ENERGY DETECTIVE / CASE FILE 03
The Misleading Battery Label
Two cabins. Two 100 Ah labels. Different results.
Two cabin owners bought complete, compatible systems labelled 100 Ah. One cabin loses power before morning, while the other succeeds. Inspect the voltage labels and actual energy, then choose a system for a twelve-hour night.
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START / PREDICT
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01 / SURVEY THE SCENE
Something doesn't add up.
Inspect the equipment. Each object reveals a clue and its measurement boundary.
Run an experiment to see the equipment states.
Scene is illustrative, not a wiring diagram. All clues are also available as the ordered buttons above.
Original system evidence notebook 0 / 5
Select any clue to inspect its reading.
- No evidence collected yet.
02 / TEST THE THEORY
Run a controlled experiment.
Run the original system, then change one authored parameter set. Every experiment starts again from its documented initial conditions.
Select a change to see which settings will be different.
See the actual energy ledger and intervals
Starting battery Wh = remaining Wh + delivered AC Wh + conversion loss Wh + overhead Wh. Unserved AC is not withdrawn from the battery.
| Elapsed | Requested AC Wh | Served AC Wh | Unserved AC Wh | Battery remaining Wh |
|---|
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What this investigation teaches
Amp-hours alone cannot determine energy. Nominal Wh = nominal volts × amp-hours, followed by the stated usable fraction.
Try the reasoning outside the game
Supply 120 W of AC cabin service for 12 hours using a compatible battery/inverter preset. Compare watts (instantaneous power) and watt-hours (energy accumulated over time), remembering to include the measurement boundary and all stated losses.
Learn more in our LiFePO4 battery-bank sizing guide. The values in this case are fictional teaching presets, not installation recommendations.