New Grower I need some help from any electrician type folks

[derek420colorado]

I am trying to figure out how long my batteries will last while running my lights. So our plan is to be off the grid and our main source of electricity for the greenhouse is going to be solar. With solar powered stuff you basically run everything off of batteries that get recharged by the sun.

I know what kind of battery I have and I know what kind of lights, the thing I can't really figure out is how long I can run the lights off of each battery. Here is a link to the batteries that we are going to be using. It is a 6V battery and it says it has 230 amp hours. Can someone tell me how long I can run a Mars II 1200 off of this battery? Or how I can do the calculations myself, that would be even better. I know there are some super smart AFNers out there that can help. So don't be shy and help a grower out Thanks in advance for your help

 

[Dudeski]

Do you know how many amps that light pulls?
I'm not an electrician but thats a start.

 

[Dudeski]

MARS II 1200 Specifications
Specification
Grow Light Details

LED Diode Brand:
Epistar™ (HI-LED) High Intensity

Power Consumption:
120V: 514.6W±5%, 240V: 509W±5%

Operating Requirements:
Input voltage: 85v-265v Amperage: 4.3@ 120v | 2.27@ 240v

 

[derek420colorado]

MARS II 1200 Specifications
Specification
Grow Light Details

LED Diode Brand:
Epistar™ (HI-LED) High Intensity

Power Consumption:
120V: 514.6W±5%, 240V: 509W±5%

Operating Requirements:
Input voltage: 85v-265v Amperage: 4.3@ 120v | 2.27@ 240v

Yeah I got that so I mean is it as simple as if I am running 120V then it is pulling 4.3 amps per what hour, per minute you see this is where I get confused

 

[Ozone69]

Not familiar with the formulas involved myself, but one suggestion I would make would be to maybe search around for info on sizing UPS units for server racks in data centers. Very similar, high draw type application so I would think the same formulas would apply.

 

[Dudeski]

I think it is per hour. So you should use 4.3 times number of hours. Should be less than 100. But how will it work on a 6v battery?

 

[derek420colorado]

Not familiar with the formulas involved myself, but one suggestion I would make would be to maybe search around for info on sizing UPS units for server racks in data centers. Very similar, high draw type application so I would think the same formulas would apply.

Way over my head, I only understood like 3 words in that paragraph lol

 

[derek420colorado]

I think it is per hour. So you should use 4.3 times number of hours. Should be less than 100. But how will it work on a 6v battery?

Yeah see I really have no idea and it is kind of important to the success of my operation, and I really don't want to just have to hook up my stuff and see how long it runs. I am sure there is a way this can be calculated but I am just so unfamiliar with the terminology that I get lost.

 

[derek420colorado]

I found this link that kind of helps it is a calculator but I still don't know exactly what it is asking for when it says amp hour rate, here are some of the further specs on my battery. I think all the info is here that I need to plug into the calculator but I am having kind of a hard time with it. This stuff is so far outside my realm of knowledge

• 20 amp hour rate:215

• 5 amp hour rate:157

• 6 amp hour rate:156

• Battery Electrolyte Composition:Acid

• Battery End Type:Top Post

• Battery Purposeeep Cycle

• BCI Group Size:GC2

• Contents:ONE EACH

• Freight Class:65

• Minutes at 25 amps:395

• Minutes at 75 amps:105

• Terminal TypeIN

• Volts:6

 

[derek420colorado]

I think I may have figured it out but I am not sure. I think based on my totally inadequate skills I came up with being able to run one light off one of these batteries for a total of about 13 hours. Which sounds rightish I guess, I don't know really but. Unless someone has a definitive formula and can tell me what the heck all this stuff means I am just going to have to hook up my stuff and see how long it runs. I am sure someone here on AFN know about electricity type stuff