What is a Solar Battery and what are its types?

What is a Solar Battery and what are its types?

With solar panel for home now installed, it only makes sense to move on to the subject of batteries, which are necessary for a self-sufficient solar system or for increasing solar self-consumption. An off-grid installation means that your solar panels will generate power that must be stored in batteries before it can be utilized when you need it. Instead of selling your excess energy back to the grid, self-consumption may need storing some of it for later use. There are a variety of batteries to choose from in order to do this.

Reminders about the inner workings of batteries

For storing and discharging electricity, a battery is employed. The anode and cathode are both immersed in an electrolyte, a liquid, paste, or gel that serves as a medium for the transmission of electrons, resulting in the generation of electricity.

Chemical energy is converted to electrical energy via the electrode-electrolyte reaction. When the circuit is closed, the anode prefers to emit electrons while the cathode tends to attract them, hence different materials are used to make the electrodes. This interaction causes the battery to slowly drain.

Electrodes are reformed during charging because the chemical reaction is reversed. Over time, the battery progressively loses part of its capacity when it is discharged and re-charged. Discharge sensitivity is the term for this. As a result, the amount of time a battery may last might vary greatly depending on the kind of battery used. As a result, it is essential to pick a battery type that is appropriate for the intended purpose.

Batteries come in a variety of shapes and sizes

Three primary kinds of batteries exist: lead acid, nickel cadmium, and lithium ion.

Lead Acid Battery: Lead-acid batteries, for example, are found in this group and are often used to jumpstart automobiles. Due to their poor energy density, lead-acid batteries can only store a little amount of energy in relation to their weight. As a result, heavier batteries will be the most difficult to move, but this is less of an issue for fixed storage. They are more suited to circumstances when a big volume of energy is needed rapidly. On the other hand

Lithium Battery: They have a longer life period and require less maintenance. Lithium  batteries are most recent ones. There is a larger cost, but they are becoming more accessible. Since they pack a lot of punch for their size, these batteries are easy to transport. However, lithium batteries’ electrochemical sensitivity necessitates the deployment of a Battery Management System (BMS), i.e. a circuit that allows for the rebalancing of the voltage between each battery cell. Depending on the brand, this BMS may be included or must be installed. This kind of battery is more difficult to install but provides a guarantee of safety and performance over time.

Nickel Battery: The nickel batteries are the third kind of battery technology. With careful maintenance, these batteries may last up to twenty years. Reconditioned batteries, on the other hand, may be used to prolong their useful life. Nickel batteries, on the other hand, may be hazardous to the environment and difficult to recycle. Nickel-cadmium batteries were the most harmful, but they are no longer in use thanks to a federal prohibition.

Which battery do I use for my solar system: our comparison?

The lead-acid battery market share for solar energy has remained stable even as lithium battery technology has grown. In actuality, their cheap cost makes them a viable option for small-scale battery systems. Temporary or short-term usage is even more likely to need their use. If the required depth of discharge is followed, these batteries may last for up to 10 years in the best case scenario.

Lead-acid batteries with deeper discharge capabilities are available. This is particularly true for AGM batteries, which may provide a wide range of useful features while maintaining within an acceptable price range for a solar power system.

Energy storage is critical in self-sufficiency and large-scale projects. Lithium batteries provide several benefits. The practicality of the new design rapidly overshadows the additional cost, making you forget about the higher price tag. They have a similar life expectancy of ten years, but their discharge depth is more adaptable, resulting in superior performance!!

60 percent of India’s solar battery industry is made by local producers, while the remaining 40 percent is dominated by international lithium battery manufacturer like Exide, Luminous, Okaya and Amaron. The following is a list of typical solar battery prices compiled from data collected in various Indian towns.