Peppercorn. So what’s the make of the US battery that is superior to the C+ version?

In my opinion, from what I have read, top tier would go to https://relionbattery.com/ or https://battlebornbatteries.com/ both are highly regarded, I went with Battle Born because in my research I found engineering info regarding the features they were designing into their BMS that I thought gave them a edge. Both are in the same price range. $1200-1300 (Canadian) per 100amphr@12volt

The lower cost one (c +) is a Enerwatt brand lithium battery, 800 Canadian for the same 100amphrs@12 volts. Nothing wrong with the battery, much cheaper, nearly half the cost but it is non stackable, meaning you cant put them in series to make a 24 volt battery or a 48 volt battery. The BMS uses lower voltage/current rated components, thus the lower price. This is absolutely fine so long as 12 volts is all you need, they will work for me because I am going to stay at 12 volts, it works fine for my needs.

When I am done building up my bank I will have half my bank of top quality batteries, and half of the lower cost ones. Make sure you shop around, prices are all over the place.

I have already changed my plans a bit from what I thought I would do just a month ago, I will build my bank up to 4 top quality batteries, and 4 of the more economical ones. I will do this over 2 to 3 years so its not such a big hit in the wallet, but once done I will be siting pretty with nearly 11kwhrs of usable storage. (800x 13.3) I will only really be cycling them roughly a average of 1.3-1.7 kwhrs a day in summer/spring/fall rising to 2 to 3, maybe at worst 3.5 kwhrs a day in winter. I use 4+ kwhrs a day but you have to remember I have lots of solar panels so, during daylight hours my house runs off sunshine, not batteries. Not only runs off sunshine but surplus is available ( from the panels) to charge the batteries back up. One of the reasons I am a big advocate for having large solar arrays.

Thanks, while I am not there yet, I certainly see the logic in having lots of panels. Snow, overcast days, rain, One wants to make hay/ power, when the sun shines! I am thinking of a second location and if I do, it will be off grid and so,eh solar and wood heated. Generator backup

I am sure , everyone reading your posts, appreciate the amount of knowledge and fine tuned details.
All the best out west

Been educating myself at Google U the last 6 months on batteries, the new Lithium types coming out, a staggering array of different types and manufacturing method's. The types that are now in production are amazing. I am happy with what I have found and am using, but here is another lithium composition that beats what I am using, though I don't want to ask what the cost is.. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v8EBI-N0KTk

Can you imagine...30,000 full power cycles! That's over 80 years of power!!! I am only looking for 20 years or less before I am hairless monkey meat stinking up the place , but for you younger guys this type of battery could last you over a full lifespan!!

By the way, I am still getting by on my 2 lifep04 batteries. Its nearing the end of September, but with the sunshine they get fully charged each day so that carries me overnight, I expect that to change soon, but I still find it amazing that 60 pounds of lithium has replaced nearly 1000 pounds of lead acid. Its XXXXXXX amazing.

In late October I added two more Battle born batteries so I am now up to (12.8 x 100x4= 5120) 5120watt hrs of usable storage. I have spent 5000, its a lot to spend, don't regret it one bit though, I know what I have bought, know what I can do with it, and now that I have tested this brand, and I do mean tested hard! I can say they are a top shelf product. This really only gives me one days storage capacity though , but I am getting by.....Just in this last year since I began my search for battery alternatives to lead acid, the market is changing fast, yet a third (exclusively) Canadian distributer has started up and is now selling the same 100 amphr capacity batteries but with a BMS that is stackable to 48 volts at a price below 800 dollars with 3 year warranty . In no way is this of the quality of Battle Born but in my judgement it is 85- 88 % the quality but at 60% of the price (61.25% to be exact). A damn good value, I will be ordering in one or two of this brand to test in January, and if I am happy with them I will be going into next winter with 4 of these plus my four Battle Born's . The battle Born's are of cylindrical cell construction, the brand I am going to order in January are of prismatic cell construction. I hope to find a Canadian distributer by next winter carrying LIFEP04 in pouch construction form with a stackable BMS then I can incorporate all three types into my system for long term testing.

Hi. Sent some pms but sticking in outbox, r u receiving them?

Hi. Sent some pms but sticking in outbox, r u receiving them?

Just got them Clarence, answering now.

So another fellow nearby has been having his lead acid bank start failing, I had told him what I am switching to, and how happy I have been with them. He came over and handed me cash and asked me to order and install them for him. You got to love dealing with country people...cash is preferred though I will take gold or silver in its place.

I am no longer going to be the only one around here running on Lithium. I better place the order Monday before this cash losses value. True story, A friend of mine, a older gent, well older than me...had a break in at his house, over beers one day he was telling me what they got...part of his loss was he said over 100 000 in cash. I was gob smacked and asked what the cops said when he reported it...he paused and said...well I didn't report it, I am just going to be more careful. Alberta, got to love it, there are a lot of blue jean multi millionairs.

My battery order arrived way back in January and I replaced a old set of Trogen l16s for a nearby off grid guy. Outstanding is what I hear back when I speak with him. I played with them a bit when they were at my house and I was impressed, way better value for the dollar than what I paid for mine. I will have four of this brand added to my system before next winter comes. He is trying a couple sizes and this one in the picture is a great value. Damn near 4kwhrs (3840) in a single package, roughly 85 pounds. Cost for a single battery of this size is from memory 2197.00 but that is with shipping anywhere in Canada included. In fact it was delivered right to my front door way out in the middle of no-ware Alberta. Shipping 85 pounds from Ontario cant be less than a dollar a pound so the real battery cost would be close to 2100 for this size so 2100/3840=.546, or roughly 546$ per kwhr of storage. That is very affordable when you consider the performance and lifespan (he will be dead before this battery is).

Just 3 of these batteries would give a person nearly 12kwhrs of fully useable storage, that is incredible.

I am coming up on a year since I began my slow switch over to these type of batteries. I have more coming next month, of a different brand than I started with, just because the pricing is so much better as it doesn't come through the American distribution chain. If you are thinking solar, consider this type, the initial price will be higher, likely 2x maybe 3 depending on the brand and type but the performance by comparison to lead acid is just outstanding. They will pay for themselves in the long run.
With lead acid as the winter days pile on top of each other and you may not get enough incoming power to full charge your bank, you often have to run a generator just to bring up the banks voltage as lead acid doesn't like to be left uncharged, damage starts to accumulate if you dont, with these type leaving them partially uncharged actually extends their life. Generator run time drops to little or none.
I put these type in a place in January, it was a place off grid since 2001 or 2002. The guy had a 1200 gallon water tank sitting in a insulated above ground shed where he used to run his generator, often for 1-2 hours a day through Dec, January to top up his lead acid bank. the running of the generator kept his water tank from freezing. Once he starting using these batteries his generator use dropped so much his water tank started to freeze. He can just add more insulation to the building, but his savings in gas for the generator over the coming years will greatly bring down his battery costs.
I haven't used my generator since January 10th maybe 12th, and the only reason I sometimes had to use it at all was because my bank isn't built up to the size I want yet, but by next winter I should be there, then generator use at my place in the winter will likely be a thing of the past.

Sounds awesome and admire the setup. Will see what this flipping covid adventure brings us. May do a system to handle freezers, speaking which, I may add another one for what I hope is a good bounty this fall from my first serious attempt at gardening.