Project Description
Maintenance Advice for Your Solar-Powered Battery Back
Installing a solar panel array can be an excellent way to provide temporary or long-term renewable power to homes, worksites and vacation spots. Collecting all that sunlight will only be useful, though, if your battery bank can store its energy. Keeping your batteries in good shape will get more power and cost-savings out of any photovoltaic system.
Admittedly, no battery lasts forever, and even the best-maintained solar battery bank will eventually wear out. Still, proper maintenance can get some added life from your batteries to further reduce costs. If you’re switching to solar panels with a battery bank, follow our expert solar maintenance advice for the best performance.
1. Avoid draining the battery bank.
Unlike most batteries that are meant for regular use, a solar power battery bank is designed to hold a charge for an extended period. The more you discharge them in a cycle, the more wear it puts on the battery. Keeping your batteries above a 50% charge level will help maintain their overall capacity and longevity. As such, you may want to purchase an “oversized” battery storage bank so you’re not running them down below the 50% mark during regular use.
2. Store batteries at a stable, warm temperature.
The ideal operating temperature for most solar batteries is 77 degrees Fahrenheit, or 25 degrees Celsius – barely above the normal temperature of your living room. Extreme conditions in either direction can significantly reduce their potential charging cycles. In the summer, keep the batteries in well-ventilated, cooler areas with some sort of protection against the sun. When winter rolls around, bring the batteries inside if it gets really cold. Using regular electrical power will cost less than buying a new battery bank.
3. Inspect your batteries for issues once a month.
Regular checks can prevent small problems from becoming big ones. Here are some of the things you should look for when inspecting your solar-powered battery bank:
- Make sure the water levels in flooded lead-acid batteries are above the minimum level. If they need to be topped off, use distilled water (the impurities in tap water can negatively affect performance.
- Check for corrosion on the terminals or leakage near them. Corrosion can be cleaned off by disconnecting the batteries and scrubbing the terminals with a toothbrush using a mixture of hot water and baking soda.
- Feel for any “hot spots”. A battery that is much warmer than the others is probably damaged. If batteries are just hot near the cable ends, the lugs have likely failed.
4. Replace all batteries at the same time.
When you find a damaged battery, it’s tempting to just replace that one. However, combing old and new batteries costs you more money in the long run. This mixing causes the new batteries to quickly deteriorate to the same quality level as the old ones. Doing proper maintenance will help your batteries reach end-life around the same time for maximum cost-effectiveness.
Caring for your batteries only takes a few minutes a month and will save you a lot of money in the long run. Shop at The Inverter Store for solar batteries to use with solar arrays, power inverters and other off-grid energy solutions.
