Solar Home Storage Systems

Today’s regular solar systems consist of two primary components: used to provide electricity today consists chiefly of two components: photovoltaic solar panels and a solar storage system. Electricity is generated from the photovoltaic solar panels, while the storage system is in charge of keeping any extra solar power for later use when there isn’t enough sunlight to give you the solar power that your require.

There storage system normally comes in the form of a wide variety of batteries that are kept in a secure and vented location, like a basement. A solar battery is usually optional, but if you wish to be totally off the grid, some form of storage system is a necessity and a solar battery are the most common form used in the world today.

A solar battery can come in two simple forms: nickel cadmium and lead acid.

A lead acid solar battery is the most common solar battery used because of its extremely low cost. They are quite similar lead acid car batteries, though they do differ in some ways. For one, a lead acid solar battery has both negative and positive terminals, on which leads are connected to. They come with metals plates, on which the terminals are connected to. These plates are then placed in sulfuric acid.

When the chemical reaction happens between the lead plates and the sulfuric acid, electricity is generated. Once the chemicals combine, they produce free electrons that will go through the terminals and into the connected leads through your home outlets. Electricity produced by the photovoltaic solar panels will send the chemical reaction to go backwards, in turn charging the solar battery.

These principles work with a nickel cadmium solar battery, as well, though there are some differences that are more practical. A NiCad solar battery may cost more, but that is because its value is higher. They are more durable and discharge a higher amount of currents before they need recharging.

Both kinds of this solar battery are deep-cycles since they supply solar power for a long period of time. Solar power batteries also do their job while the photovoltaic solar panels are not busy sending solar energy into the home or re-charging.

If you completely drain a solar battery or continuously overcharge it, its lifetime will significantly decrease. For these cases, however, there are tools called charge controllers.

Once the solar battery reaches a particular level, the controller will cut of any drain to stop the already-stored charge from reaching a level below that, which it was designed for. It also stops if the solar battery reaches the stored pre-set charge level. Most are also made to allow a lead acid solar battery to discharge 50% of its capacity at most to ensure a longer life.

Photovoltaic solar panels can last up to twenty years, while a good solar battery can only last ten. Replace them will increase the expenses of solar systems, so making their life longer is essential for the best cost-effective investment ever.