Battery power for PTO or idling loads

W

Walt R

Active Member
Anyone aware of other companies offering similar things to what Volta does? https://voltapowersystems.com/

They put battery packs in RVs that are large enough to run for a day or more, and eliminate the generator. For short camping trips you would just charge before you leave and take the energy with you.

They also have packages to power things like lift trucks and mobile command centers so they don't have to idle to get PTO power.

I'm not advertising for them but I'm happy to see things going in this direction, and am wondering what other solutions may be developed by other companies.
 
RV folks have been putting batteries of some sort with solar systems in their rigs for some time. Similar to small cabin, off-grid solar systems.
With enough solar, you can mostly eliminate the generator. We have >1000W.
Some rigs have enough solar for small air conditioners.
But you do need sunshine and a big battery bank for when the sun doesn't shine.
 
Have many gone to this point where they can run for a whole day even if solar is unavailable, rather than just a few hours between generator runs?

That's what Volta is doing - putting systems in the 10 kWh range. If they are truly automotive type cells, that could potentially put out over 50 kW peak. (My Clarity puts out 90 kW with a 17 kWh pack.)
 
Well, we've four 6V golf cart lead-acid batteries in our RV giving >5kWh, but usable is more like 3kWh.
Quite a few folks have that configuration. And we can definitely go a day without sun.
Of course, how long you can last without solar (or a generator) depends upon your electricity usage.
Everybody's different there. When solar/electricity is abundant I run the frig and cook with electricity.
Otherwise we use propane for those tasks and save the electricity for essentials like LED lights and operating the trailer basics.

More and more you see folks replacing the lead-acid with LiFePO4, either dropin replacements like BattleBorn https://battlebornbatteries.com/
or home-brews built up from individual cells. LiFePO4 is the preferred chemistry as its safer than the stuff used in most automotive applications.
And relative to lead acid, they're lighter and smaller but definitely not cheaper.

Those volta systems look awesome, but definitely out of my price range.
 
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