Types of Batteries for Solar Power Storage

Different types of Batteries for your Solar Power Storage

As we probably all know the storage of solar energy will become more and more of a factor in the coming years ahead as more and more consumers realize the savings that are to be made by investing in solar panels, and it thought that the photovoltaic storage systems are going to reach very high levels of demand.

Europe’s largest country, Germany is expecting that the capacity from solar energy will increase from eight megawatts to a massive 4900 megawatts from now (2014) to 2017. This will also include a storage system with an estimated lifespan of about 20 years.

This 20 years lifespan also includes the ability to be able to store any excess solar power in a battery storage system. This is for when the sun is not shining and the solar panels are not putting

in any power to the system, then the backup batteries that have stored the energy will be able to supply the stored power to the household.

The traditional batteries that are used at present are the old favorites, lead acid batteries, AGM batteries (absorbed glass matting), and GEL sealed batteries, golf cart batteries which are the same as the AGM and GEL and can also be classed as deep cycle batteries. These batteries are all priced differently and in my opinion you pay for what you get. An excellent web site to explain each type of battery is…http://www.freesunpower.com/batteries.php

The new kid on the block is the Lithium-Ion batteries that are now been used by many solar panels manufacturers. In fact I have noticed that they are now making a complete unit which includes an inverter and a lithium battery as an integral part of the package. The Lithium batteries are usually more expensive but are promised to have a longer life span than the lead acid battery types, although at the moment I do not think that this has been proven.

The most popular types used in the USA are the deep cycle batteries used at the moment as leisure batteries and marine batteries on canal boats many other types of water craft. These types of batteries are able to take a large discharge and then recover when being charged back up, either by solar panels or another type of charging system. Special types of these batteries have now been developed by the large battery manufacturers. Trojan batteries now make a battery that is specific to storing solar energy and wind power. This type of battery is also used in backup systems for large installations such as hospitals where a backup system is needed in case of a mains power outage.

These types of batteries are the more expensive ones amongst the lead acid type batteries, but they are cheaper than the Lithium batteries. But I guess you get what you pay for, because a lead acid type battery will start to lose its capacity after about 3000 cycles of being charged and discharged, where as a lithium-Ion battery is capable of completing 7000 full cycles.

How does the Lithium-Ion battery work for solar power storage?

The development of the Li-Ion battery, has not yet been finalised, and at the moment the battery industry are working on development of a more robust material, for a higher performance electrode. Today’s Li-Ion batteries are using a graphite material for the anode and lithium metal for the anode, this serves as a chemical reactant for the graphite. It is expected though to use a newer material for the anodes, made from lithium-titanium. This change will bring down the price of these batteries to the level of the lead acid batteries, but this is in the future and at the moment the deep cycle AGM batteries are the favorite choice for the majority of solar power storage units, whether large or small.

Eric Roberts 

Hi I would like to introduce myself. I have worked in the Garage and tyre and I am MD for online battery company www.batteriesontheweb.co.uk. I have worked for a couple for national tyre companies in my younger days, before starting my first business. I now own a garage and MOT testing centre, here in the UK called Pellon Tyre and Auto-centre, and I am a keen blogger about anything to do with cars and their related products that will help my business. We are members of Point-S and Motor-Codes and are also a Unipart Car Care Centre and of course Tyre-safe.

.