Batteries, just like anything else needs to be maintained on a regular basis to ensure optimum performance.
In a renewable energy environment, batteries are one of the most important components and often one of the most expensive. Batteries are used to store energy for times when your primary energy source, i.e the sun, wind or Eskom cannot deliver your required energy.
Most batteries have a 5, 10 year or even 15 year life design, and if you look after your batteries they could last their full lifespan. Care should be taken to ensure your battery bank doesn’t discharge more than what it was designed for at installation. For example, if you use Lead Acid batteries, the battery bank should ideally not drain to more than 50% of it’s capacity – this is known as Depth of Discharge. Some batteries, like Lead Crystal and Lithium Iron Phosphate (LiFePO4) can however discharge to 100%, although it’s not recommended to discharge these batteries so much every time.
Your battery bank should be kept in a well ventilated area and the batteries should not exceed the manufacturer’s recommended operating temperatures. Different makes of batteries can operate at different temperature ranges but it’s generally recommended to store and operate batteries between -10 and 25 degrees Celsius.
How can SimpleEnergySolutions help to ensure longevity of your battery bank?
We offer Service Level Agreements to ensure your batteries last as long as they possibly can. Out technical team perform a site visit on a regular basis and do some tests are performed on the batteries, charger and inverter to ensure everything is working as expected. As batteries age, they tend to store less energy and needs to be charged differently from the beginning.
Improper charging or over usage can result in shorten battery life. Without performing regular maintenance and keeping track of
Our team will test and top up your Lead-Acid batteries as need.
Sealed batteries are also tested to ensure proper charge voltage and operating temperatures.
Each battery has it’s own log book.