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Boat battery question???
On Sun, 28 Jun 2009 15:18:49 -0400, Wayne.B
wrote: On Sun, 28 Jun 2009 12:32:26 -0400, wrote: Batteries are never quite big enough. I think there is a tendency to add things that draw power., or simply get more casual about useage, as your battery banks and charging system expand. Additionally, batteries gradually lose capacity as they age, combined with the fact that you really shouldn't draw them down more than 50%. In reality you can only use about 30 to 40% of rated capacity without unduly shortening battery life. Electrical buget is much easier if you just omit refrigeration, and pay attention to everything else. Don't run anything unless you really need to run it. You don't need your whole boat's interior lit up bright enough to read by. Well thought out ventilation means you almost never need to run even a small fan. I rarely run my batteries down anywhere near 50%. I enjoy that my boat's environment is very different from my land bound home. I'm pretty conservative with energy there, too, but not to the same degree. I did reduce my heating oil usage 27% this past winter by adding a few hundred dollars worth of insulation in strategic places. That will continue to save every year going forward. I'm looking into geothermal for the primary house. Looks like about 20-30k, but part of that is absorbed by what it would cost me to replace my present boiler when it's due in a few years, so it's not really so bad. There are also usually all sorts of credits and tax advantages available. I could probably even put up enough PV panels (with a battery bank) to cover power for the geothermal's pumps and controls. For me, it's not just about saving the money. I like the idea of using less energy, even if there is no big savings. There are savings, though. It just requires longer term thinking than many are capable of. |
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