A great thing about using solar panels is that other than being green, it is perfect for the long run. Once you have installed solar panels, they will continue working for years to come. Although, the same cannot be said about the solar batteries that you will use along with your solar panels.
This is due to the reason that, similar to any other batteries, solar batteries also have a specific lifespan rating. If you are getting a new solar panel setup for your home or office, then you would also want to get an idea of this battery life rating. Hence, we are here with a complete guide on solar battery lifespan as well as factors that determine how long do solar batteries last. You can learn all this and more in this solar battery guide:
What’s the Lifespan of a Solar Battery?
In case you are not familiar with solar batteries and their functioning, you must be new to the term lifespan of a battery. To put it in simple words, the lifespan of any battery, including a solar one, tells you about the total time it will work. Because all batteries lose their total capacity with every charge cycle, a solar battery will also stop working in some time.
Generally, most solar batteries last between 5 to 15 years, depending on your usage and battery models. Since this is lower than the 25 to 30-year lifespan of most solar panels, you will need to replace your batteries multiple times. As a result, having a longer lifespan for your solar batteries is always great if you do not want to replace batteries again and again.
Factors that Determine the Lifespan of your Battery
As mentioned earlier, the lifespan of solar batteries generally lasts between 5 to 15 years. This range is large because you will find a lot of factors that can affect the overall lifespan of your battery. And some of such important factors that determine the lifespan of your battery includes the following ones:
Solar Battery Type
One of the biggest factors when it comes to solar battery lifespan is the type of batteries that you are using. While buying solar batteries, you will primarily find three types of batteries which include lead-acid, lithium-ion, and saltwater solar batteries. Even though lithium-ion batteries are a bit expensive, they are the ones that will last for the longest, making them ideal for long term usage. Saltwater batteries can be another great option in terms of battery lifespan without paying a premium for the same. On the other hand, lead-acid batteries are the cheapest and thus offer the shortest battery lifespan.
Solar Battery Usage
Other than the type of solar batteries you are using, the way you are using them can also affect their lifespan a lot. Overtime, all batteries lose their total capacity as you use up their charge cycles. In other words, the more often a battery is charged and used, its lifespan will shorten quickly. Because of this, the lifespan of a battery depends on how much you use the batteries instead of their manufacturing date. If you are using a complete off-grid solution, then your solar batteries will last less than compared to a hybrid solar panel system which uses the batteries less.
Solar Battery Temperature
The environment in which you are using solar batteries can also affect its lifespan in some cases. This primarily depends on the temperature of the air around the batteries since an extreme environment can have an adverse effect on your solar batteries’ lifespan. Whether you are using your solar batteries in extreme cold or extreme heat, it will decrease its lifespan.
While a higher temperature increases chemical reactions inside a battery resulting in more wear and tear, a cold temperature slows down electrons decreasing their lifespan. Thankfully, most solar batteries have an ideal temperature range that you can consider while installing your solar batteries.
Solar Battery Warranty
All types of batteries, including solar batteries, come with a warranty period from the manufacturer. And as you would expect, any solar battery that has a longer warranty will most likely last longer than the one with a shorter warranty period. In other words, it is advisable to go with a solar battery with a 10-year long warranty instead of the one that comes with a 5-year long warranty.
Solar Battery Maintenance
While there are a lot of factors that adversely affect the lifespan of your solar batteries, there are also a few maintenance methods to increase the same. If you are going with flooded lead acid batteries, then checking its water levels and cleaning its terminals is quite important for an optimal lifespan. On the other hand, sealed lead-acid batteries and lithium-ion batteries do not require any maintenance making them the ideal option for long term usage.
Battery Lifespan Conclusion
With these solar battery details, you must have a pretty good idea about how long your solar panel batteries are going to last. Since we have also stated the factors related to solar battery lifespan, you can also extend the lifespan of your solar batteries quite easily. Checking and improving the lifespan of your solar batteries is quite important for using your solar panels in the long run. If you have gone through all these solar battery lifespan details, make sure to share your thoughts in the comments section. You can also post any questions down there if you have any!
