Well whatever the most cost effective method of storing DC power from solar panels would be. I figure deep cycle lead-acid is probably still the cost per watt leader, but was just pondering the question who anyone who knows a bit about the topic.
Hmm, so it’s a question of what gets the most watt-hours stored for the least money?
Is there a size limit to the total battery pack?
Is the solar controller part of the budget or already paid for?
I hope I’m not being overly pedantic, we may have already narrowed it down to where someone can jump in with a recommendation.
From what I’ve seen, the controller is the expensive part. If you have that, then it’s a search for the cheapest battery type that is compatible with the controller. If it is made to take care of lead acid, then those are probably your best route for less expensive storage.
Downsides are that they do need maintenance and some knowledge of how they work to keep lead acid going for the long haul with top performance, and they take up more space than lithium based batteries.
They also have a shorter lifetime and perhaps more importantly, worse max depth of discharge. Compared to more modern battery chemistries, I suspect you end up paying more with lead acid to get the same amount of available power (just not up front) over a similar battery lifespan.
You’re right! A lead acid battery should not be discharged past half of its capacity, it shortened the lifespan of the battery if you do.
So, you need at least double your regular watt-hours that you use overnight in storage plus the batteries will need ongoing maintenance for it to last as long as possible.
I think you’ll need to be more specific.
Batteries that are ready to wire together and integrate into a small solar system?
A battery station with inverter and charge controller built in, designed to replace a backup generator?
Individual 18650s that are best for building a battery bank to store up solar power?
Well whatever the most cost effective method of storing DC power from solar panels would be. I figure deep cycle lead-acid is probably still the cost per watt leader, but was just pondering the question who anyone who knows a bit about the topic.
Hmm, so it’s a question of what gets the most watt-hours stored for the least money?
Is there a size limit to the total battery pack?
Is the solar controller part of the budget or already paid for?
I hope I’m not being overly pedantic, we may have already narrowed it down to where someone can jump in with a recommendation.
From what I’ve seen, the controller is the expensive part. If you have that, then it’s a search for the cheapest battery type that is compatible with the controller. If it is made to take care of lead acid, then those are probably your best route for less expensive storage.
Downsides are that they do need maintenance and some knowledge of how they work to keep lead acid going for the long haul with top performance, and they take up more space than lithium based batteries.
They also have a shorter lifetime and perhaps more importantly, worse max depth of discharge. Compared to more modern battery chemistries, I suspect you end up paying more with lead acid to get the same amount of available power (just not up front) over a similar battery lifespan.
You’re right! A lead acid battery should not be discharged past half of its capacity, it shortened the lifespan of the battery if you do.
So, you need at least double your regular watt-hours that you use overnight in storage plus the batteries will need ongoing maintenance for it to last as long as possible.