I get this question a lot, why can not use car batteries for solar power storage? Although car batteries and solar batteries are similar, they aren’t the same. Each battery type has a different purpose. In this article, I am going to explain why you can not use car batteries for solar power storage.
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Why do car batteries seem to be an attractive idea?
There are two reasons why most people opt for car batteries for solar storage.
You can find them everywhere
The first reason many people go for car batteries is that you can find them anywhere, you do not have to look harder to see them, you can find them in most local hardware stores.
They are cheaper
Another reason that people go for car batteries is that they are cheaper, people who are interested in DIY projects tend to reduce cost, and car batteries are the better option.
The difference between solar batteries and car batteries
As I said above, car and solar batteries are similar but are not the same, each battery type was designed with a specific purpose in mind.
Starting a car engine needs a spike of energy, and the car battery was designed for that, it will provide the spike of energy to start the engine, and while you are driving the car it will be charging. This will not meet the need for a solar-powered home.
Solar batteries are deep cycle batteries, which means the battery can discharge over long periods until it has almost nothing left to give, and then it recharges for further use. Two types of deep cycle batteries are used most for solar.
What batteries I should use for my solar panel?
After saying all that for me the best battery for your solar panels is the sealed lead-acid battery with these advantages: These batteries are spill-proof and non-hazardous.
Can I recondition a car battery to use it for solar?
The simple answer is no, in theory, this seems to be a great idea for a DIY project, but remember car batteries can not provide storage for a long time and they discharge too fast, you do not either of the two in your project.
Conclusion
So we have seen that it is not practical to use car batteries for solar power storage, my recommendation is that invest a little bit more in the deep cycle solar batteries and you will be glad you did it.
You can purchase a cheap solar energy battery at amazon and get it at your home in just a few hours.