Power generated by solar panels has to be stored for use when the sun light is not there. This can be done using batteries.
In this article we’ll be explaining the most important things you need to know about batteries and there prices in Kenya.
On the sticker of a battery are two main details excluding the warranty, the battery rating in Ah and battery voltage. Ah simply means Ampere/hour. This is the current a battery can provide over a specified period of time. A 200ah battery means the battery is able to supply continuous current of 20 amperes for over a period of 10 hours.
1. C10 and C20 200Ah battery
In some battery specification, the capacity is mentioned as 200Ah at the rate of C10. C10 refers to the performance of the battery for 10-hour guaranteed. For the C20 battery, the battery is guaranteed for a performance of 20-hour.
2. How long does a 200Ah battery last?
This depends on the discharge rate of the battery. C10 batteries provide more backup time than the C20 batteries. This makes them more preferable than the C20 class batteries.
3. 12V 200Ah battery and 24V 200Ah battery
Both batteries have different voltages meaning in a 12V battery, 12 joules of energy is used for every coulomb of charge that flows from the battery. The battery capacity is equal for both of the batteries. They both have a capacity of 720,000C i.e 200 X 3600. Energy in a 24V is twice the energy in a 12V battery. Two 12V batteries connected in series is equivalent to a 12V battery.
4. Acquiring a 200Ah solar battery
As in most countries, Solar battery 200ah price in Kenya varies depending with the manufacturer. A 12V 200Ah battery prices depends on the provider. They mostly range from Ksh 16,000 to 60,000 depending on the quality.
Charging a 200ah battery
Technically any size of panel will recharge your battery, it all depends on how fast you want the battery to recover and what load is placed upon it. The 200Ah 12V batteries have a 2400Wh capacity each. If one wants to recover the theoretical sum of the energy in about 8 hours,they will need the 2400/8 = 300W.
Adding a load to the equation leads to its change. For instance, if you draw off 100W in the time when battery is charging, you will then need about 400W of the solar panels so as to recharge the battery.
Estimating the remaining battery power capacity
By measuring thebattery’s terminal voltage using multi-meters, one can be able to estimate the remaining battery capacity of the given battery.
The appropriate time to do this is whenthe battery has been inactive, hours after charging. The battery should neither be chargingnor discharging. That is to ensure that there is close to no chemical changes that are taking place inside the battery cells.
Conclusion
The prices of solar batteries may vary from different wholesalers and retailers, different quality and types. Buyers should research on their preferred choices before finally purchasing.
