This kind of battery is new to me.

Some neighbors got new batteries this weekend.


I’m not familiar with the brand or the type, to be honest.


Apparently they’re not very common, since they’re not exactly off the shelf. Check out the build date.


Sixteen 183a/h batteries would need a helluva solar panel setup to keep charged. Fortunately my neighbors have a helluva solar panel setup, not to mention the biggest fanciest generator in the neighborhood. So I’m not worried about that.

But these are supposed to be totally maintenance-free, which is a concept I instinctively distrust. Even the connections are supposed to be corrosion-proof, which is a concept I completely disbelieve. But at least they’re right out in front, so keeping an eye on the truth of it won’t be difficult.

About Joel

You shouldn't ask these questions of a paranoid recluse, you know.
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11 Responses to This kind of battery is new to me.

  1. coloradohermit says:

    Having lived 20 years with the old “regular” batteries and seen the significant price increase over the years, I can’t help but wonder what these newfangled batteries cost.

  2. Norman says:

    That’s another reason why I like your blog so much, Joel, you and your neighbors have Edmund Hillary’d the learning curve on solar, heating, water and other remote living issues so we can take the escalator up.

    Maybe you should rename it Solar Roadtesting Monthly or Hermiting For Fun, and Prophet.

    P.S. Named the bobcat yet?

  3. Ben says:

    That’s off-grid porn!

  4. taminator013 says:

    Holy ****! I was very interested to maybe get a couple if they were any good, but the price is a bit out of my range at the moment………..

    https://www.invertersupply.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=194761

  5. Mike says:

    16 batteries at $409.79 (on sale) each = $6556.64, plus tax and shipping = $$$$. I hope that these batteries live up to their billing.

  6. I’m curious…what was the circumstance that you were there that you were able to take pictures? I mean, if they are maintenance free then I’m guessing you weren’t there doing maintenance for absentee owners….

  7. Joel says:

    My neighbor’s been waiting for those batteries to be delivered for months, and now he has them installed. He wanted to show them off, just as I would have. In fact in a minor way I helped build their new rack, since these batteries don’t outgas enough for an enclosure to be of any use.

  8. bravokilo says:

    I’m still disappointed with the whole solar shower debacle.

  9. Norman says:

    Just spitballin’ here, but does anyone in the Gulch and surrounds have a cost figure for utility electricity? You know, the stuff that comes in wires on poles. Last time I had any numbers for near me (about 1.8K miles east of you, and 15 years ago…..) it was for 3.6 miles of poles plus wire plus installation and hookup and the tab was $24,000 +/- before the first electron met the customer’s refrigerator, and with the usual and standard zero guarantee of reliability And they wanted money every month for use of the electrons (it’s not like they wear out, they get re-used 60 times a second….) plus a monthly service fee add-on to read the meter because it was so far out of the way.

    Given that, $6600 for batteries that you control that will – probably – last at least 10-15 years isn’t that bad a deal. And yeah, I know, there’s panels and mounts and wiring and charge controllers and getting edumakated about it above and beyond the $6.6K, and some compromises on what you can plug in, but still 2.5 or 3.0 X 6.6K comes out near even and is probably more reliable than Zippy’s Excellent Electricity Company and Carwash.

  10. Ben says:

    In general, and assuming it’s available, grid power is an amazing bargain. Just do the math.

  11. Joel says:

    I agree, Ben. It’s the ultimate vindication of the economy of scale and a wonderful accomplishment. But given the (almost?) willful degradation of infrastructure development and maintenance in the past few decades I wonder how much longer that will be true.

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