Best place to site batteries

gactrx
gactrx Solar Expert Posts: 72 ✭✭
in Off Grid Solar & Battery Systems #1
Hi, I will be buying batteries soon. I can put them on the sunny side off the house or the shady side. On the sunny side they will be warm in summer maybe 25-30 deg. Hotter if I store them in a plastic box. On the cooler side they will probably vary between 5 and 20 deg though the year. I read hotter reduces lifespan but increases capacity (or doesn't reduce it) and colder the opposite.
Which area would be best?
Thanks,
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  • waynefromnscanada
    waynefromnscanada Solar Expert Posts: 3,009 ✭✭✭✭
    #2
    Re: Best place to site batteries

    If they were my batteries, I'd definitely put them on the cool side, and if you wanted to, you could insulate the box they're in during your cold season. But don't forget to remove the insulation when the weather gets warmer. My experience here shows my batteries have no really noticeable drop in capacity in our Winter when the temperature drops to minus 20 and lower. The batteries during those cold times, if insulated, rarely drop below 0 C, and if uninsulated, they may drop to minus 6 or 7. Still, even at those temps, their output isn't all that different. Biggest change is somewhat lower output voltage. Of course if you were regularly draining your batteries to 50%, you may well notice some difference in battery capacity. Draining only 20% of the batteries capacity though and there should be no problem. Especially when the batteries would be at least at 5 C. If my batteries ever got to 30C I'd be in panic mode.
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  • Photowhit
    Photowhit Solar Expert Posts: 6,006 ✭✭✭✭✭
    #3
    Re: Best place to site batteries
    gactrx wrote: »
    . I read hotter reduces lifespan but increases capacity (or doesn't reduce it) and colder the opposite.
    Which area would be best?

    Which works for you?

    I store mine in the shade, even then our temps and high summer time use can easily push temps around 29c... charging and discharging warm the batteries as well.
    Home system 4000 watt (Evergreen) array standing, with 2 Midnite Classic Lites,  Midnite E-panel, Magnum MS4024, Prosine 1800(now backup) and Exeltech 1100(former backup...lol), 660 ah 24v Forklift battery(now 10 years old). Off grid for 20 years (if I include 8 months on a bicycle).
    - Assorted other systems, pieces and to many panels in the closet to not do more projects.
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  • gactrx
    gactrx Solar Expert Posts: 72 ✭✭
    #4
    Re: Best place to site batteries

    That sounds good as it's most convenient to have the batteries on the cool side. The controller will be sited there as well.
    Thanks for the help,
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  • Mountain Don
    Mountain Don Solar Expert Posts: 494 ✭✭✭
    #5
    Re: Best place to site batteries

    I would go cool and insulate when weather is cold. There is heat made from cycling.
    Northern NM, 624 watts PV, The Kid CC, GC-2 batteries @ 24 VDC, Outback VFX3524M
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  • mike95490
    mike95490 Solar Expert Posts: 9,583 ✭✭✭✭✭
    #6
    Re: Best place to site batteries

    One thing to remember, charged batteries don't freeze very easily. Half charged, and you may have issues.

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