This article will talk about various kinds of batteries that can be used with solar power and which kind is the best to use. Most people who install a solar power system want to use power at night when the sun isn’t shining, and so will require some way to store the energy generated during the day. Batteries and a solar charge controller are the way to accomplish this. But, what is the best kind of battery to use?
Many people would probably first think of the new battery technologies used in devices like cell phones, laptop computers and also in hybrid cars. There are a couple of reasons why they aren’t so good for solar, which I’ll explain.
The biggest advantage these newer battery technologies have is size and weight. These newer types of batteries are, however, much more costly than older battery technology. For devices like ipods, being small and light are more important than cost, so these newer technologies are a good fit in these devices.
You likely aren’t going to be carrying your solar power system around with you, however. On the other hand, you are going to want as much capacity as you can afford. So, much more important than size or weight will be cost per watt/hour of capacity.
Regular sealed lead acid batteries are tops in price for capacity. The battery in your car is sealed lead acid. For the same capacity battery, a sealed lead acid battery will be ½ to ¼ the price of the newer types. For toughness, low cost and safety, you can’t bead sealed lead acid batteries.
12 volt sealed lead acid batteries are the typically used. 12, 24 or 48 volts are the most common voltages for solar systems. By wiring together 12 volt batteries in series, you can obtain any of these voltages. You then take these groups of batteries tied together in series and wire the groups in parallel to increase the amount of power you can store and then later release from the batteries.
To charge the batteries you will also need a 12 volt solar charger. The charger prevents overcharging of the batteries by making sure the correct voltage is supplied to the batteries.
A power inverter will allow you to supply power to devices you would normally plug into the wall . You’ll need a grid tie inverter if you plan to sell excess electricity back to the power company. A regular power inverter will power all your appliances and be less expensive if you don’t need to tie into the grid.
So there you have it. While the newer, high efficiency technology is best for solar panels, old fashioned technology is best when it comes to batteries for a home solar power system. For home solar systems, sealed lead acid batteries are what you should use.