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Apr 09, 2023

The Inflation Reduction Act may exacerbate the lithium problem

My 80 – DC24 100-amp hour batteries cost $80.00 each at Walmart and have lasted over 2000 cycles or 6 years. All of the older charge controllers will charge a varied list of lead acid batteries but will not correctly charge LIFePO4 Batteries so a special, more expensive MPPT charge controller must also be used. The capacity of my 80 lead acid batteries to deliver power without overheating is far greater than the limited delivery of LiFePO4 or lithium-ion batteries. My system, including the 50% charge/discharge factor (30% at the bottom for the minimum inverter voltage reserve and 20% at the top off that cannot be reached without loss of solar power in the pulse mode) is 56 KWh equivalent that can deliver up to 16,000 watts of power without even getting warm through 4–2000-watt modified sine wave inverters plus 2–3000-watt pure sine wave inverters going to different loads plus 4–700-watt lighting load inverters. Your 16–100-amp hour 12 volt or 4–100-amp hour 48-volt batteries price out at $2,500.00 would require all new MPPT charge controllers and if the 48-volt system 60 amp is used pricing out at $427.00 each, While the 12-volt 60-amp charge controller for lead acid prices out at $189.00 plus the expensive 3,000-watt 48-volt inverters at $429.00 each and my most expensive 3000-watt 12-volt pure sine wave inverter was $320.00. You are correct. if you are a "do it yourselfer" and build the whole system from scratch at 48 volts, using all lithium battery supported components, your lithium system would cost more to build but cost less over time with $625.00 for a 100-amp hour 48-volt LiFePO4 batteries at today's prices. I would need 16 of the 48 volts. 100-amp hour LiFePO4 batteries. When I started building my system, none of these systems were available in 2007 so prices have come down on the solar panels, charge controllers, LiFePO4 batteries so why is the price of a power wall or other brand of commercial wall mounted battery system $7,000.00 each for only 11.2KWh of usable storage when we can build it for $2,500.00 buying everything at retail?

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