Wrenches, Nathan, Ray;
I'm also seeing a big red flag on battery connections and possible
corrosion.
No info was provided on system battery bank voltage ( I am assuming 24v,
from the SW inverter model number), or how the battery bank is
configured as far as series vs. parallel.
With series/parallel hookups, entire blocks of the battery bank (not
just ends of individual series strings) can be fatally compromised by a
single bad connection, which may not even be the fault of the
installer...though the installer should be watching for problems, which
can creep up very slowly.
This seems to be a good example to promote battery maintenance contracts
with system owners. In an off-grid situation, the battery bill for a
simple 8 x L16 battery bank is usually over $30 per month, amortised
over the life of the battery bank. Easily $60/month for a big system
with 16 x L16s.
Why not tack on a bit, with some regular site visits to check? Your
off-grid customer is already paying monthly for battery backup, it's up
to *you* to educate them to the point that they know they *are* paying a
monthly "battery bill," even if you are doing your job to the 101% level.
DAN FINK
Buckville Energy Consulting
http://www.buckville.com/
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