Building a completely battery operated house?

Question

I want to convert my house to all electric and then have it run off of batteries. What size battery(s) do I need? 12v or 24v system? What would the hourly amperage be? and What size generator would I need to recharge the battery(s)?

Answer 1

Take a look at your electric bill. It will tell you what your average daily electrical consumption is. You will need some form of electrical production that meets that amount every day.

Most home battery systems use 12 volt batteries connected in series to obtain a high voltage. Then the batteries are connected to an inverter to produce 120 volts AC. You can buy inverters that are rated for about 5 kW. If you have a pair of those, one on each leg of your electrical connection (L1 & L2) it is good for 10 kW of power which should be enough for a most homes. The reason for being able to handle high power is that sometimes the refrigerator, A/C, stove and TV may be on at the same time and draw a lot of power even if it is for a short time.

The size of your battery bank will depend on your generating system. If you can generate continuously, the battery capacity can be reasonably small. If you are relying on solar and wind energy and have to account for a few days of overcast skies and no wind, the batteries have to be quite large. Sizing the batteries takes a bit of research.

Answer 2

I have a feeling you do not understand the magnitude of running a house off of solar panels (i assume this is what you're doing). You'll probably use a large number of 12V deep cycle batteries. The number of batteries you need will depend on your house's needs. The hourly current is also completely dependent on what your house needs. Everything about your question is dependent on your house and your needs which can't be evaluated by us.

Answer 3

image voltaic probable isn't a good guess contained in the northeast for a finished set up. In a much off area a hybrid device of image voltaic and a small diesel generator and battery device would probable do the pastime. i'd propose a gasoline refrigerator that runs on propane as an electric powered 'refrigerator attracts a good number of present day....more effective than a image voltaic/diesel/battery device ought to preserve. regularly all you attempt to do is to save the lighting fixtures fixtures on so that you actually do not pick that a lot era. once you've sufficient open area a small wind generator would properly be further to the combination...that ought to probable save the batteries charged a good number of the time utilising the diesel generator as backup.

Answer 4

Here are a few points to ponder:
1.How much energy do you need? An average house may need (to run refrigerator, lights, and small appliances) about 35A at 120V. (~5KW generator) Heating (not electric heat) and air-conditioning may need 10-40A at 120V. (additional 2-5KW)
2.Selection of 12 vs. 24V system would depend on the cost of the batteries. Consider energy density per unit cost, maintenance and life.
3.Generating your own power may not always be cheaper then getting it from your local provider.