Batteries
Battery is reservoir of charge just like a storage tank in water pumping systems. Charge storage capacity of battery is mentioned in terms if Ah (Ampere hours). Generally speaking, there are 3 major types of batteries that are used in solar systems viz. Flooded, Gelled and AGM types. All these types have one feature in common; they all are deep cycle types.
Flooded batteries are wet batteries require constant replenishing of water / acid. These tend to be cheaper then other types of batteries and also, if maintained well, offer longer life. But, as most of the solar systems are installed in remote located, it is advisable to use batteries that require no maintenance and hence avoiding complete damage of the batteries.
Gel batteries offer several advantages over flooded batteries, one being their no maintenance property. However, as they cannot be charged at higher rates, they become less preferable then AGM for hybrid systems. At higher charging rates, these batteries tend to form voids in the gel making the effective capacity lower then its stated capacity.
AGM batteries are by far the best batteries for solar system applications. They hassle free '˜no maintenance' constructions combined with possibility of higher rate of charging makes them ideal for all the possible solar and hybrid systems configurations. With possibility of higher charging rate, these batteries can be safely employed in '˜non-renewable' charging sources like battery chargers.
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