How To Choose a Battery for Your Solar Power System
Using a solar battery is one of the best ways to store the energy your solar power system produces. When your system produces more energy than you need to power your home, you’ll be able to store that energy in a solar battery for use when you need it later. Once you’ve decided to install a solar battery, you’ll need to know how to choose a battery for your solar power system. This article will cover the basic factors you’ll need to consider when choosing a solar battery.
Solar Power Battery Factors to Consider
Battery Capacity
The capacity of a battery is how much electricity the solar battery can store at once. Capacity is measured in kilowatt-hours (kWh), and multiple batteries can be used at once to achieve a higher capacity.
Battery Power
Power and capacity go hand in hand. While a battery’s capacity indicates how much energy it can store at once, a battery’s power is how much of that energy it can use at once. A battery’s power will determine how much power it can provide to your home in a given period of time.
Depth of Discharge
Depth of discharge is the amount of a battery’s capacity that you use. To extend a battery’s life span, a battery should not be fully drained, which is why it’s important to consider your solar battery’s depth of discharge. Purchasing a battery with a higher depth of discharge means you’ll be able to use more of your battery’s capacity before needing to recharge it.
Round-Trip Efficiency
A battery’s round-trip efficiency is the amount of energy that can be used out of the total energy put in to charge it. Batteries with higher round-trip efficiency are generally more economical.
Warranty
Once you’ve considered these qualities of a potential battery, be sure to check its warranty. A battery’s warranty will give you an idea of how many years or cycles the battery should last before needing to be replaced. A warranty will also tell you how much you should expect a battery’s performance to degrade over time.
Manufacturer
Solar batteries are available from a variety of manufacturers. Do some research on the different manufacturers and what they offer and compare the pros and cons of different battery models. This will help you choose the right solar battery for your home.
Now that you’ve learned how to choose a battery for your solar power system, you’ll be able to choose a quality solar battery to help power your home.
Once you’ve decided on a battery, contact Solar Liberty to perform your solar battery installation. We’ll help you get your solar battery up and running.
