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Solar Batteries are a great way to store solar power and use it when the sun isn’t shining. Like at night, on cloudy days or even on rainy days. While there isn’t a specific type of battery called solar batteries, the kind of batteries that are best suited for solar power are deep cycle batteries.
Deep cycle batteries are the exact opposite of your car batteries. While a car battery is designed to expend a high voltage for a short amount of time via the start engine phase, a deep cycle battery is designed to give out a constant voltage throughout a long time. Golf carts and boats both use deep cycle batteries.
Solar batteries that go on deep cycle batteries should never be allowed to discharge below 50%. Anything below 70% and your batteries will permanently lose capacity as sulphation starts to set in.
Here are some things to consider when it comes to solar batteries…
Temperature
One of the biggest factors affecting any kind of battery is temperature. There are batteries designed specifically for the area you want to install your solar power system. A cold climate would need a different designed battery from one that is made for hot and humid environments. Check your solar battery manual on the best way to keep them.
Mixing and matching
While it’s common to use different batteries in your remote control or any other electronic device, it isn’t recommended for your residential solar power system. It is important to purchase and install the same type of batteries all at once. Mixing different types, sizes, age of batteries is a definite no-no as the whole battery bank will take the state of the weakest battery.
Amp-hours
All batteries come with an Ah or Amp-Hr rating. A battery that has a 200 Ah (20hr reference) rating would give out 10amps for 20hrs before being discharged. The higher the Ah rating, the more expensive, heavier and longer will the battery hold a charge.
Battery Voltage
Most batteries come in 6V or 12V. To get higher voltage you simply wire these batteries in series and to get higher amp output, you wire them in parallel.
