12V or 120 inverter

[vickersja]

I know that using an inverter uses power, and the conversion of power creates a loss. However, is that loss great enough to justify purchasing 12v appliances (like those used by truck drivers) for emergency applications and running them directly off the battery vs using an inverter? Thank you.

[Beanyboy57]

I am not an expert in this area but here are some thoughts for you to consider.
Your charge controller may have an output for a 12 load. Is this enough for your needs?

Your batteries need to be protected from being discharged too deeply, an inverter will do that for you.

If you don't use an inverter you will need to monitor on a regular basis the DOD of your battery bank when you are using it.

LED lights are more efficient but are way more expensive that regular lights.

You need to find out your needs in the term of watt/hours then cost your emergency system with an inverter included and the 240/120v appliances.
Then cost your system without an inverter and factor in the cost of buying the 12v appliances plus heavy gauge wire and remember that you will be responsible for the care of your batteries and be aware that if you run them too low you maybe prematurely end their useful life in a very short space of time. Well cared for batteries will last for years, poorly cared for batteries might last 6 months.

[vickersja]

I am not an expert in this area but here are some thoughts for you to consider.
Your charge controller may have an output for a 12 load. Is this enough for your needs?

Your batteries need to be protected from being discharged too deeply, an inverter will do that for you.

If you don't use an inverter you will need to monitor on a regular basis the DOD of your battery bank when you are using it.

LED lights are more efficient but are way more expensive that regular lights.

You need to find out your needs in the term of watt/hours then cost your emergency system with an inverter included and the 240/120v appliances.
Then cost your system without an inverter and factor in the cost of buying the 12v appliances plus heavy gauge wire and remember that you will be responsible for the care of your batteries and be aware that if you run them too low you maybe prematurely end their useful life in a very short space of time. Well cared for batteries will last for years, poorly cared for batteries might last 6 months.

Great point on the need to keep batteries from discharging too deeply. Thank you for the detailed information.

[Naptown]

Great point on the need to keep batteries from discharging too deeply. Thank you for the detailed information.

This can be done with a low voltage disconnect. Rogue makes several sizes and are not particularly expensive.

[Wy_White_Wolf]

I know that using an inverter uses power, and the conversion of power creates a loss. However, is that loss great enough to justify purchasing 12v appliances (like those used by truck drivers) for emergency applications and running them directly off the battery vs using an inverter? Thank you.

That is dependent on how you use the electricity. If you need the inverter to run 24 hours a day just so you can get up in the middle of the night to pee then a 12v system might be better as the inverter uses power all the time it is on.

But if you're one that would turn the inverter off after every use and keep it on only when power is really needed then a 120V AC system might be better.

Either way a LVD should be used as the one built into the inverters is too low to protect the batteries.

WWW

[Sunking]

How far away are these appliances going to be located from the battery?

!2 volt distribution efficiency is extremely poor. 1000% or 10 times higher losses than 120 VAC.