In the event that you are serious about renewable energy, it is necessary to learn about solar technologies. Solar batteries are used in storing the excess energy collected by solar panels to be used later; at night, during cloudy days or when the grid is short.
Solar panels produce DC electricity and excess of the same is charged to your battery through an inverter or charge controller. This stored energy is then turned again into AC power to supply energy to your household or outbuildings, such as a shed should you need it. Be it a solar panel to power a shed, or a complete solar panel and battery pack system, it is important to understand how to increase battery life.
The life of solar batteries
Solar batteries have a lifespan of between 10 and 15 years (mostly lithium ion batteries). They do not abruptly lose their capacity to hold charge, but their ability fades away progressively with time.
The battery longevity can be better measured as the cycle life which is the number of complete charge/discharge cycles of a battery before the capacity reduces to approximately 80 percent.
Lifespan is also dependent on Depth of Discharge (DoD). Consumption (High DoD) Wear is increased by regularly discharging a battery to near-empty. In the case of lithium-ion batteries, the type of battery can last a long time when kept in a charge of between 20 and 80 percent.
Rapidly Changing Battery Lifespan Factors
1. Frequency of Use
The higher the frequency of charging and discharging of a battery, the shorter its life. This applies to solar batteries, not to mention phones and laptops. The one to two full cycles per day is just right to most households. The difference between a solar charger solar system and a solar-powered shed is that the use must be balanced either way.
2. Environmental Conditions
The life of battery is highly affected by temperature. High heat causes chemical reactions in the battery and shortens the life of the battery. Very low temperatures on the other hand inhibit discharge capacity. The solar batteries best work in temperatures of 20-25degC. When installing solar panels in a garden shed or with a solar panel to provide power to a shed, ventilated or controlled areas are recommended.
3. Solar Battery Quality
Solar panel kits with battery have a battery, a solar panel and a battery charger, both of which may last longer with quality batteries. Solar panel optimisers and modern solar inverters UK models are advanced technologies that prevent overcharging and other things that reduce efficiency.
How to make the most of solar battery life: 5 ways.
- Adhere to the instructions of the manufactures
It should always follow the suggested maintenance and charging procedures. Failure to maintain them may hasten the process of degradation and raise the cost of solar batteries by replacing them.
- Monitor Charge Levels
Monitor your SoC and DoD. In case of lithium-ion batteries, do not discharge below recommended levels because of over-discharging. It is applicable to the systems such as a complete solar panel and battery set up, to a small solar panel to shed or solar AA battery charger.
- Guarantee against extreme temperatures
Batteries should not be subjected to extreme cold or heat. In case of extreme weather conditions where you live, solar batteries should be placed in well-ventilated places and other cooling or insulation can be put into consideration. Flat roof solar panels or on conservation areas could require some extra attention on its battery.
- Cleaning and Maintenance on a regular basis
Batteries and panels should be maintained dust free to eliminate overheating. Wipe the surfaces off with a solar panel cleaner or mild soap and water. Look for corrosion on the terminals and inspect any bird guards on the solar panels or solar panel pigeon protection to be sure that the panels and batteries are still operational.
- Battery Management Systems (BMS) Update
Contemporary solar systems have a BMS that would track the battery performance. The regularly updated software will optimise the charging cycles and ensure safety. Regardless of whether you are using a solar panel kit with battery and inverter UK or a smaller solar battery kit, maintaining the BMS current is a guarantee of long life.
Final Thoughts
Solar batteries have a life span of 10-15 years and with proper maintenance, they can offer good storage of energy to your home, shed or outbuildings. Be it putting up a solar panel in a conservation area, powering a solar powered house number sign or a solar panel to serve a vehicle purpose, it is best to consider the following tips that can result in your investment paying off.
Learning the capacity of your battery, keeping an eye on the temperature, keeping your battery clean, and updating your BMS will all help to extend the life of your battery, and make it a more productive one.
To homeowners investigating the possibilities of solar energy, solutions varying in price between a solar panel and battery pack through to a solar installation pack with optimisers and inverters exist. Such systems can be flexible, scalable, and durable solar systems measures to homes and outbuildings.
