setup

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Technical Data Explained

40W solar panel:Output 40 WPmax 40 WVmp 17.4 VImp 2.3 AVoc 21.8 VIsc 2.58 A

What does this tell us?

• Pmax is the maximum power generated by the solar module in full sunlight with the panel facing directly at the sun overhead in a clear sky and where the temperatures of the solar cells is at 25°C. These are the standard test conditions (STC).

• Vmp is the voltage at STC.

• Imp is the amps at STC.

• Voc is the open circuit voltage, the voltage at the terminals of the solar panel in full sun but not connected up.

• Isc is the short circuit current, the current that would flow through the solar panel in full sun if the panel terminals were shorted out. This is the current to consider when sizing the required wiring for the panel, to be safe add 25%. For instance this solar panel would need at least

• 2.58 plus 25% = 3.225 Amp cable.

- Inverters

Inverters are used to convert 12v DC power in batteries

to 240v AC power that can be used to run most 240v

appliances. This is a great advantage in situations where

access to the power grid is limited such as camping or

4WD’ing. With an inverter, household appliances can be

taken on the trip and used without having to purchase

expensive 12 volt appliances or try and find a power source.

There are two main technologies when it comes to inverters,

Modified Sine wave and Pure Sine wave and it’s important to

get the right one to suit your needs.

The wattage of an inverter relates to the amount

of power it can invert at any one time. A 300W unit is a

sensible minimum for most basic camp gear, however for

high load items such as kettles you will likely need a 1500W

- 2500W unit. Check the power rating on the back of your

appliance and add 20% safety margin as a basic guide, but

be aware that some items such as pumps and microwaves

have extremely high startup surges and will require a

substantially oversized inverter.

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- Modified Sine Wave Inverter:

Modified Sine Wave inverters are cheap, readily

available but will only run a certain types of appliances. The

output wave form of a Modified Sine Wave inverter is square

and chunky compared to that of a pure sine wave inverter.

Because of this trait modified sine wave inverters are not

suited to running sensitive equipment such as phones,

computers, televisions, microwaves etc. They are perfect

however for more basic equipment like drills, blenders, 240v

lights, fans etc. Modified Sine Wave inverters are usually

lighter than Pure Sine Wave inverters and usually cost

around a third to half of what a Pure Sine wave inverter of

the same size would cost.

- Pure Sine Wave Inverter:

Pure Sine wave Inverters will run all manner of 240v

electrical goods from them. They will run the sensitive

equipment that modified Sine Wave inverters cannot such

as computers and phones. The output wave form of a PSW

inverter mimics and can even be better than the electricity

that comes out of the wall sockets in most people’s homes.

They are more expensive than MSW inverters but will run

more appliances. There is more expense to outlay with a

PSW inverter but for the ease and convenience of being able

to run all your appliances, it’s worthwhile considering adding

one of these to your kit.

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- Inverters Overview:

Inverters come in a range of sizes from 150w through to 6000w. It’s important to know what size appliances you are wanting to run off your inverter in order to properly size the inverter you buy. As a rule, an inverter should be roughly double the size of the draw you are wanting the place on the inverter.

Eg. You want to run a 600w drill, match this up with at least a 1200w inverter. This will allow the inverter to work well within its capacity and cause less strain on it. There’s also less chance of blowing fuses in the inverter should there be a power spike or surge.

Inverters usually have two ratings, a continuous and a peak rating. The continuous rating denotes what draw can be placed on the inverter continuously or for long periods of time. Some appliances however draw a lot of power to start up (eg. Fridges, fluorescent lights) but then their power needs lessen after they have passed through this initial start-up period. Inverters allow for this and have a peak rating which is the load the inverter can handle, for a short period of time (3-10 seconds). This peak rating is usually double the continuous rating and will allow appliances that require this initial burst of energy, to start up and then settle into their continuous rating. Make sure the appliance you are running off your inverter, works within you inverters specifications for this.

It’s also important to have the correct size battery and

the right type of battery to suit your inverter. Different types of batteries have maximum draw currents that they can sustain without damaging the battery. For AGM batteries, the maximum current Draw is 30% of their total capacity (AH), for GEL batteries it’s 25% and for Wet or flooded cell batteries, it’s 10%. For example, the maximum draw off a 100AH 12v AGM deeps cycle battery would be 30amps. A 100AH 12v GEL battery’s maximum draw would be 25 amps and a flooded cell 100AH 12v battery will sustain a maximum continuous draw of 10 amps. It’s important to match the inverter to the correct sized battery and battery type.

Eg. A 600w drill will have a continuous draw of 50 amps at 12v. To run this effectively through an inverter would require:

AGM Batteries – Minimum of 180AH in battery capacity

GEL Batteries – Minimum of 2000AH in battery capacity

Flooded cell Batteries – Minimum of 500AH in battery capacity.

If inverters are left turned on, they will still draw from the batteries, even if there is no appliance plugged into them. Check the specifications of your inverter to determine what this draw will be and be aware of it so that you don’t end up with a flat battery. Inverters also work at an efficiency rate of 85%-90%. This means that an appliance if run through an inverter will actually be drawing 110%-115% of its nominated value due to this inefficiency.

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4. Refrigerators

- Overview:

Portable fridges are becoming more popular and

making staple camping foods like noodles and baked beans

a thing of the past due to people being able to take their

everyday foods items with them, without them perishing.

Portable fridges come in two main technologies, 3-way

fridges and 12v compressor fridges. These technologies do

differ but there are some principles about all portable fridges

that are important to understand.

Ambient temperature is going to affect how well your

fridge works. Portable fridges are able to come down to

roughly 40ºc below the ambient temperature and of course

the ambient outside temperature varies wildly around

Australia from state to state. The hotter it is outside, the

harder your fridge has to work in order to maintain a low

temperature. The harder it has to work the more power it

will draw and if the fridge is being run off batteries, then

this factor needs to be considered.The overall power use

of a portable fridge is determined by a few different factors,

the temperature that the fridge is set to run at, the ambient

outside temperature, the type of items that are being stored

in the fridge, the amount of insulation in the construction

of the fridge, the type of cooling system being used in the

fridge and the overall size of the fridge.

- Compressor Fridges:

12v compressor fridges are becoming the most

common place type of fridge in the portable fridge market.

They run purely on compressor power and are

economical running of either 12v battery power or 240v

mains power. An average compressor fridge will use

approximately 30 amps per 24 hour period when run

between 0ºc - 4ºc. The same fridge will use approximately

60-70 amps of power if run as a freezer (-18ºc) for the same

period of time. It’s important that these fridges have good,

thick levels of insulation in their construction so that they

retain their temperature and don’t have to work so hard, this

will reduce their power use.

Most models of fridges come with an insulating cover

bag, which are great as they protect the fridge from scrape

sand knocks but also add another level of insulation, to help

keep the fridge as cool as possible.

If using one of these fridges, its best that if a day or

two before your trip, you stock the fridge with food and

good you wish to take and then run the fridge on mains

power to get the temperature down and to get all the goods

that you are taking with you at temperature as well. This

way, once the fridge is on battery power or 12v power,

it will already be at temperature and won’t have to work

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so hard, saving on power usage. The type of compressor

used in these fridges is also an important factor. Cheaper

compressors can burn out, not get down to temperature or

be inefficient in their power use.

Danfoss compressors are the market leaders offering

great reliability and efficient power usage. Compressor

fridges are a well-priced option, economical to run and

now come in a wide variety of sizes and setups to suit your

needs.

- 3-Way fridges:

3-Way fridges use absorption technology and because

of this are also known as absorption fridges. They use heat

to provide the energy needed to drive the cooling system of

the fridge. This heat is generated by one of three methods;

LPG gas, 12v power or 240v power.

They are unfortunately susceptible to high ambient

temperatures and begin to struggle to keep goods in the

fridge cool if the outside ambient temperature climbs over

30°c. Because of the absorption process used by these

fridges, they require a lot of power to run and can draw

between 120 - 200 amps per day.

This makes them hard to run of 12v systems as a

very large battery bank is required if they were to run from

batteries. These fridges are best run on gas and are more

efficient when done so, in fact it can be a problem that these

fridges ice over too much when run on gas because they are

so efficiently run off it.

Another advantage to these fridges is that they have

minimal moving parts in there assembly so there is less

chance of something going wrong with them. 3-way fridges

were a popular technology from about the 1970’s onwards

but are now slowly being replaced by the growingly popular

compressor fridges.

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AUSSIE BATTERIES & SOLAR

FREECALL 1800 853 315SHOP ONLINE OR VISIT THE STOREWebsite: www.aussiebatteries.com.auEmail: in fo@auss iebat ter ies .com.auStore: 8 Technology Drive, Warana QLD 4575

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When you’re planning your next big adventure, we’ve got you covered for all your power needs. We stock essential camping items such as Portable Fridges, Generators, Battery Chargers, Inverters.

For the full product range and more information, please visit our website for expert advice.

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