In addition to solar inverters, the battery pack is a direct essential in order for the entire setup to work as it is intended to. Some solar tech packages include a complete set that includes solar panels, solar inverters, power storage, and battery packs. While other brands sold the parts separately. And if you are left with the aforementioned, this article will serve your purposes. In this article, I will share with you the particular factors and qualities you have to look for when buying a battery pack that suits the specifics of your solar inverters.
Capacity of the Battery Pack
The very first specification that you have to take into account is the capacity of the battery pack. In South Africa, batteries are measured or rated by amp per hour or amps. This indicates the measurement of the charging cycle and usage time of the batteries until they are fully charged or fully drained, respectively. To determine the right battery pack capacity, you have to consult your local power provider and ask them about your average energy consumption.
In general, a battery pack with a rating of 100 amps per hour can generate 1 amp of power per 100 hours or simply, 10 amps per 10 hours. It is an important factor to consider because an amp per hour gives homeowners a good idea of the battery pack they need that can provide them with an efficient energy source.
Charge and Discharge Cycle
In relation to the battery capacity, you have to diligently choose the batteries with a charge and discharge cycle you are comfortable with. The factors that generally affect the battery’s lifespan are as follows below—
- Cycle Lifespan – the cycle of the battery pack is the expected charge and discharge intervals. Lithium batteries are the cheapest variety which only gives you about 200 cycles. While flooded batteries and gel batteries have an expected cycle of 300 to 700 and 500 to 5000, respectively
- Temperature – the temperature of the batteries while in operation also determines its cycles. Therefore, it is important that the solar batteries are placed in cool room temperature
- Usage Depth – the depth of the batteries indicates the battery’s longevity when they are in operation. You have to bear in mind that batteries tend to depreciate over the years. The solar setup as a whole has an average expected lifespan of between 25 to 30 years
Battery Peak
In South Africa, the peak of the solar batteries is measured in kWP or kilowatt per peak. And kWP is essentially the highest peak a single battery pack can reach. So what this means is if you are shopping for a solar battery, the higher the kWP the higher the output and the better peak performance it would produce.
Initial and Maintenance Cost
There is no doubt that initial and maintenance cost is a top priority among people who are buying a solar setup. In any case, it is important that you do not compromise the important features as it will greatly impact the solar setup performance as a whole. In addition, a cheaper solar battery could underperform and even damage parts of the solar inverters and photovoltaic panels due to the potential risk of the board’s short-circuiting. As you see, even if you might appear to have saved money from initial costs, it won’t be the case in the future as you may have to deal with repairs and unscheduled maintenance.
Fortunately, there’s a 5kw solar system price that is within the budget’s range for people who want to benefit from solar energy. Furthermore, they are in accordance with the region’s standard and safety regulations in South Africa.
Final Thoughts
The battery pack is no doubt an essential part of a solar setup since it is the item that puts everything in motion. However, you have to bear in mind that there are several types of solar batteries and not to mention, and the variety of brands makes it more challenging to find the best one that suits your preferences. In any case, the criteria that you have to look into are battery capacity, charge and discharge cycle, battery peak, and installation and maintenance cost. Once you have considered these factors, the battery pack should be able to find the battery pack that can provide you with the best value.
