44 Battery Rack Assembly and Installation Manual
Appendix C: Employing Sidecars

Sidecar overview

Battery racks can be situated in one or more locations separate and apart from the battery breakers. In
these instances, a sidecar should be employed at each separated location to prevent distance from
compromising electrical connectivity. Sidecars permit use of larger output cables to alleviate the
problem of power degradation.
Sidecar enclosures measure approximately 585 mm (W) x 914 mm (D) x 2032 mm (H) [23” x 36” x
80”] and weigh approximately 227 kg [500 lb].
Each sidecar contains four distinct U-shaped busbar sets (with landing holes) for connecting a) inputs
FROM the battery racks, and b) outputs TO the battery breakers. Each U-shaped set consists of two
vertical input bars and one horizontal output bar. The horizontal bars are “staggered” (in terms of
height and depth) to avoid congestion when connecting the larger output cables to them. The sets are
designated as follows from front-to-back: BAT 1+, BAT 1-, BAT 2+, and BAT 2-.
Note
Separated sidecars must be grouped in multiples of two (2, 4, 6, 8, etc.).
BAT
BAT
BAT 1+
BAT 1-
BAT 2+
BAT 2-