 Solar Power Batteries: What you need to
know
It may seem like stating the obvious, but along with the solar panels that you have mounted
on your roof, solar powered batteries that can efficiently store the energy taken by the solar
cells are also necessary. After all, it only stands to logic that when the sun is nowhere to be seen, the air
conditioning, heating and lighting of your home or business still has to be done.
There are, of course, a wide variety of solar batteries available on the market, but what exactly are they and
which is the one for you?
Simply put, solar batteries store the energy that is taken from sunlight by the solar panels so that you can use
that power when you see fit to.
The mechanics are of course complex but ‘deep cycle’ batteries are used as they are
specifically designed to deliver voltage at a consistent rate, rather than ‘starting’ batteries used in your iPod,
for example, which delivers its power in ‘spikes’ to start up the item. That is why most light vehicles, such as
golf carts, will use a deep cycle battery.
Deep cycle batteries are designed to handle the rigors of solar energy usage over a lengthy lifetime,
discharging and recharging hundreds of thousands of times over as much as 10 years. Their lead plates are solid, as
opposed to the plates in normal batteries, which are sponge-like.
There are three main types to choose from to use with your solar panels: flooded lead-acid;
absorbed glass mats (AGM); gel.
Flooded lead-acid (also called wet cell) batteries are favoured amongst
Photovoltaic system users, mainly because their cost is lower, their lifespan can be longer, they are quite
abundant and come in a range of sizes. On the down side, they do need some maintenance and there can be some
spillage of the acid liquid.
AGM batteries are sealed so they require no maintenance over their lifetime. They are referred
to as AGMs because there are ‘absorbed glass mats’ placed between the plates inside the battery case. Their
sturdiness, resistance to vibration and cleanliness (there are no spills or fume emissions) makes them very
popular.
Gel batteries, which are also sealed, are called so only because the acid inside has been
converted into a gel so as to cancel out the chance of any spills. Silica Gel is added to accomplish this, and
while it seems like an ingenious thing to do, there are some downfalls. If they are speed charged, they could
suffer some serious damage, but since solar panels can’t do this there is little fear of that happening.
One more thing to consider is that Amp Hours (Ah) of the battery, which is the length of time that it can supply
power at continuous rate. For example, if it is 300ah, then 30 amps can be supplied continuously over 10 hours
(30x10).
Which battery you chose to use with your solar panel system will come down to the specific needs of your home or
business. Getting it right can ensure that your energy costs are kept low and efficiency high.
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