Solar batteries are a crucial part of your solar system. Their functioning affects the solar panel lifespan. Usually, solar batteries can function for anywhere between 5-15 years, depending on their type and manufacturing. However, most solar batteries become non-functional due to improper care and use.
Operating your solar system will become a nuisance without efficient batteries, so it is crucial to understand what factors affect your solar battery, and how you can make them work efficiently and reach their projected lifespan.
There are 4 significant factors that can affect the performance of solar panel batteries.
A solar battery works on the charging and discharging cycles. Its capacity to charge and discharge efficiently minimises and reduces the lifespan with constant usage.
Every solar battery has fixed criteria for room temperatures given by the manufacturers. If the solar batteries are not kept under the given temperature range, they will not perform efficiently.
There are mainly three types of solar batteries available: lead-acid batteries, lithium-ion batteries, and saltwater batteries. Each type has a different composition and functioning. Out of all three, lithium-ion batteries are the most reliable.
While maintaining your solar panel and inverters, looking after your solar batteries is also essential. Add them to your regular maintenance schedule to avoid repairing or replacing them earlier. This will help you increase your solar panel lifespan.
If you want to understand how to increase your solar battery capacity or lifespan, follow these top 5 tips.
While installing solar batteries, you should place them where they are not exposed to extreme weather conditions. For example, installing solar batteries indoors or outdoors (under shaded areas) would work if your home or office is in an area with a moderate climate. But if your area experiences extreme hot or cold temperatures, it is wise to install solar batteries indoors.
Using a lot of batteries in the bank means adding more connections. This will lead to higher resistance and cause uneven charging. If all batteries are not charged equally, it will impact their individual and overall efficiency, so keep the number of batteries to the bare minimum. If you use a lot of batteries, you should ensure that you regulate them periodically. This will help balance the uneven charging.
We cannot emphasise enough the importance of charging your batteries regularly. Put your batteries to charge fully before use, and then let them discharge till the minimum voltage point before you charge them again. If they are not charged properly, their life cycles will be impacted, which will reduce their efficiency and lifespan. Reducing the number of cycles is best.
Lead-acid batteries – 300 and 700 cycles
Gel cell batteries – 500 and 5000 cycles
Lithium batteries – around 2000 cycles
It will help if you charge them to the full capacity at least once every three weeks. This feature is built in for many inverters; you just need to activate it. In the latest inverter models and solar batteries, some screens show you how much the battery charges and its capacity at a particular time. If you buy one with this feature, ensure to use it time-to-time.
An important fact you must know about solar batteries is that they should be charged regularly. If you leave them unused for long, they will get damaged. So keep them in use.
When you are buying solar batteries, check their brand and specifications. You should ensure you are only buying batteries that are suitable for working with solar panels. The manufacturing brand also plays a key role, and is important to know when selecting the most reliable one. The most appropriate batteries mean a longer lifespan. Also, remember that all the batteries in your bank should be of the same type.
Low Voltage Disconnect is a type of protection to save your batteries from going below the low voltage level. Discharging solar batteries completely causes irreparable damage.
Low Voltage Disconnects have a control circuit, and it cuts off the connection with the battery when it reaches its voltage limit. The unit keeps surveillance of the battery voltage, and when it comes to the lowest level, the connection is automatically cut off. It helps batteries have enough power to recharge.
Without the LVDs, your batteries can damage and take longer recharge intervals, thus reducing the lifespan of your batteries. So cross-check before buying to understand if your solar systems have in-built LVDs.
Follow the five best practices mentioned above, and you won’t have a problem with your solar batteries in the long run. Maintaining your solar batteries is the key to increasing your batteries’ and solar panels’ lifespans. Since you are making a significant investment in your solar system, make the most of it.