Your solar battery bank is truly the heart of your renewable energy system. Batteries are used to store DC electricity during the daily charging cycle for use at a future time.

Since the time at which your peak charging occurs rarely coincides with peak production times (our experience) then batteries are used for energy storage.

Choosing your batteries is a critical decision in designing your renewable energy system. If your solar battery bank is too small, then your system will not perform well and your batteries will have a short life. If your battery bank is too large it will be difficult to maintain a full charge, again resulting in poor system performance.



Solar Battery Location

Your choice of battery location should comply with the Electrical Code, whether you install the batteries inside or outside.

The location should also be designed to keep the batteries warm (25º C is best), because their capacity decreases at temperature below 25º C. This means that if you choose to locate your batteries in a unheated space, you will need to insulate the area properly.

You will also need greater battery capacity to compensate for the losses at lower temperatures. Make sure your supplier knows about the planned location of your batteries.

The batteries and other equipment should be accessible for maintenance and inspection, but safety must also be considered.

Batteries may give off hydrogen gas during charging and can be a source of electric shock, so the room area where they are housed should be properly vented to the outside and kept locked.

In addition, other electrical components, which can also be a source of spark, should also be kept separately from the battery housing.

Do not locate batteries near sources of heat or possible sources of open flame or spark. Finally, read all of the manufacturer’s recommendations and warnings about the safe and proper use and handling of batteries.



Inside Locations

Batteries located inside the living space should be properly vented to the outside. For small cottage systems for example two 12-VDC (volt direct current) batteries, you need a vent that is at least 1 inch in diameter.

Keep batteries separate from the living space by housing them in special battery cases properly ventilated to the outside. For summer cottages keep batteries fully charged to prevent freezing in the off-season.



Outside Locations

Batteries located outside of the living space should be housed in a box or shed. In a very cold location, you can house the batteries in a buried container for a better temperature control.

In all cases, batteries should be well protected from the elements and be well vented to the outside. Battery maintenance varies with the type used.

Basic maintenance includes visually checking the electrolyte levels and regularly verifying the specific gravity with a hydrometer. Add distilled water as necessary, and clean and tighten the battery caps.

Also, check for any leaks or physical damage to batteries. Follow battery and charge regulator instructions.

In our next post we´ll start discussing how to design your own renewable –off the grid- energy system.

Until then…

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