Solar Batteries , A Description

             Energy consumption as well as cost is touching the skies these days. Under developed countries are facing problems in energy production due to scarce resources. Renewable energy sources such as wind or sun are now used as an alternative.  These systems are cheap and productive as well. Solar power is becoming more convenient due to its less cost. To avail advantage from solar energy you always need to have a solar energy system this system will have different electronic parts such as solar panels, DC meter, D/A converter and solar rechargeable batteries. Solar rechargeable batteries are required to store the charge produced by the solar panels through sunlight. While designing a solar system you need to know that which battery you require with it. There is a variety of batteries available in market to choose from, depending upon your needs and requirements. 

While purchasing batteries we need to know that they can be stored indoor or not.  Some batteries need to be ventilated for better performance. Some need particular temperature range at which they operate more accurately. It is always good to purchase a battery for indoor use because temperature control is easier in that case. For our home solar system we need to use deep discharge cycle batteries with thick plates inside.  

Solar energy system particularly uses Lead Acid batteries. These batteries are much different from ordinary car batteries and they provide more tolerance for ongoing charging and discharging. These batteries have long life and work for large period of time. One drawback related to them is their high prices. These batteries comprise of lead plates whereas ordinary batteries have plates made up of sponge like material. By just looking at the batteries we can not point out difference between them that either they are Lead Acid batteries or conventional batteries. Due to this reason some batteries are labeled as “deep cycle” when they are not.  ( "A deep-cycle lead-acid battery is designed to be regularly discharged to most of its capacity"  Ref:  Wikipedia )

Another important point which should be taken into consideration before buying a battery for a solar system is that how deeply we discharge them. This means that how much power consumption they make before charging. Deep cycle batteries can withstand almost all of their charge. However their life can be extended if we discharge them about 50%. Some solar experts recommend us not to discharge them below this limit for effective results. 

Size of battery can affect the efficiency of the system. Always make sure that size of your battery is sufficient enough for your solar system. If battery is small then you will have to discharge and recharge it more often which will lower down its efficiency.  Make sure that battery size is big enough to save charge for couple of days at least. 

It is always convenient to take some safety measures while working with these batteries because they give out hydrogen and oxygen which creates an explosive mixture. Always use gloves and addition of mixture made by combining water and baking soda to battery that will reduce this effect.  

Regards,

The Solar Heating Systems Team

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