Yes . . . every installer that gave me install quotes was pushing the Power Battery AGMs. I refused them.
I'm not saying they are necessarily bad batteries. What I am saying it they have a worse track record then cheaper conventional flooded lead-acid batteries. They don't last as long and cost more. The AGMs are intolerant to slight "mishaps" with charging and discharging. The advantages are - cheaper shipping since they are sealed, do not need venting because they are sealed, and the makers give better markup and incentives to installers.
In your situation - since your batteries are for backup only - having AGMs probably won't matter much one way or the other. If you were off-grid and used them on a daily basis - I'd tell you it's a waste of money to have them.
Your installer must be relatively new. Back maybe four years ago when I put in my system, I had a list of every certified installer in NY. He is not on that list.
Since I know nothing about your installer, I can't comment. He might be a real good guy.
Note though that when I had my system all planned out - I had 8 different companies come here to give me install quotes. All 8 were wrong on many issues - especially how many panels I needed. NY is full of micro-climates and just 10 miles one way or the other can make a difference in yearly sunlight. I've been here 35 years and have paid attention. NY incentives want you to install a system that can produce 110% of your annual usage. I figured I needed 5400 watts of panels. All 8 installers insisted on 3400 watts and I told them to get lost. That's when I found the new installers from Burdett and convinced them to do it with my plan. Well ?? Four years now and it's been 110% every year. My figures were dead-on and the 8 "Pro" installers were all wrong. I also bought my own panels and did not let the installers get a huge mark-up on them. That is also not easy to do with some installers. I figured with some of the quotes I got - they were figuring a labor rate of $200 an hour per person and 30% markup on components.
By the way, when I did mine I had to design my own battery backup system. It was uncommon then. Many if not most installers only want to install pre-engineered kits shipped from Sun-Wize in Kingston. I suspect maybe now that has changed?
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Today's Featured Article - Listening to Your Tractor - by Curtis Von Fange. Years ago there was a TV show about a talking car. Unless you are from another planet, physically or otherwise, I don’t think our internal combustion buddies will talk and tell us their problems. But, on the other hand, there is a secret language that our mechanical companions readily do speak. It is an interesting form of communication that involves all the senses of the listener. In this series we are going to investigate and learn the basic rudimentary skills of understanding this lingo.
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