I'm trying to decide where to locate my battery cabinet. (1) Garage - Not like being outside, but the temp in NE TX varies from freezing to 100+. (2) I have a finished-out, insulated game room in my detached garage, but running my wall heat/ac constantly for the sake of the batteries might be cost prohibitive. (3) Screened-in back porch. (4) Give up space we don't really have inside the house.
The question is: How much temp variation can these batteries take before their performance and life expectation suffer?
battery cabinet environment selection
HI, i just bought a Cabinet,36wx18dx72h now i'll start preparing all necessary - battery bank, wiring, doing it step by step. Thank you for your detailed post, it really makes my job easier.
Thanks, micky Simulation pret
Thanks, micky Simulation pret
battery cabinet
Hello all, I have been using a diabled upright freezer for a batt cab for 3-4 years now. It is insulated well enough to be outside in Wyoming weather. We depleted the refrigerant at the local auto shop. I put a 12 volt muffin fan on a timer and vent out a dampered vent very similar to a dryer vent. If you can use a fridge or a freezer it will keep that cabinet out of the landfill and provide an asthetically pleasing unit! Mine, of course is painted with a camo pattern! 
Where to put battery cabinet for wind/solar
Hello, I think the insulated game room sounds best option. But don't worry about running AC/heat for the battery cabinet, that's not necessary. Extreme cold is worst risk, well the controller and battery bank will generate its own convection heat. It will have a vent that moves air out to relieve that. Either garage or game room should be OK but don't worry about heating or cooling. Think how extreme the temperatures that car batteries go through and last for several years. Having constant room temp would be ideal but don't get too caught up with that.
In extreme climates off-grid people have really large battery banks and build a battery house, like a small play house sized building with the inverters and batteries in it. You would insulate it but that's it. If you put it in a garage you may think of putting in the foam panels in yout garge door and make your weather stripping pretty ship shape but that's all. My cabinet is in a detatched garage and I will heat and cool when I am working in it, but I don't worry about my battery bank getting too hot and cold. The cabinet has good air circulation and evacuation with the dryer style vent.
So, I vote for your option (2) myself. I think that's going to be fine and option 1 would be good too. If you are becoming a dealer I would add the factor of display. If it's in the game room, you can atleast AC it when you are showing it to someone and maybe talking about it without sweating your buns off. So, ability to heat/cool is good there with that option. You can heat/cool when you are working on the cabinet, that's a plus too.
In extreme climates off-grid people have really large battery banks and build a battery house, like a small play house sized building with the inverters and batteries in it. You would insulate it but that's it. If you put it in a garage you may think of putting in the foam panels in yout garge door and make your weather stripping pretty ship shape but that's all. My cabinet is in a detatched garage and I will heat and cool when I am working in it, but I don't worry about my battery bank getting too hot and cold. The cabinet has good air circulation and evacuation with the dryer style vent.
So, I vote for your option (2) myself. I think that's going to be fine and option 1 would be good too. If you are becoming a dealer I would add the factor of display. If it's in the game room, you can atleast AC it when you are showing it to someone and maybe talking about it without sweating your buns off. So, ability to heat/cool is good there with that option. You can heat/cool when you are working on the cabinet, that's a plus too.