Due to the falling prices of green energy systems, a lot more people are looking to use alternative energy sources in an effort to:
- Cut costs
- Be more energy independent
- And break their reliance upon the top energy companies
So choosing the perfect batteries for the off-grid system is essential (and keeping the batteries alive provided that possible is also critically important)!
Don’t Buy New Overpriced Batteries
Instead, you can make use of the EZ Battery Reconditioning program to:
- Bring old or used batteries for free (or dirt cheap)
- Recondition them returning to “like-new” condition
- Well use those reconditioned (like-new) batteries in your alternative energy system’s battery bank rather than buying new overpriced batteries
But that still leaves the questions…
What are the best batteries to utilize in your solar power, wind power, or other alternative energy system?
In this blog post we’ll make an effort to answer that question in a very simple and straightforward manner.
Here’s what we’ll go over:
Lead Acid-Batteries VS. Other Battery Technologies in a battery bank
Deep Cycle vs. Shallow Cycle Batteries in a battery bank
Flooded Lead-Acid Batteries (FLA) VS Sealed Lead-Acid Batteries (SLA) in a battery bank
And finally, which 3 Batteries we recommend for your residential off-grid energy system (on the basis of the criteria we look at in this specific article)
Lead Acid-Batteries vs. Other Battery Technologies
Most of the batteries that are found in renewable energy systems were originally designed for other purposes. The essential prominent exemplary instance of this is basically the lead acid battery which has dominated the industry for quite some time.
Deep cycle lead-acid batteries have proven to be one of the best (& most affordable) battery kinds for alternative energy system battery banks for those reasons:
- They’re able to withstand frequent discharging,
- They’re less expensive than other types of batteries,
- They usually have more rugged durability,
- They deliver more consistent performance than many other batteries.
It should be noted though, that as of late, lithium ion batteries for residential alternative energy systems, like Tesla’s Powerwall, have already been gaining ground – however the initial investment into lithium ion batteries continues to be far more than the initial investment into lead-acid batteries.
The Powerwall may eventually change this but right now deep cycle lead-acid batteries are the cheapest and a lot of practical solution for a property battery bank.
Deep Cycle vs. Shallow Cycle (Car) Batteries
Car batteries are supposed to be properly used just for starting and ignition. If you take a look inside one, so as to they will have a lot of thin plates. These plates have a big total surface area that can facilitate a large number of chemical reactions. When you begin your car, these reactions produce the sudden burst of power that is needed for ignition.
Deep cycle batteries on the other hand, have thick lead plates that don’t give much room for chemical reactions. Though they produce less current, these are generally built to do so for a much longer time frame. In essence, car batteries are “shallow cycle” batteries which will quickly burn up when used as storage for renewable power.
Flooded Lead-Acid Batteries (FLA) VS Sealed Lead-Acid Batteries (SLA)
One reason why that some individuals favor SLA’s is because they require little maintenance. Unlike FLA’s that have to be checked regularly for water level, SLA’s which are used properly could be left alone.
However, sealed lead-acid batteries have two big flaws: they have been sensitive and need replacing quickly. So if you’re thinking about using your solar panel or wind power system each day, this will eventually pose a challenge.