Most people in many households are not home, or use very little power during the day. Energy usage is much higher during the morning and evening. This is why solar battery storage is getting everyone’s attention.
What is a solar battery? A solar battery is a device that stores the excess electricity generated by solar panels or the grid. There are four types of solar batteries: lead-acid, lithium-ion, nickel cadmium, and flow batteries.
Lead-acid batteries are the oldest type of rechargeable batteries, invented in 1859. They consist of a negative electrode made of porous lead and a positive electrode, which consists of lead oxide. Both electrodes are immersed in an electrolytic solution of sulphuric acid and water. Lead and lead dioxide, react to form lead sulfate in the electrolyte. The lead sulfate first forms in an amorphous state, and when the battery recharges it returns to lead, lead dioxide, and sulphuric acid. The chemical process of extracting current from a battery is called discharging. The method of regenerating active material is called charging.
Batteries are rated as either deep cycle or shallow cycle batteries. A deep cycle battery will have a Depth of Discharge (DoD) greater than 50%. The depth of discharge is the percentage of the battery that can be discharged relative to the overall capacity of the battery. A shallow cycle will have a DoD of less than 50%. Soleil batteries are deep-cycle batteries and are classified into AGM and Gel batteries.
AGM stands for Absorbent Glass Mat. The thick AGM separator absorbs and holds acid to prevent spilling and the precision assembly creates a uniform book of plates that are tightly compressed in each cell and held under pressure in the rigid battery case. The result? A battery that resists vibration, recharges faster, cycles more and last longer in demanding applications. Gel batteries contain a silica-type gel that the battery electrolyte is suspended in, this thick paste-like material allows electrons to flow between plates but will not leak from the battery if the case is broken. When it comes to Depth of Discharge (DoD), Gel batteries make use of acid better than AGM batteries. Acid protects the Gel batteries’ plates, enhancing their deep discharge applications, making Gel batteries more expensive than AGM batteries.
