Death

I have been thinking about my cells, chargers, holders, soldering irons, wires, crimpers, capacitors, power walls, inverters, chargers, balancers and everythingelse we collect to play with 18650s or batteries in general. If I was to pass away there is no one in my family that would know what to safely do with all this stuff. If the wrong person messed with it they could get themselves killed or hurt or burn down my house.I was wondering if the moderators of this group could create a secure form where the members could enter their actual location (home address) and if someone dies family members can contact the group and ask for help???? I know this is a morbid topic but planning for the safety of my family is important. Thoughts?

I would have to say it would be a management nightmare BUT I have also thought about this and I have done complete documentation on every aspect of every single button, program & piece of hardware including all user manuals, usernames, passwords. This extends to my business & income from youtube, this forum, and affiliates - it took weeks to put into text what I do every day and take for granted.

This is up to you to do in your personal life and put it somewhere safe where your family members know where to find it. We are not going to collect and store your personal information here.

I have set Up My system in such a way that There is One switch that disconnect the solar and goes to grid. This is My fail switch IF something happens

I would not go bad work on some One elses system to maintain it. I would just disconnect it. Thats My opinion.

@bogptrsn

I am to turn 66, so I know what You talk about.

My Idea to You is:

Make a piece of paper where You describe how to safely shut down Your plant, What breakers to pull, what switches to flip and the correct succession. Now invite a Friend, and verify that Your written plan works.

Now make an Envelope and write on it: "Emergency Shut Down Instructions Inside", and place it on the inverter where people entering Your shack will see it.

Now You know that Your hobby is not going to burn down Your home after You passed away.

You may also add a list of companies to contact say a recycler that can safely remove the LiIon batteries.
Inverters and all the rest can simply be put up for sale on the Yellow Pages or similar.

(Better Yet, check Facebook groups and see if you can find a Friend that does not live too far away and who shares Your Hobby. Put him on the list with an explanation that he is to inherit Your batteries and inverters.)

May You utilize Your batteries and stuff for many Years to come

ChrisD

Any complex system, that has the potential to do harm if maintained or operated incorrectly should have an O&M manual sited adjacent to it, even a simple domestic PV system should have clear instructions for safe shutdown and startup procedures available.

As I grow older, and seem to be forgetting more than I learn, it's dawned on me that one day I might need to read my own manuals in order to remind myself how, systems I have built, work.

Perhaps the front page should state ''your name is Sean''

Sean said:

As I grow older, and seem to be forgetting more than I learn, it's dawned on me that one day I might need to read my own manuals in order to remind myself how, systems I have built, work.

Click to expand...

Until we forget that as well

I think another option would be is to have other people involved in the process. Don't do everything 100% alone. Involve your neighbors, family, friends, probably not strangers, in what's going on and educate them on the basics at least. There could come a time when you are in accident or in the hospital (but not dead) and others wouldn't even "think" about going into your house to see what might need to be taken care of (unless of course it is known you have animals that need tending to).

Sean said:

Perhaps the front page should state ''your name is Sean''

Click to expand...

For some of us, we need this taped to the inside of our glasses so we always see it

I am 64 and was key thought for my wife. I concentrated on proper control boxes/circuit breakers and all are labeled.
1) PV array fireman off on outside
2) Combiner box/circuit breakers near PV array Controllers that shut off power to the controllers.
3) Battery Control box with DC input (from controllers) and battery bank output (to inverter) circuit breakers.
4) The Inverter to standard AC distribution subpanel with circuit breakers.
5) In my case, a GEN/LINE manual transfer switch by main house panel.

It can get to be quite a bit of stuff - but it is diagrammed and labeled and easily accessible and can all be shut off in about 2 minutes.

Now - as far as disposing all this stuff is someone bought the house or we both passed - good luck!

So in a way, if you and you're wife are passing, or my and my wife.
And they tread you're/mine system the wrong way, you can take it with you.

Nha, great, more work, even after this life.

Did not mean to offend people!, was just seeing some humor.

Oke serious on topic, if, if this board was willing to do something like this, they have to take also in consideration the privacy law's of every country. That is going to be a tremendous and hideous task.

Indeed it is better to write something down on paper, and tell you're children niche nephew ect, what this is all about.
You're not the only one thinking this way!
The same with my sturgeons, they go directly to a zoo, when i am dead, they are just to big.
Best

Very good points mentioned in this thread! Personally, I'm not thinking of death, but I am hoping to move to a different house in the next year or two, so I've designed everything to be removable without damage to walls or structure. Even my ground-mount solar was removed within an hour like it was never there when my local government made me take it down because it was a "nuissance." Older people tend to collect things that have no value to the outside world. I just saw a house where the deceased was obsessed with surveillance cameras and had them spidered throughout the whole house. Needless to say, the house is still sitting on the market, even with a below market price. Most likely, our DIY powerwalls will be seen as more of a liability than anything so disposal instructions and ease of removal are super important to have. Just be at peace with the thought that some day you will be gone and your family will treat your most valuable possessions as "cash or trash."

From the beginning, my off-grid system was integrated thru automatic transfer switches - inverter for generator power and grid for shore power. This was useful to work on the system and useful in a general shutdown such as vacation - the house continues to function as originally designed. But now I'm thinking about a 'dead-man' switch... perhaps a timer I have to reset every week to keep things on. When I die - it will revert back to grid! Batrium - we need a new option

If I had to do this... I would appoint and executor in my will for that task. They could be responsible to decommissioning, or hiring someone to do it.

I am the executor in my friends will, and I could be called upon to take care of various items he trusts me to take care of which his wife or son might not be prepared to do. Its something he wanted, we discussed, and I agreed to do.

Something else that has not really been mentioned. Even in the event where you were merely incapacitated, or simply needed to be absent for a period of time, it would be handy to have someone properly educated to operate the system in your absence. Or at least what to do in an emergency.

At Geek,
Clever, but the systems we make, are mostly self sustainable? right?
BUT, when you have a wall of more than ~10kwh on 50 v, it would be wise that a neighbor or family or friend knows what to look for, and how to handle.

Example: if i fall down from the scaffolding and i am 4-6 month hospitalized, i would really like to know what is going on, and instruct that person or my wife.
What if we are both in the hospital...For all i care the whole system goes into a mushroom cloud....But not my pound.

So i will be installing a timer that automatically changes to the grid permanently if i or somebody else does not reset it again after a week or so, and discharge.
With batrium i bought those 48v circuit breakers....its no trick to have a short circuit trip from a timer to the breaker.

A analog timer runs usually for 24 hours but what if you put two on top of each other and set one for one hour off (or two or more)and onehour on.
Or buy a programmable timer that will switch on a light, to trip the breaker after 8 days or 32 days or whatever you want.
The same for my sturgeons, if we are not there for a WEEK the neighbors know what to do(accept vacation), for emergency, and have a phone number for a company that can handle my pond.
The same company will have the option(with instructions) to handle or switch off my pw.
My neighbors also have a phone number ofmy mother andbrotherfor my emercy account ect
My pond is not a carp or goldfish thingy(needs salt ect and i have some red list species with approval!)....the same with the pw i am building....100kwh minimum on 48v(estimed120kwh).....
They are becoming one!

Hope my jibberjat is some good for you, i really understand your concerns, that why the explanation is in the i form, didnt mean to insult you!

With best regards, Igora

My instruction set is :
1. if in doubt turn every switch off that you see (all battery packs have separate breakers)
2. don't touch anything metal while performing action 1
3. don't talk about fight club

The cells are LTO chemistry so can sit for years without issue, so switch off and then figure it out later, it's split grid tie + isolated so everything continues with near zero issue.

If away for any length of time, limit the power throughput / voltage levels to conservative mode so even a BMS failure may have days before it causes an issue.

Separate set of wiring diagrams and notes to be used later and not at the time of 'issue'...

completelycharged said:

My instruction set is :
1. if in doubt turn every switch off that you see (all battery packs have separate breakers)
2. don't touch anything metal while performing action 1
3. don't talk about fight club

The cells are LTO chemistry so can sit for years without issue, so switch off and then figure it out later, it's split grid tie + isolated so everything continues with near zero issue.

If away for any length of time, limit the power throughput / voltage levels to conservative mode so even a BMS failure may have days before it causes an issue.

Separate set of wiring diagrams and notes to be used later and not at the time of 'issue'...

Click to expand...

I think it wise perhaps to have a written emergencyshut down procedure. (Perhaps even include photos). Make sure that the procedure can be carried out without any possible contact with hazardous voltage. And place these instructions at the entry to the building/shed/room/outhouse containing your batteries.

For continued operation, it should not be hard to prepare some simple documentation for someone to follow. And if something were to happen that they did not understand, refer to emergency shut down.