Hi everyone, Im planning on buying some batteries to hook up to my solar panel and would like to know which to buy, I have been using regular 12 volt car batteries but I would like to upgrade to something more efficient, I would like to string about six together, I did some searching online and there are so many different kinds that I want to know I made the right choice. Thank You.
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{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
Well, I live off grid and use “car” batteries with my wind generator.
They may have slightly lower efficiency, but also have MUCH lower prices, and LONGER warranties.
You will need some deep cycle batteries. Typical car batteries are not usually the best. These are intended to give a lot of amps in a short time to start a car rather than a slow and steady discharge to almost empty you may need. Golf cart or EV batteries would be best. Second best would be hybrid batteries. There are enough hybrids on the roads that you might be able to find a set of batteries in a junkyard. Be prepared to pay well for them though. Toyota pays $ 200 just for scrap prius batteries.
i prefer volvo & humko batteries for a solar panel.
Dry cell rechargeable seem to have a longer life and require no maintenance. It’s beginning to look like the regular Car batteries have a much longer life on a strong shelf, no vibrations like in a car. And cheaper. Do require regular checks on the water level, if they run out of water the plate are ruined .Batteries have to be made correctly with the right chemicals, so there is no difference except charge able or disposal and chargeable cost more at first but are more economical over time.
Well, normal car batteries wont do it when you are trying to store the electricity that the solar panels produce. A lot of people use car batteries and expect that these will do the job, but in many cases they get worn out very quickly. There is a special type of battery that is called a “Deep Cycle” battery. This is a specially constructed battery that can be discharged up to 80% time after time without losing its initial performance rate. A popular choice among many solar panel users are golf car batteries. If you are looking for batteries for your solar system, then these golf car batteries are a very good choice. You can find these types fairly easy and they are not that expensive. Also, they will last about 2 — 7 years depending on model and how much they are being used.
But, what you really want to use is an “Industrial Deep Cycle” battery, but this type can be very expensive. If you can find used “Industrial Deep Cycle” batteries then you are getting really good batteries in your system for a good price. They are commonly used in forklifts and stations that need power over a very long time period. These types of batteries have a life span of 10 – 20+ years and they are a little harder to find
You really should get deep cycle batteries. They are available flooded or sealed. Flooded cost less than sealed, but require you check the water and acid on a regular basis. A well maintained flooded battery should lat longer than a sealed battery that doesn’t need much maintenance, but if you don’t maintain it, it will die early. You can see both types here, http://www.altestore.com/store/Deep-Cycle-Batteries/c434/ .
Be careful about putting too many together in parallel, general rule of thumb is not to do more than 3 in parallel. You can put as many as you need in series to get to the right voltage, but putting more than 3 in parallel can cause uneven charging and discharging and shorten their life.