they`re called LiFePo batteries check these site`s

http://www.batteryspace.com/128vlifepo4batterypacks.aspx

http://yuntong.manufacturer.globalsources.com/si/6008801163687/pdtl/Lithium-p...

http://www.tradeindia.com/selloffer/1690645/Lifepo4-12V-12AH.html

never tried them but i`m very interrested
this one is my favorite
http://www.batteryspace.com/customizelifepo4battery128v10ah128wh50aratewopcb....

hmmm 300 bucks    OK next

Yukkk, dishwasher. Installation includes floor, & plenty of it. Getting under the sink & working with those little connections that dont want to line up till you can see them real good, which means you'll need to install your third arm to hold the light while the other 2 hands mess with the connections. You gonna NEED some motorcycle time when youre done with that mess. Really, a dishwasher swap isnt too bad of a deal, except for the getting to the stuff you have to get to. As long as you are still young & flexible enough for the getting up & down.
Pretty cool looking little battery. Pretty cool you already got your rebate on it, too..

Dasch, I plan to fabricate brackets to keep the battery on the shelf, but per your advice I should probably also make some sort of cover.  I'll at least get some terminal boots, since the battery will be in a wet and splashy zone.

Justin, yes the diswasher install is going to suck.  I have to take out a drawer, shelf and cabinet door & floor, cut the opening big enough to accomodate the dishwasher, then dig power out of one wall and hot water out of another.  On the bright side, I'm going to try my hand at soldering joints (you know, with the flux and propane torch).  I haven't started yet though, since I'm still on babysitting duty and my daughter's being a high-maintenance little mess maker.. who absconded with the install guide  

Thanks, I'll be sure to be careful when I finally get a chance to do it. Sure, the washer is going near a sink, but my house is from the stone age. The pipes come straight out of the wall to the fixture. No handy flex-hose or shutoff valves under the sink or other 70's technology for me, oh no!  I hope the washer is quiet, because choices are limited when you can't fit a full 24" model anywhere.  We do at least HAVE hot water.. boy, I can hardly stand the luxury.  

I've butted up against so many challenges already, where I thought the tool to fix the thing would be cheaper than hiring someone to fix it... I now have every tool known to mankind.  

if you're thinking about moving within the next 5 years, you should check the local code; the fact the local stores sell  plastic, for example,  doesn't mean it'll pass the code.  here in NE ,back in the day,  we had to copper tube them in place, what a pain.  Now it'so much easier.

If you haven't soldered before, practice a bit.  Try to plan the conncetions so you can do most of the soldering "standing up., not lying down.  (I have hadsome siged hair) Have fun.

 In Wisconsin you can use plastic for hot and cold water,In Illinois just for cold.