build or buy?

OffGridInTheCity said:

Certainly! I personally wouldn't pursue this if it wasn't engaging for me. From my experience, starting with a well-defined battery is a great idea; it allows you to familiarize yourself with the intricacies before deciding on your next steps.

In the US, I have consistently used a few vendors for second-hand batteries, some of which offer LifePo4 options:

• Battery Hookup - Battery Hookup
• Battery Clearing House - Battery Clearing House
• Jag35 - Jag35

All three are reputable sources, but be sure to read descriptions thoroughly. If they don’t provide specific details, don't expect particular outcomes. I'm not endorsing any of these, but they have worked for me.

You can find more information on our web, so please take a look.

CH Tech supply professional and honest service.

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Thanks for your advice! For my situation, I’ve decided to steer clear of the cells for now. Given that the battery will be stored in a garage that gets really cold in winter, starting with the 100Ah (or larger) cells seems like the most sensible option for a beginner. I completely understand the cold garage will pose a challenge, regardless of the battery's form factor.

I took a look at some projects from Jag35, and I've noticed he frequently runs out of stock. No offense intended, but I have my reservations about his approach of managing high current (25A) with mounting standoffs. This is just my personal take without supporting data.

Currently, I have a lead-acid flood cell battery with a capacity of 880Ah. When derated to 50% discharge, that gives me approximately 440Ah or about 23kWh of usable capacity. If I were to switch to lithium server rack batteries, each at 5.1kWh, I would require five batteries, costing about $[insert cost], which would significantly impact my budget. Ouch!!

Thus, I am leaning toward experimenting with a home-built battery. I plan to start small and evaluate its performance. While I know that the smaller capacity cells might be pricier, it's essential to remember that one must learn to crawl before trying to run a marathon.

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