Tips for Maximizing Your Battery Life For Solar Application

Store and operate your batteries in a cool, dry place.

For every 10°C (18°F) rise above room temperature (25°C or 77°F), battery life decreases by 50%.

Charge your batteries fully after each period of use.

Allowing your batteries to sit in a low state of charge for extended periods will decrease their capacity and life.

If you store your batteries for an extended period of time, be sure to charge them fully every 3 to 6 months. Lead acid batteries will self-discharge 5% to 15% per month, depending on the temperature of the storage conditions.

Monitor battery voltage and specific gravity of the electrolyte regularly to verify full recharging. As a general rule of thumb, the total amps your PV panels should be sized between 10% and 20% of the total amp-hours (Ah) of the battery pack.

Many charge controllers have equalization settings that you can set to help ensure the health of your batteries. Equalize your batteries at least once per month for 2 to 4 hours, longer if your batteries have been consistently undercharged.

Water your batteries regularly.

Flooded, or wet cell batteries require watering periodically. Check your batteries once a month after installation to determine the proper watering schedule. Add water after fully charging the battery and use distilled water.

For procedures on watering, checking battery voltage and other maintenance instructions, refer to our battery maintenance section for more details.

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