Batteries - DC Power Storage

We need electricity at night and on cloudy days as well as on the sunny days.  If tapping into the utility grid is not an option, a battery backup system is necessary for energy storage. However, batteries do lower the efficiency of a PV system, because only about 80% of the energy that goes into them can be reclaimed. They usually need to be replaced every 5 to 10 years. Also, they take up considerable floor space, pose a few possible safety problems, and require periodic maintenance. Still, they provide a reliable way to store PV electricity for later use.

Like PV cells, batteries are direct-current devices that are directly compatible only with DC loads. However, batteries can also serve as a power conditioner for these loads by regulating power. This allows the PV array to operate closer to its optimum power output.

Surrette builds the highest quality deep cycle lead-acid battery available today fro renewable energy systems. The density of the active material in the positive plate, combined with Surrette's thick plate design, provide unsurpassed cycle life. In addition, the use of enveloped separators eliminates treeing or shorting between cells.