Greenguy, there is a section for Canadian Resources here...
http://internationalpreppersnetwork.net/viewforum.php?f=49
Please feel free to post a link to your site...that's why it's there.
I appreciate your not wanting to be a salesman on the forum, and the fact that you actually take the time to be patient and explain what you know...we need more members like you!
Hi WildernessReturn:
I'll answer your question about battery capacity here:
In your case, we discovered you should have a minimum of 160 amp/hours in your battery bank, and we also assumed that your DC system voltage was 12 volts.
If I look at a product guide for a common deep cycle battery provider, I see them all listed in terms of their voltage and capacity in amp/hours.
For example, see the Trojan battery guide here: http://www.trojanbattery.com/pdf/TRJN0111_ProdSpecGuide.pdf
Looking down the list, I see the J-185EAC battery from Trojan is a 12 volt battery with a rated capacity of 175 amp/hours at the 20 hour rate. So, that one battery is enough for your needs as listed. However, that battery is not commonly used or stocked locally so it might not be best to plan your capacity around that specific battery. The most common battery in small solar systems is the golf cart size battery. It's normally around 225 amp/hours at the 20 hour rate, but is also a 6 volt battery. So, in order to use that battery, you'd need two of them linked together (in series) to create one 12 volt battery bank. That bank would still have 225 amp/hours of capacity (since you increase voltage with connecting in series, and storage capacity with connecting in parallel).
That's the best plan for a SHTF battery bank, since replacements will be easier to find (golf courses are full of them).
Also, just for the sake of disclosure, you'll notice that batteries are listed in a lot of different "hour" rates. We only pay attention to the 20 hour rate because that best represents one day of capacity for us. Other industries look at the other rates to help them size their battery banks.
If you have any other questions, just ask!
GreenGuy..
wow..thanks for the answers, very detailed and easy to follow.
sorry to make you work so hard though,being new hear and all.
cheers and thanks again
No problem at all! It's what I do. If it helps you (and maybe others), then great!
I'm a one-trick pony though. Solar is all I know. I'll need the rest of you in this group to help me with the endless questions I have on other prepping things!
ask away, though to be honest, I love the little box in the far right corner, search feature works great here.
But asking you about solar and batteries worked even better 😀