Solar Battery Errors & Faults

Call Sharpe Services if you are experiencing any of these:

Solar Battery Errors & Faults Services Adelaide

Now that you have chosen your batteries, you definitely will want to take care of them to prolong their life. Taking good care of your solar battery storage is one of the best ways to increase the life of your batteries and decrease the lifetime cost of your off-grid solar electricity system.

Battery life is a highly variable property that depends on all kinds of factors such as storage temperature and depth of discharge (DOD).

About 80% of failures are caused by sulfation, a process where sulfur crystals form on the battery’s lead plates and prevent chemical reactions from happening. Sulfation occurs when the battery has a low charge or electrolyte level. Due to the dangers of sulfation it is very important to monitor, maintain and control these two factors in flooded batteries.

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Accreditation with the Clean Energy Council recognises solar electricians who have undertaken the necessary training to service, repair, engineer and install solar systems, solar inverters, and home battery systems on Adelaide homes & offices.

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Accreditation with New Energy Tech recognises solar electricians who have undertaken the necessary training to service, repair, engineer and install solar systems, solar inverters, and home battery systems on Adelaide homes & offices.

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Solar Battery Errors & Fault Services

Solar batteries drain a lot faster these days as more and more people using them to go off-grid are attempting to run complicated energy networks on them. Many people just getting into solar energy for the first time also do not understand the science and chemistry behind this relatively new technology, and poor maintenance habits and subsequent battery damage/failure can be the result.

Solar Battery Storage not charging properly?

If the solar battery is hooked to the solar system but doesn’t charge properly, the failure is likely to be caused by a battery problem, wrong system wiring, or a problem with the solar charge controller settings. (Note: The Panels, charge controller, and battery must be configured correctly.)

Broadly, there are 4 factors you’d need to consider.

Solar Charge Controller Factor, which regulates the voltage and current coming from the solar panels going to the battery to prevent batteries from overcharging.
Solar Panels Factors, such as hot spots, cracked panels, or snail tracks.
Solar Battery Factors, such as when the battery is run out of power and idle for a long time, it’s hard to charge the battery by the solar system directly or Faulty Batteries from the battery pack when this is damaged.
Environmental Factors. If there is no sunshine for a long time, will result in less solar collection, and the output voltage may too small to charge the battery.

Causes of a Solar Battery Drain

Not charging a battery fully before using it. Only partially charging a battery causes sulfation within the battery and relatively quick battery damage. Always bring a battery to full charge before using.
Mixing-and-matching different kinds of batteries in one bank. All batteries must be on the same voltage to be used. If you use different batteries on the same bank, one will die quickly, and the other will soon follow.
Charging the battery incorrectly (improper amps-to-capacity). If a battery charge has amps that are too high for the battery, the battery might charge quickly, but it will also lose a lot of its life expectancy. This can cause the battery to fail twice as fast.
Allowing batteries to rest unused in long-term storage. All batteries self-discharge over time, so it is important to apply charge whenever the charge level falls below the recommended levels. This recommended level varies on battery type.
Allowing batteries to stand too long discharged between charges. If a battery is fully discharged and left standing before being fully recharged, this leads to eventual sulfation.
Keeping batteries in temperatures above 95°F (35C). High temperatures increase internal discharge and cause a standing battery drain. That’s why Sharpe Services recommend to install your new solar battery system in your garage or somewhere around your house that is not exposed to high temperatures.
Using deep cycle batteries to start engines. Deep cycle batteries are not intended for this purpose and using them to power powerful bursts of electrical energy (rather than extended duration current) can cause cumulative damage.

How to protect your Solar Battery Storage System?

Not allowing batteries to stand too long discharged between charges (more than 24 hours in warm weather and more than a few days in cooler weather). If you have used a battery until it is flat, it needs to be recharged immediately.
Not leaving a battery in storage without compensating for energy loss. Make sure that batteries remain charged to a recommended level between full charges if you are storing them.
Not using deep cycle batteries to start engines. Keep a starting battery specifically for this purpose instead.
Fully charging batteries instead of partially charging them. Always charge the battery to its full capacity before use.
Avoiding storage of batteries in a heat of 95F (35C) or higher, which leads to internal discharge. Try to keep working batteries in shaded, naturally ventilated areas.

Even when the sun doesn’t shine in Adelaide, you have nothing to worry about. Unfortunately, these batteries aren’t always perfect. They tend to malfunction and may not work as intended. If you feel your solar batteries aren’t delivering at maximum capacity, then get in touch with Sharpe Services Solar Electrical Technicians. We have years of experience in dealing with solar batteries and have helped numerous residencies and companies in the Adelaide area.

FAQ's

How do I test a solar battery storage?

It is a good idea to regularly check the condition of your solar battery storage, and there are a couple of ways to do this:

The first way to do this is the easiest: first, charge the deep cycle batteries within your solar battery bank fully. Next, check the voltage of each battery using a multimeter and make a note of each level, then let them sit without a connection to any solar panel for a few days. After this time, check the voltage of each battery within your solar bank again. If the voltage within a battery has decreased without usage, that means that it has a defect, most likely one of the cells within it has stopped working.

Alternatively, you can test each battery in your solar battery bank by applying a load to each one, this could be something like a lightbulb or a heater. With this method, you need to record the initial voltage of the battery, then connect the load and keep it running for somewhere between 30 to 90 seconds and re-record the battery voltage. Compare the second recording against all the batteries in your bank, and any battery with a fault will show a more significant drop in voltage than the others.

What can damage a solar battery?

Deep cycle lead acid batteries are used in the PV systems to store energy from the panels during the day for use when there is no sunshine. Thus, the buffer charge stored in the batteries bridges the time gap between power generation during the daytime and demand after sunset hours. Since unpredictability is in-built in the solar PV systems due to varying sunshine intensity during the day, systems must be designed so that batteries are not adversely impacted. General problems encountered with the batteries in the solar PV systems are:

> Difficulty to maintain them in fully charged condition,

> Difficulty in recovery from deep discharged conditions during non sunny days,

> Putting additional loads by the user,

> Low acceptance of charge by the batteries at low charging currents.

How often do you have to replace solar batteries?

Most solar batteries on the market today will last somewhere between five to 15 years. While that is a significant amount of time, you’ll likely need to replace them within the 25 to 30+ year lifespan of your solar system.

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