Energy Storage on the Worlds Largest Sand Island: K’Gari
Nestled in the hills of Orchid Beach on K’Gari, formerly Fraser Island, a two-bedroom home thrives with off-grid power that rivals city living. In 2010, Springers Solar were appr
De Main Electrical Services recently had the opportunity to help a family living on a donkey farm in the Scenic Rim Region of Queensland. The family had been relying on an off-grid lead-acid battery system to power their farm, but the batteries were failing, and the system was no longer reliable. The family approached De Main Electrical to help restore the system’s capacity and return it to operational activities.
After an initial assessment, the De Main Electrical team recommended a lithium battery upgrade using PowerPlus Batteries. The new system would be more reliable and efficient and save on space. The existing solar charge controllers were swapped out for modern Victron MPPTs to maximize the panel efficiencies and utilize as much as possible from the array.
Furthermore, energy storage was an easy and direct swap from lead-acid batteries to PowerPlus LiFe2433P batteries, making it a simple upgrade.
The upgraded system size is 900W Solar PV and 9.9kWh Battery Storage Single Phase, with three LiFe2433P 24VDC 3.3kWh LFP Battery Modules on each site. The system uses six existing 150W 72 Cell Solar Modules, two Latronics LS Series 24V Battery inverters, and two Victron SmartSolar 100/50 MPPTs.
The most notable benefit of the new lithium battery system is that it saves on space. Lead-acid batteries can be large and heavy, taking up valuable space on a property. In contrast, lithium batteries are much smaller and lighter, making them an excellent choice for off-grid systems where space is at a premium.
The new system is also more efficient and reliable than the old lead-acid system. Lithium batteries are known for their high energy density, which can store more charge in a smaller space. Similarly, they’re more efficient at storing and releasing energy than lead-acid batteries. This means that the family can expect a longer lifespan from their batteries and more consistent and reliable power delivery.
Overall, the lithium battery upgrade has been a huge success for the family. They now have a reliable and efficient off-grid system that they can depend on to power their farm. The upgrade has also saved them valuable space on their property, which they can use for other purposes.
The case study highlights the benefits of upgrading an off-grid system from lead-acid batteries to lithium batteries. Not only are lithium batteries more dependable, but they’re also smaller and lighter, saving on valuable space. As the technology behind lithium batteries continues to progress, we can expect to see more off-grid systems switching from lead-acid to lithium batteries.
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