Don’t want to hijack the thread, is there a discussion on the dangers of Lion batteries? As a Glaswegian I was interested in the recent fire which has closed the main railway station.
Oh no, I’ve fallen down a rabbit hole.
Plug and play solar panels vs solar generator. Which is better?
I’ll report back IF I find an answer.
Incorrect storage of loose LiPo cells would be my guess. The ones used in the large vapes are very easy to short out if you’re not handling them with due caution.
I had a ringside seat for that, it was really quite dramatic.
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A news item later, showed batteries exploding after suffering damage, but apparently some spontaneously combust and that’s why you can’t send them through the post. I find that disconcerting to say the least.
As is often the case, my system, designed to max efficiency saves over 95% electricity over the original setup. It would take several decades to recoup solar panel costs based on that which is why I try to intervene at the design stage. It’s about reducing equipment and running costs, not adding more complexity. I have seen people buying solar pool pumps and associated equipment costing nearly €2000. It’s so much better to reduce the energy needed. That’s quite a solar setup so I hope it does save you in the medium/long term.
The next car will be electric or plug in hybrid.
Planning for the future. We are currently heating with oil.
Hence the 6kw solar panel array.
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Probably got some room for a heat pump or two 
I’ve bought Lion batteries a few times online and they’ve been delivered in very stout packaging with a warning label. So, I think they just have to be appropriately packaged and labelled.
Hope so!
You may well be right. I’m only going by the rules of Royal Mail and La Poste.
When you consider how some of these goons throw parcels around it’s not surprising. Spontaneous combustion or badly mishandling? Couriers contracted to deliver loads with potential risks from chlorine bleach to batteries will be more careful as a rule.
Ah, there are limits for La Poste, but not forbidden. You can ship loose batteries of up to 20W per cell and 100W per battery in multiples that weigh up to 5Kg. That’s a lot of batteries and it really surprises me that it’s that much. The limits for batteries in devices seems much stricter. I have had lithium batteries delivered via La Poste which is why I thought they were allowed. I’ve had a 12.8V 100Ah battery delivered last year but I think that was by UPS.
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The big LiPo batteries in the lightsaber sized vapes are definitely dangerous if not handled corrected.
I suspect the disposable vapes are much worse if damaged.
Are you sure, lithium ion phosphate are deemed safer than lithium ion.
Which bit?
Li-Po/Li-Ion batteries being able to supply a lot of current if shorted out or disposable vapes not being the paragon of either electrical or respiratory safety?
It’s usually the thermal runaway of Li-on that’s the issue compared to li-Po, but yes if both are shorted the outcome is probably the same. Even the humble PP9 if shorted would cause a fire in most cases.
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Back to the red day theme…. since we have another 6 to go. The sun is shining again today, but unfortunately I am stuck indoors invigilating an online exam. Otherwise I would be planning to cook with enjoyment outside. We did this the last two sunny red days last week. The Kamado oven was an indulgence bought while we were trying to make life confined to our garden more enjoyable over Covid. What I have observed is that it made almost no difference to the kWh we used that day. It seems to indicate that our induction hob etc are already pretty efficient. I suppose one must take into account the cost of charcoal, but I think I used about 1/2 kg over the 1.5 hours since the Kamado is so efficient. (I apologise to any vegans 
). When we were first introduced to this method by our canadian daughter in law some twenty years ago, she called it “beer-butt” chicken. Our cookbook more politely calls it a poultry stand, but it produces the most tasty roast chicken, succulent and moist.
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I’m very tempted by one of those. I have an Aldi mini version and it’s very good but limited in cooking capacity. I also have an offset smoker, which is very much on its last legs, but it has been outdoors for the 25 years since I bought it in Canada.
That used a lot more than 1/2 kg to do some pork yesterday.
Lidl.fr has some well priced outdoor smokers AT.M