Batteries - rent/buy/donate?

[billvon]

I plan on using 4 T105 Trojan batteries for our power system this year. I don't want to cart them from San Diego, so I plan on buying them in Reno.

But lugging them back to San Diego seems like a silly use of gas as well, especially since I don't have a use for them here. So:

1) I assume that the idea of renting batteries to people is silly. At best I figure I can buy them and then return them for the core deposit.

2) Anyone have any ideas as to where I could donate them? T105's are pretty commonly used and after 10 cycles or so they will be very close to new.

3) Anyone have a good cheap source for them in Reno or closer?

[phil]

If you had 12VDC batteries, I'd take 'em. I'm not interested in 6VDC.

[Just_Joe]

2) Anyone have any ideas as to where I could donate them? T105's are pretty commonly used and after 10 cycles or so they will be very close to new.

PM sent.

[Fiddler]

If you can't find a more worthy charity, I'd be ecstatic to take them off your hands and use them in a playa solar power system and used in a art project or car in the future. They would provide power for playa denizens (and other events) for many, many years to come.
Please let me know and I'll send you my contact info.

Thanks for your consideration!

Fiddler/Tom (Children of the Sun Camp in the Alternate Energy Zone Village 6:30 & D-F)

[Zhust]

I posted to the Alternative Energy Zone mailing list and you could easily find someone who'd put them to good use there. If I remember right, they'll be at 6:30 and Divorce ... a big full-block village with a bunch of individual camps.

[Shabubba]

I can use these at my off grid cabin. I'm sure we can find some trade, or donation to the charity of your choice. You can find me in the AE Zone.

Shabubba

[billvon]

OK thanks for the suggestions. Sounds like my best bet will be to stop by the alternative energy zone on Sunday morning with the batteries. I may need some help getting them over there; not sure how many T105's I can carry on a bike. We're in the Burning Sky camp at 5 and Graduation. I'll also have some orphan 60-110 watt panels of all different shapes and sizes that I may be giving away if people can use them. My only request is that people who take them actually use them; they've been sitting in my garage for too long, and PV panels shouldn't live in the dark.

Also got some additional info on batteries. Costco in Reno has some T105 equivalents for about $75 a pop, and from informal testing by people on the net they deliver about 220ah (like the originals.) That's the best price I've seen around.