Solar Innovation Ltd.

          P.O Box 85078-80100
          Tel: 254-41-470108/9
          Fax: 254-41-470108
          Mombasa Kenya.

Batteries for solar application should have the capability to cycle at a low state of charge over prolonged period withstanding vigors of deep cycling and preferably have low self – discharge loss also. The batteries should have the following characteristics:-

High cycle life

Low / Very low maintenance

High capacity appreciation at low rate of discharge

Infrequent / low equalizing and boost charging
requirement

High ampere – hour (Ah) efficiency at different state
of charge

High watt – hour (Wh) efficiency

Long life, matching PV panel life

Low self discharge rate

The two most common types of battery systems on the world market today are lead – acid and nickel cadmium batteries.

Lead acid batteries

There are many types of lead acid batteries, which fall in two categories: deep discharge and shallow discharge batteries.

Deep Discharge Batteries

They include both the tubular plate type batteries and flat plate batteries with thicker plates. They are preferred for solar electric systems because more energy can be taken out of deep discharge batteries than shallow discharge batteries without causing damage to the cells. They can be downloaded up to 80% of their stored charge.

Shallow Discharge / Automatic Batteries

Automotive batteries also known as stating, lighting and ignition, or (SLI) batteries are shallow discharge lead acid batteries used mainly for starting car engines. They have a low self-discharge rate (1 – 4% per month when new). They are not the best of choice of energy storage for solar electric lighting systems. This is because their plates are very thin in order to deliver lots of quick power (amps) when starting an engine, but this makes them weak for use with solar where slow charging and slow, deep discharge are normal.

Solar Battery

These also fall under shallow discharge batteries. They are better than automatic starter batteries for solar usage because the solar batteries have thicker lead plates. This makes them last longer.

Captive Electrolyte (Gel) Batteries

Captive electrolyte batteries use a non – liquid electrolyte to eliminate the problems of water loss through gassing. Sealed at the factory, they do not leak or spill, so they are good for solar lanterns or other uses where the battery is more around a lot. They can withstand deep discharges and have a good cycle life. They also have a low self discharge rate.

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