Since 2007
Harvest the Sunpower!
Solar Panel, Charge Controller,
Solar Battery, Inverter, DIY Kit, Wind Turbine,
ph: +603-8052-0078 (Sales)
fax: +603-2178-4468
sales
Solar Battery, Sealed Lead Acid, Lithium polymer, flood battery, Rechargeable, Trojan, Gel, Malaysia
Solar batteries are really deep cycle batteries that provide energy storage for solar, wind and other renewable energy systems. Different from a car battery, a solar battery is capable of surviving prolonged, repeated and deep discharges which are typical in renewable energy systems that are "off grid" (disconnected from the electric utilty company). If you are new to solar energy system, please be sure to read our free & informative Solar Education provided to you courtesy of Solar Power Mart.
See below for several types of batteries appropriate for solar energy systems plus useful accessories for optimizing your solar battery bank's performance and safety.
Solar Batteries (Deep Cycle Batteries) are a key component in a stand-alone renewable energy system. If you are installing a solar panel system that will be tied to your utility grid, you will still need deep cycle batteries if you are trying to use power in the event of an outage. Without deep cycle batteries, you can only use power at the time you produce it. (i.e. You will not have power when the sun isn't out if you don't have batteries in your solar electric system.) In renewable energy systems, Deep Cycle Batteries provide the energy storage for your system. Unlike your car battery, deep cycle batteries that are used in renewable energy applications are meant to be discharged and recharged (cycled) repeatedly. To maintain healthy batteries and prolong battery life, most manufacturers suggest limiting the depth of discharge to about 20%. (That means the deep cycle batteries will be at 80% capacity or better.) At the very least, do not allow the batteries to be discharged below 50% Depth of Discharge (DOD). Often an inverter will have a Low Voltage Disconnect feature that will disconnect loads at a given set point. Low voltage alarms can provide audible warnings as well. Ammeters, Voltmeters, Battery Monitors can help better maintain deep cycle battery health and provide statistics about the overall health of the system.
Types of Solar Batteries
When selecting solar batteries (deep cycle), you'll have the option to use flooded lead acid (FLA) batteries or sealed batteries (AGM or Gel cell). Keep in mind that FLA batteries require a bit of maintenance, however, they generally last longer than their sealed counterparts. Water Miser Vent cap - Reduces Battery Watering can reduce the frequency that the deep cycle batteries need watering. You'll need one vent cap for each 2 V cell. Desulfater are another good low cost investment that can help prevent sulfation and boost the performance of the batteries. Flooded Lead Acid batteries can build up sulfate crystals on their lead plates over time.
Sealed deep cycle batteries may be a bit heavier and therefore cost a bit more to ship. Deep cycle batteries come in many sizes: from sealed batteries that are less than 10 pounds to flooded lead acid batteries that weigh over 200 pounds each! They can be small (and fit in a backpack) or large (2'x 2'x 1') and anywhere in between. Generally the size and weight correspond with amp hours of storage. So if you need a lot of electrical storage, be sure that you have the appropriate space to house the batteries.
Whether you have one battery or a bank of 36, proper storage is essential. Enclosures can provide a neat and safe way to contain the batteries or you can build your own battery box. Often people add an optional battery Ventilation fans that can vent the hydrogen gas that is naturally exhausting by the lead acid batteries. The vent also helps maintain a comfortable operating temperature for the batteries in cold climates.
Deep Cycle Batteries Storage Capacity: Battery Bank Sizing
Deep cycle battery banks consist of one or more batteries, and are measured in amp hours of storage capacity. Each battery can be 2, 4, 6, or 12 volts. The choice of individual solar battery voltage will depend upon your total system voltage (12, 24 or 48 vdc) and your desired amp hours of storage. Often the 2 V batteries offer the largest amount of storage; however, you may need up to 24 of these huge deep cycle batteries, if your system is 48 volts. Connect your solar batteries (i.e. deep cycle batteries), using Battery Interconnects, in series, parallel, or a combination of both depending upon your system voltage and the storage capacity you need. Read more about this in the how to section about battery bank sizing. While batteries may be a large expense for a sizeable off grid system, with proper care and maintenance, they should last 5-10 years. Let us know how many watt hours per day you need to provide, and the number of days of storage you need, and we'll be happy to offer specific sizing recommendations for your deep cycle batteries.
Sealed Lead Acid Battery AGM Type
AGM batteries are seeing more and more use in solar electric systems as their price comes down and as more systems are getting installed that need to be maintenance free. This makes them ideally suited for use in grid-tied solar systems with battery back-up. Because they are completely sealed they can't be spilled, do not need periodic watering, and emit no corrosive fumes, the electrolyte will not stratify and no equalization charging is required. AGM's are also well suited to systems that get infrequent use as they typically have less than a 2% self discharge rate during transport and storage. They can also be transported easily and safely by air. Last, but not least, they can be mounted on their side or end and are extremely vibration resistant. AGM's come in most popular battery sizes and are even available in large 2 volt cells for the ultimate in low maintenance large system storage. When first introduced, because of their high cost, AGM's were mostly used in commercial installations where maintenance was impossible or more expensive than the price of the batteries. Now that the cost is coming down they are seeing use in all types of solar systems as some of today's owners think the advantages outweigh the price difference and maintenance requirements of flooded lead acid batteries.We partner with battery producers to custom made our solar battery and please kindly contact us for different sizes and pricing of our solar SLA, AGM and Deep Cycle batteries. Please contact us.
Item Code Capacity & Type Retail Price RM (US$)
SPM004SB 4.5AH, 6V, SLA RM27.00 US$9.00
SPM007SB 7.2AH, 12V, SLA RM63.00 US$21.00
SPM012SB 12AH, 12V, AGM RM110.00 US$36.70
SPM018SB 18AH, 12V, AGM RM153.00 US$51.00
SPM026SB 26AH, 12V AGM RM205.00 US$68.30
SPM040SB 40AH, 12V, AGM RM357.00 US$119.00
SPM065SB 65AH, 12V, AGM RM557.00 US$185.70
- SPM100SB 100AH, 12V, AGM RM772.00 US$257.40
SLA AGM Battery Datasheet (Please double click)Solar Gel Battery
- SPM65GEL 65AH, 12V, Gel RM735.00 US$245.00
- SPM100GEL 100AH, 12V, Gel RM1,008.00 US$336.00
Lithium Iron Phosphate (LiFePO4)
The lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4) battery, also called LFP battery (with "LFP" standing for "lithium ferrophosphate"), is a type of rechargeable battery, specifically a lithium-ion battery, which uses LiFePO4 as a cathode material. LiFePO4 batteries have somewhat lower energy density than the more common LiCoO2 design found in consumer electronics, but offers longer lifetimes, better power density (the rate that energy can be drawn from them) and are inherently safer. LiFePO4 is finding a number of roles in solar powered application and backup power.
The Advantages of Lithium Ion Batteries
LFP has superior “Useable” Capacity and unlike with lead acid batteries, it is considered practical to regularly use 80% or more of the rated capacity of a lithium battery bank, and occasionally more. Consider a 100 amp hour battery – if it was lead acid you would be wise to use just 30 to 50 amp hours, but with LFP could tap into 80 amp hours or more.Extended Cycle Life
Laboratory results indicate that LFP could expect to see 2,000 to 5,000 cycles out of a well cared for LFP battery bank, which means that a LFP battery bank has the potential to likely outlast other batteries! In contrast, even the best deep cycle lead acid batteries are typically only good for 500-1000 cycles.Fast & Efficient Charging
LFP batteries can be “fast” charged to 100% of capacity. Unlike with lead acid, there is no need for an absorption phase to get the final 20% stored. This can save hours of charging time. And, if the solar panel is powerful enough, lithium batteries can also be charged insanely fast. If you can provide enough charging amps – you can actually fully charge a LFP battery just 20 minutes! But even if you don’t manage to fully top off to 100%, no worries – unlike with lead acid, a failure to regularly fully charge LFP batteries does not damage the batteries.This you lots of flexibility to tap into energy sources whenever you can get them without worrying about needing to do a full charge regularly. Several partly cloudy days with your solar system? No problem that you can’t top off before the sun goes down, as long as you’re keeping on top of your needs. No worries – with lithium, you can charge up what you can and not fret about leaving your battery bank perpetually undercharged!
Very Little Wasted Energy
Lead acid batteries are less efficient at storing power than LFP batteries. Lithium batteries charge at nearly 100% efficiency, compared to the 85% efficiency of most lead acid batteries.This can be especially important when charging via solar panel, when you are trying to squeeze as much efficiency out of every amp as possible before the sun goes down or gets covered up by clouds. Theoretically, with lithium nearly every drop of sun you’re able to collect goes into your batteries. With limited roof & storage space for solar panels, this become very important in optimizing every square inch of wattage you’re able to mount.
Fewer Placement Issues
LFP batteries do not need to be stored upright, or in a vented battery compartment. They can also fairly easily be assembled into odd shapes – an advantage if you are trying to squeeze as much power as possible into a small compartment. This is especially useful if you have an existing battery bay that is limited in size, but you want or need more capacity than lead acid is currently able to provide.Little Maintenance Requirements
LFP batteries are maintenance free. An occasional “balancing” process to make sure all the cells in a battery bank are equally charged may be called for, but a well designed Battery Management System (BMS) should (ideally) do this automatically.Peukert’s Losses & Voltage Sag Virtually Non Existant
The discharge curve of lithium batteries (especially relative to lead acid) is essentially flat – meaning that a 20% charged battery will be providing nearly the same output voltage as an 80% charged battery. This prevents any issues caused by the “voltage sag” common to lead acid as they discharge, but does mean that any battery monitor or generator auto-start dependent upon voltage levels will likely not work well at all when monitoring a lithium bank.Another huge advantage of lithium batteries is that Peukert’s losses are essentially non-existant. This means that LFP batteries can deliver their full rated capacity, even at high currents. Whereas lead acid can see as much as a 40% loss of capacity at high loads. In practice, this means that LFP battery banks are very well suited to powering high current loads like an air conditioner, a microwave or an induction cooktop.
Size & Weight Advantages
Lithium LFP batteries are much smaller & lighter compare to other batteries. A 12-volt 100 Amp Hour LiFePO4 battery packs we started with 4.9″ x 11.0″ x 9.2″, and weigh just 28.2 lbs. That works out to be 0.282 lbs per amp hour of capacity. A Trojan 8D-AGM 230 amp hour battery on the other hand weighs 167lbs, which works out to be .726 lbs per amp hour – which is about 2.5 times heavier. And when you take “usable” capacity into account, the weight advantage of lithium is even more dramatic. Remember, that 100 amp hours of lithium will deliver 80 amp hours, no matter the discharge rate, without worry. 230 amp hours of AGM can only deliver 70- 115 amp hours, depending on the discharge rate. So not only is lithium smaller and lighter than AGM per amp hour, you need significantly less stored amps to get the same usable capacity.Item Code Capacity & Type Retail Price (RM)
1. SPM004LiFePO4 4Ah 12V RM198.00
2. SPM008LiFePO4 8Ah 12V RM358.00
3. SPM016LiFePO4 16Ah 12V RM718.00
4. SPM030LiFEPO4 30Ah 12V RM1,258.00
Product Specification:
Nominal Voltage: 12.8V
Nominal Capacity: 4Ah-100AH
Constant Current: 4A-100A
Cut-off Voltage: 11V
Charge Voltage: 14.6V
Using the advance GAMMA controller Battery Management Unit (BMU) to control the lithium battery.
Battery Module Main Features:
Built in GAMMA BMU (Battery Management Unit)
Inter-module & intra-module balancing via GAMMA BMU
Enhanced SOC calculation via GAMMA BMU
Charge and discharge control via GAMMA BMU
Temperature monitor via GAMMA BMU
Isolation measurement via GAMMA BMU
Rugged mechanical and easy handling design
Can be charged with most lead-acid chargers
Thousands of cycles under normal conditions
Although lithium batteries are very common there are some inherent dangers when using ANY battery. Lithium cells are like any other technology – if they are abused and not used for their intended purpose catastrophic results may occur, such as: first-, second-, and third-degree burns, respiratory problems, fires, explosions, and even death. Please handle the lithium batteries with care and respect. We will not responsbile for this matter.
Prerequisites: GAMMA Solar Charge Controller must be used to charge these model LiFePO4 battery. For advance solar user or professional solar engineer.
Lithium Battery Datasheet (Please double click)
For more details and pricing, please refer to scomart
Lithium Prismatic Cell in Special Battery Case Lithium in AGM Battery Case
Please kindly see more lithium batteries choice at www.scomart.com
Trojan Deep Cycle Flooded Lead Acid Battery
Flooded lead acid batteries have the longest track record in solar electric use and are still used in the majority of stand-alone alternative energy systems. They have the longest life and the least cost per amp-hour of any of the choices. However the other side of the coin is, in order to enjoy these advantages, they require regular maintenance in the form of watering, equalizing charges and keeping the top and terminals clean. Some examples of flooded lead-acid batteries used in solar and wind electric systems are 6 volt golf-cart batteries, 6 volt L-16's and 2 volt industrial cells for large systems.Trojan Solar Flooded Battery- T105RE 225AH, 6V, Flooded RM772.00 US$308.80
Trojan Flooded Battery Datasheet (Please double click)
Trojan Deep Cycle AGM Battery
Trojan’s deep-cycle absorbed glass mat (AGM) maintenance-free batteries for renewable energy applications featurea number of design elements to provide optimum performance. Robust plates extend the life-cycle of Trojan’s deep-cycle AGM batteries.
A separator of glass fibers serves to isolate the positive and negative plates while acting as a blotter to absorb the electrolyte. The separator is maintained under compression between plates to assure contact with plate surfaces. A computer-generated grid design is optimized for high-power density. Low calcium grid alloy reduces gas emissions and a flame arresting, one-way pressure relief vent prevents buildup of excessive pressure. Trojan’s deep-cycle AGM batteries are low temperature tolerant, shock and vibration resistant and have a low internal resistance for higher discharge current and higher charging efficiency.
Trojan Deep Cycle AGM Battery- Trojan 27 AGM 100AH, 12V, AGM RM868.00 US$347.20
- Trojan 31 AGM 110AH, 12V, AGM RM968.00 US$387.20
Energy Storage Solutions for Renewable Energy and Backup Power Applications
For over 85 years Trojan Battery has focused its experience and expertise in deep-cycle technology on manufacturing the highest quality, deep-cycle batteries available in the industry. If there is one thing we’ve learned over the years it’s that a truly outstanding battery must provide rugged durability, long life and consistent performance day in and day out. As the world’s leading supplier of deep cycling batteries, we understand the importance of these performance features. That is why we offer the broadest portfolio of high-quality, deep-cycle flooded, AGM and gel products available for a wide range of renewable energy and backup power applications. With our broad portfolio of renewable energy products you’ll find a Trojan battery perfectly suited to your specific application.
Trojan Deep Cycle AGM Battery Datasheet (Please double click)
Solar Panel, Charge Controller,
Solar Battery, Inverter, DIY Kit, Wind Turbine,
ph: +603-8052-0078 (Sales)
fax: +603-2178-4468
sales