What Are Solar Batteries? How Long Does Solar Battery Last?

If you are looking to save money, maximize your energy efficiency and do something good for the environment all at once, solar panels might be the right investment for you. However, if you didn't have anywhere to send the energy from your solar panels, then they wouldn't be handy. Your devices would only work when the sun is out and when your panels are working. The solution for this situation is solar batteries, which store the energy produced by your solar panels so that they can be used later when it is needed.

Solar batteries are an alternative (or addition to) giving energy back to the grid. They can help you make your home or facility more resistant to power downtime or even put it entirely off-grid. But what exactly are solar batteries? how long does solar battery last and how dependable are they? In this informative guide, we’ll break down everything related to solar batteries so that you can determine if investing in one is right for your particular situation.

How Long Can a Solar Battery Last?

As you already know, solar batteries store the additional energy your solar panels create throughout the day so you may use them as battery backup power during a power blackout, at night, or when you use too much electricity. Solar battery systems for homes have a lifespan of 5 to 15 years. Installing a solar battery now nearly guarantees that you will need to replace it only once in the future to match the lifespan of your solar power system, which can be 20 to 30 years. However, a few things can influence the lifespan of your solar battery. Find them in the next section.

Things that Impact Solar Battery Life

As mentioned before, solar batteries’ lifespan ranges, which could be affected by some aspects. Read on to check what impacts its lifespan.

Types of Batteries

There are four main types of solar batteries: lithium-ion, lead-acid, flow, and nickel-cadmium. Lithium-ion solar batteries are commonly used for household installations. Their high energy density lets them store more energy in a smaller space. Moreover, lithium-ion batteries have a deeper discharge, so you may drain more energy without damaging them. However, they are expensive and degrade at higher voltages.

Meanwhile, the lead-acid type costs cheaper, but they have lesser energy density and efficiency than other batteries. Flow batteries, they aren't very popular in homes despite it can store 2.2 MWh of energy. Due to their big size, these batteries are expensive and better for factories than houses. The last type is nickel-cadmium batteries. Due to their longevity and high-temperature performance, larger enterprises and factories choose them. But besides being costly, some countries ban cadmium because it's dangerous.

Actually, solar batteries aren't that different from regular batteries, which will wear out over time. However, lithium-ion batteries last a lot longer.

Battery Charging and Usage Cycle

One way to figure out how long your solar battery will last is to estimate the number of cycles it can go through before it degrades in performance. A cycle is how long it takes for a solar battery to run out of power and then get charged again. As you utilize your solar battery, it will cycle faster.

When it comes to batteries, this is a hassle that cannot be avoided. Charging and discharging your battery reduces its lifespan. After a certain number of cycles, your batteries won't store or discharge enough energy. Batteries' lifespans vary because of that.

Depth of Discharge

The depth of discharge (DoD) of a battery reflects the percentage of the battery that has been drained when compared to the total capacity of the battery. DoD is critical since surpassing your battery's recommended DoD will severely reduce its lifespan.

Cleaning and Maintenance

Batteries are more sensitive than solar panels, which require little maintenance. With lithium-ion, all you have to do is check the state of charge every once in a while. Basically, you should clean dust and dirt from all types of batteries and keep all exposed terminals clean. Anker 767 Solar Generator has a unibody drop-proof design, flame retardant, and anti-UV making it impact-resistant so maintenance is relatively straightforward.

Temperature During Discharge and Usage

As with any electrical item, temperature affects solar battery lifespan. Extreme heat and cold can cause considerable damage or at least affect efficiency and lifespan. Extreme heat accelerates the chemical reactions within the battery. Heat speeds up wear and tear, making the solar battery cycle faster and less durable. Extreme cold, on the other hand, will slow down the chemical processes inside the battery, causing it to drain faster. However, some advanced battery like Anker 767 Solar Generator has a smart temperature control system that maintains temperatures up to 100 times per second to prevent overheating. It also comes with a range of power-saving features to ease you in this aspect.

Signs of Needing Solar Battery Replacement

Regardless of how long does solar battery last, just like any other device, the battery will need to be replaced with the new one someday. Here are some signs that indicate the degradation.

There are exposed terminals and visible damage. So, the first thing you should do is go through a visual check. Pay special attention to any exposed terminals and connections, since these will likely show the most wear and strain. Check for leakage and other damage as well, especially with lead-acid batteries. When batteries near the end of their lifespan, the panel may develop bulges or bumps across its surface. In this case, a solar battery with a flame retardant feature like the one from Anker 767 Solar Generator would become so crucial as any leakage on the battery can lead to more serious problems, including causing a fire.

In addition to visible signs of deterioration, you will notice a drop in efficiency over time. Your battery won't be able to hold as much charge as it previously did, and charging your devices and appliances will take significantly more time. As previously said, performing frequent state-of-charge checks is an excellent approach to keeping track of the performance of your solar battery.

Final Thoughts

Some aspects impact the lifespan of solar battery, including battery types, battery charging, usage cycle, depth of discharge rate, cleaning and maintenance, as well as running temperature. However, with advanced batteries like Anker 767 Solar Generator, you can prolong the lifespan or the usage time of your battery.