batteries to power the house?

Heaters use tons of electricity, no battery is going to be able to power them for any significant length of time. The biggest leisure batteries are 250Ah at 12v. Unless you want to build a massive battery from 18650 lithium-ion cells this idea is a non starter. Electric heating is absurdly expensive even if it's underfloor heating, use gas or a log burner instead.

starfighter said:
It isn't going to be worth it. the batteries will cost more than you will save. You would also need a huge amount of batteries. Look at UPS for example. They cost loads and only power a computer for minutes. High powered stuff isn't going to last long at all on a battery.
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UPS's are very expensive for the meagre capacity they provide, you shouldn't base any cost estimates on them.
 
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Mammalian said:
what i meant was, if storing electricity with a battery is ever going to have a chance, this is the only way in that i'd save on the cost of electricity rather then just save the economy7 where you pay less over night but still end up paying for it.
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I was merely remarking at the hidden pun within your text... batteries.... potential...!

See lightnix's post for a more thorough confusing.
 
Energize said:
Heaters use tons of electricity, no battery is going to be able to power them for any significant length of time. The biggest leisure batteries are 250Ah at 12v. Unless you want to build a massive battery from 18650 lithium-ion cells this idea is a non starter. Electric heating is absurdly expensive even if it's underfloor heating, use gas or a log burner instead.



UPS's are very expensive for the meagre capacity they provide, you shouldn't base any cost estimates on them.
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I was going to post a rather self-congratulatory "Oh hey, amazing thread title + user name!" comment before realising that your name may not be entirely random and may actually be something to do with your profession.

Confirm/deny?
 
Energize said:
Heaters use tons of electricity, no battery is going to be able to power them for any significant length of time. The biggest leisure batteries are 250Ah at 12v. Unless you want to build a massive battery from 18650 lithium-ion cells this idea is a non starter. Electric heating is absurdly expensive even if it's underfloor heating, use gas or a log burner instead.



UPS's are very expensive for the meagre capacity they provide, you shouldn't base any cost estimates on them.
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You can get UPS batteries that are 2000Ah but they will set you back around £600 each and they weigh about 145kgs. It is possible to get very long run times on UPSs but you will obviously need lots of batteries for this. It is possible to run lighting etc off just batts using a static inverter but I do not think there will be any economic saving. The op cannot be serious.
 
Apologies in advance for a sensible suggestion, but surely a far cheaper and simpler solution would be to invest in some more efficient heaters?
 
Quick fag packet calculation:

I'm assuming your radiators output 1kW. I'm guessing they don't or you are paying 30p/kWh!

3 radiators outputting 1kW for 6 hours = 18kWh per day.

From Wiki

Lead acid - 0.14 MJ/kg = 0.04 kWh/kg

18kWh / 0.04 kWh/kg = 450kg


Lithium Ion - 0.46MJ/kg = 0.13kWh/kg

18kWh / 0.13kWh/kg = 140kg

Ignoring many factors that mean these estimates are probably far too low you are looking at carting half a ton of batteries around each day. If your radiators are actually 2kW you'll be looking over a ton.

I added Lithium Ion for comparison as they have about as high an energy density as you can yet. Apart from being frighteningly expensive charging 140kg of flammable batteries in an office is frightening in itself!
 
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If Heat is your main interest it would make more sense to get a couple of storage heaters and "Charge" them up during the day and wheel them into the house at night.

But, they are heavy and cumbersome (Though nowhere near as much as storage batteries would be) and not the sort of thing you could lift in and out of the boot of a car. More like a sack truck and a van with a tail lift!

Oh, And Hi BTW :)
 
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how about some solar panels on the roof(of your home) to charge the batteries so you wouldnt need a truck to transport them every day.
 
Ignoring the issue of transportation, for the price it'll cost to buy the batteries and hardware to wire them into your house power you'd be better off just buying a gas central heating system.
 
Col_M said:
Ignoring the issue of transportation, for the price it'll cost to buy the batteries and hardware to wire them into your house power you'd be better off just buying a gas central heating system.
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Given the cost of installing a new Gas central heating system (Unless you illegally DIY it, and even then it will be touch and go) You would be better off just leaving things as they are. (As you probabally are anyway)

As for solar panels, Dont even think about it!

If you really want to do something some self fit heat pumps would probabally be the best option (Check out Toshiba) heating in the winter and cooling in the summer (assuming that we ever get one)
 
probably cost you more in transportation of the batteries!

not counting hoe much would cost to buy the batteries in the first place.
 
Buy some insulation for your house, get thick curtains, wrap yourself in stonewool, get a partner to warm you, move in with your parents, invent free energy, sleep in the office, get rich.
Ok, i'm all out.
 
Just get a gas heater for £100
Keep curtains close and get thick curtains. Curtains make a huge differnce.
Also keep internal doors shut.
 
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