Solar PV Batteries – Keeping the power flowing

The chief advantage of a Photovoltaic (or PV) solar panel system is the independence that it can give you with respect to your power needs. Even if you live in the wilderness, in a cabin on a mountain side, you can use a PV system to power your heat, light and air conditioning systems. However, the sun doesn’t come out all the time. On cloudy days or in gray wintry weather, will there be power available to you too? A solar PV battery is the perfect solution to that problem.

In essence, a solar powered battery simply stores the excess energy created by your solar panel system, ensuring that none of the electricity goes to waste. The batteries themselves can be used as needed and can discharge more power than panels can produce directly, since this store of energy can be built up during the day.

Batteries for solar power look like conventional car batteries but are constructed very differently. They store much more energy than a car battery, since a car needs a battery chiefly to start, not to maintain an energy stream. However, PV batteries need to provide systems with a constant flow of power. Batteries that provide this flow are known as ‘deep cycle’ batteries.

There are several different types of batteries but lead-acid batteries are the most common in a PV system. There are a number of types of lead-acid batteries but not all are deep cycle batteries and are therefore unsuitable. Shallow cycle batteries include ‘starting batteries’ (car etc) and ‘lead calcium batteries’ (as used by phone companies).

There are three main lead-acid deep cycle batteries that can be used with PV systems: RV or marine batteries; sealed batteries; true deep cycle batteries. A lead-acid battery will provide 2 volts of electricity per cell.

RV batteries are a cross between shallow and deep cycle batteries and have a life span of up to three years. Their power is 12 volts and often they have an amp-hour capacity of between 80 and 160 amps. Typically, the amp-hour rate is quoted at 20 hours, and so a discharge of between 4 amps per hour and 8 amps per hour is available.

Sealed batteries are among the most economically viable for your PV system since they require no maintenance. The sulphuric acid solution in which the battery cells are suspended (known as electrolyte) is sealed within the battery case and so no liquid top-up is needed and no leaks will occur. For this reason, this type of battery is ideal for confined spaces.

Some sealed batteries have gel instead of liquid inside. These are a higher quality battery and have a life expectancy of 5 – 10 years, twice that of the liquid acid batteries.

Lastly, true deep cycle batteries are designed especially with high energy storage in mind. These are ideal for your PV panel systems and as a more durable battery with a capability to be recharged thousands of times, you can expect to use the battery more often than you can the other types.

With a charge controller, a device that regulates charging, the lifetime of the battery can be maximized. The charge controller protects batteries from being over-charged and ensures they don’t go completely flat.

Of course, the specific power needs of your home or business dictate the size of the PV system and type of battery necessary. If you build a battery bank (two or more batteries) you can store a significant amount of power, and the better the design the higher the cost-efficiency and, therefore, the better for your pocket.

Solar PV Batteries Video

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