Thought of you fine folks when I came across this article on aussie.zone
I was going to say this sounds like thermal runaway waiting to happen, but apparently it’s been running for 10 years so clearly he knows what he’s doing
Sadly laptops don’t use these standard battery types anymore, but I guess powertool batteries still work as a source for recycling them.
I feel like the PV panels on the side are just gratuitous. Can’t imagine they’d contribute much, right?
“When it’s not plugged into the home the van’s batteries are being charged by a 1-kilowatt panel on its roof and small panels on the sides which charge the indicators and lights.”
You’re correct. Only the roof is likely to give significant power. Been there and done that, on the opposite side of the planet though. :)
The “something” on the picture I attach… was built in some squat in Eastern Europe. It had a flat roof of approximately 2 x 1.5 m, all of it solar panel. Solar panels weren’t great back then. Typically it charged its 4 KWh battery in a few days of sunshine. Only during midsummer (18-hour days) was there any chance of a full charge in a single day.
Unlike the van, the “something” required a smaller inventory of tools to build. Instead of lawnmower motors, a Chinese electric motorcycle motor was used. Sadly it’s now retired due to metal fatigue. :( Lesson: never build a structure that flexes out of aluminum - aluminum has no fatigue limit, any flexing will lead to cracking.
thats a pretty sweet van lmao. I like the shot of his house tho thats also covered in solar panels. This guy knows what he’s about.
8,000 batteries sounds kinda heavy, and that dude is one tough looking 75 year old
