If you’ve ever considered investing in solar panels for your home or business, you’ve probably questioned how long the batteries last. Solar batteries are one of the most critical components of your solar power system. It comprises lead-acid batteries that provide a short-term power supply to your solar inverter and solar panel, keeping them running when there’s no sun.
According to the Department of Energy, you’ll maximize your system’s performance by ensuring that its battery is fully charged and maintained correctly. This blog about solar will give you tips for making sure your system’s battery outperforms the average 5-15 year lifespan.
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What Are the Factors That Affect Solar Battery Life?
Many factors affect how long a solar battery will last. Some of these include:
Temperature
The hotter a solar battery is, the faster it will deteriorate. If you live in an area where temperatures are generally high, you may need to replace your solar battery sooner than someone who lives in a place where temperatures are lower.
UV Exposure
If your solar battery is exposed to UV light for too long, it could cause damage and shorten its life span. To prevent this from happening, make sure that when you install your solar panels on your roof or another area where they will be exposed to sunlight, you cover them with a protective cover so they don’t get damaged by UV rays.
Humidity
Humid conditions can cause corrosion on the metal components of your batteries, which leads to faster degradation and less efficiency over time. If you live in an area where humidity is high, consider investing in a higher-quality product that has been designed to be more resilient against humidity damage.
How Many Years Do Solar Batteries Last?
It’s essential to know the life expectancy of your solar batteries. In general, solar battery lifespans are around 5-15 years.
Solar Battery Life Can Be Prolonged When Maintained
- Clean your solar panels regularly. Be sure to clean off any dirt or small debris on the surface of your solar panels, as this will reduce their effectiveness.
- Protect them from extreme temperatures, especially freezing temperatures and hot sun. Cold weather damage batteries by allowing moisture to form inside the cells and causing corrosion on their surfaces. Intense heat can cause some batteries to burst due to pressure buildup inside them when fully charged and heated up during the summer months.
- Avoid overcharging or discharging too much power from your battery at one time (in other words: don’t let it go empty). Don’t let a fully-charged battery sit for more than four hours without being used as well; if you do need to recharge it more often than that, then consider buying a more extensive storage capacity system instead so as not to overload this particular model at home
What Do you Consider When Purchasing a Solar Battery?
Before you decide to purchase a solar battery, there are several things you should consider. It’s important to know what to look for to get the most out of your solar battery.
Budget
You’ll want to consider the cost of the solar battery itself and how much money you’re willing to invest in installation and maintenance costs. Solar batteries aren’t cheap!
Power Capacity of the Battery
The higher the power capacity of the battery, the more energy it can store and discharge. It is essential because your solar panels produce more energy than your household needs at any given time. All of that excess energy will be wasted unless stored in an energy-dense battery like lead-acid or lithium-ion batteries.
Warranty
Solar batteries come with different warranties—some last as long as 25 years, while others offer only a few years’ protection against defects or other issues. Make sure to read the warranty carefully to understand what’s covered and what isn’t before making your purchase.
Size of the PV System
The size of your PV system will determine how many batteries you need and, therefore, what size batteries you can buy. You will also need to make sure that the battery you choose can handle the amount of energy your solar panel’s output.
Depth of Discharge
If you plan to use some of your battery’s charge for off-grid applications or storage, you’ll want to look at batteries with an 80 percent DOD rating.
Lifespans depend on the brand and model of the battery to how the battery is used and maintained. For example, a shallow discharge cycle is ideal for maximizing the lifespan of lithium batteries, so you may want to charge them daily to keep their age at maximum capacity. But if you need more time between charges, set up a delayed charge cycle that allows you to go several days without fully charging the batteries – daily use will still keep them at top power.