Photovoltaic Design and Installation For Dummies

Chapter 7

The Basics of Batteries

IN THIS CHAPTER

Taking a peek at the guts of a battery and discovering what makes one tick

Getting to know the various battery technologies

Becoming familiar with the concept of capacity

Knowing what to consider when selecting batteries for a client

So your clients want to store energy? For PV systems, the need for energy storage leads most people to battery banks. With the exception of petroleum-based fuels, batteries are currently the most practical and cost-effective way to store enough energy for human use. Fortunately, you can incorporate batteries into virtually any PV system.

• If the utility grid is present, you can design a utility-interactive, battery-based PV system, also known as a battery-backup PV system. In this system, batteries are used only when the utility grid fails.
• In the absence of the utility grid, you can design a stand-alone (or off-grid) system. Batteries in this system are used when the PV array can’t provide all the power draw for the loads at any specific time (cloudy weather, nighttime, or if a number of loads are ...