Solar light battery - detailed introduction to solar street light battery

Solar light battery – detailed introduction to solar street light battery

A solar light battery is an electric power storage unit that stores electric energy developed by the solar panels from the sun rays for future electric power requirements of street light. Typically, solar panels absorbs the solar energy and converts it into electrical current, and store the electrical power in connected battery to illuminate the bulbs at night. Solar light battery is becoming more popular as they can create a system that will provide power day or night without any environmental damage.

What kind of batteries do I use for solar lights?

If you want to enjoy the ease of using and avoid frequent replacement of batteries, it would be better to use NiCd (Nickel cadmium) or NiMH (Nickel metal hydride) or rechargeable lithium-ion batteries. The best solar light battery is lithium-ion batteries. Lithium-ion batteries have a high-discharge rate, high storage capacity, and low self-discharge rate. They work great for solar lights that are also being used for emergency lighting, garden lights, solar system, and even electric cars, UPS lithium battery, RV and golf cart battery.

Do I need special batteries for solar lights?

You do not need to use any special batteries for solar lights if the battery can meet the power requirements. The most common solar batteries are NiCd, NiMH and lithium rechargeable batteries.However, rather than using ordinary batteries, it would be better to use rechargeable lithium-ion batteries. They have a higher voltage and high battery storage capacity than ordinary batteries.

What are the best batteries for solar lights?

Out of the commonly available NiCd, NiMH and lithium-ion batteries and other solar batteries, you can select the best suitable and compatible rechargeable batteries for solar lighting. Lithium-ion batteries can be considered the best solar light battery. Because the battery is non-toxic, has a very high energy density, and is lightweight and compact. Also, the battery has a long lifespan. Common solar batteries can last 4-5 years, depending on their battery type, applicable environment, charging conditions and discharge depth. Regardless of brand, any solar battery that can deliver extended life can be considered the best solar battery. Any solar lithium-ion battery with more charge cycle with the required power capacity will be the best battery for solar lights. So lithium-ion batteries, with up to 4,000 cycles, are the best choice Again, looking for the best solar batteries depends on the battery’s capacity, which varies according to the battery’s internal chemistry. The capacity of a battery is measured in mAh (milliamp-hours). It shows the time length of the electricity production of the battery. The latest lithium-ion battery cell has a capacity of 10000mAh, and there are likely chances to have more power capacity batteries going to hit the market soon. The solar batteries come in a pack of multiple units to meet the power requirements of solar light. Some packs will have a single unit of 8-10 or 16-20 lithium-ion batteries.

The application of solar light battery – solar street light battery

A solar street light battery or garden light battery is a storage device for solar energy, which is used to power the lights in the streets, home, factory, campus and commercial parks. This kind of battery commonly uses lithium-ion batteries. The battery is generally 12V with a rating of 54Ah. The best commercial solar light battery is made from lithium-ion batteries. Li-ion quality makes it an ideal power source for storing and powering large loads with small size and high energy density.

Where can solar street lights be used?

Solar street lights can use in commercial buildings, households, streets, and parks. They are generally installed on flat surfaces oriented toward the sun. Due to the particularity of solar street lights, solar panels are generally installed on light poles, which are generally more than 5 meters for light poles. Solar street lights rely on the sun’s light source as an energy source to emit light, so they must be installed in a sunny place, and there should be no obstructions on the solar panel surface throughout the day. In addition, there can be no direct light source above the solar panel, because the solar street light is switched on and off according to the light control. Once the direct light source appears above the solar panel, it will cause a system identification error in the lighting control system, resulting in a wrong indication. Taking the northern hemisphere as an example, the orientation of the solar panel is to face south; on the contrary in the southern hemisphere, the panel can be placed flat near the equator.

The components of the solar street light system

Solar street lights are widely used in the street lighting industry. The solar street lights system is installed on the ground and consists of many components, including a light pole, solar panel, controller unit, storage battery, and light source. ● Solar panel: Mainly absorb sunlight, convert the light into electrical energy, and then charge the battery. ● Storage battery: It stores the electricity converted by solar panels and provides electricity for street lights. ● Solar controller: Including charge and discharge protection, light control + delay function, power conversion function, etc. ● Light source: The light source is preferably a DC light source. At present, the common light sources are DC energy-saving lights, high-frequency induction lights, low-pressure sodium lights and LED light sources. As a semiconductor light source, LED has the advantages of energy saving and long service life and is the most ideal light source for solar street lights.

What are the common specifications of solar light battery for streets?

The specifications that you will need for a solar light battery for streets are voltage capacity, and weight. The solar lithium-ion battery capacity should not be less than 12.8V, 30Ah at STC (standard test condition), 384 Watt Hour. The cycle life of lithium-ion battery has 4000 cycles and generally charged to about 95%. In addition, the lithium-ion battery should have a built-in BMS to protect the battery from overcharging.

How do I know what size solar street light battery I need?

To calculate the solar street light battery’s size, that can be considered with the following information. ● You must know the power rate of the street light and voltage. ● The street light’s brightness settings. ● Consider a minimum of 3 days of autonomy. ● Average annual sunshine time. Based on the above information, you can calculate the size of the street light battery.

How to calculate what are the required specifications of solar street light battery

For calculating the specifications of a solar street light battery, you must calculate the energy consumption using the following formula. Suppose you use a street light of 30W at 12V, then it will consume 2.5Amps per hour. (30/12=2.5Amps). Considering the consumption is 8 hours with 100% brightness, the 8-hour consumption will be 2.5×8, which is 20Ah. We need to add an autonomy period of 3 days (provision for rainy or cloudy days) to this value. Then the total Ah for 3 days will be 20Ah x 3 = 60Ah. With this value, you need to add the DoD (depth of discharge). Suppose the battery you are using has 100% DoD, then the battery size will be 60Ah/100%, which will be equal to 60Ah. You can apply the same calculation to find the battery size by knowing the power rate and consumption.

What to look out for in a solar light battery?

● Power rating: This shows how much power you can expect the battery to last in a year. An energy-rated label will show the “hourly use” rating for a light and is usually found on the back of the lamp. ● Battery size/Usable storage capacity: It depends on the battery specification, namely whether the capacity voltage and current fits with the controller and the bulb. And whether the size and weight can match the street light, if it will be too heavy, or can not be put into the battery box on the street light. ● Cycle life: The number of charging and discharging cycles experienced by a battery under a certain charging and discharging regime when the battery capacity drops to a specified value. This parameter determines the cycle life of the battery. ● Self-discharge: This is the rate at which a battery will discharge over time without power being drawn from it.

The price of solar street light lithium battery

The price of a solar street light lithium battery is decided by various factors, such as the manufacturer, capacity, size, and other special requirements. The commonly used LiFePO4 lithium-ion rechargeable solar light battery of 12.8V 54Ah is within the USD199-289 range.

The maintenance cost and how do I maintain the solar light battery for the street?

Lithium-ion (LiFePO4) solar light battery has no apparent maintenance cost as they come in a sealed unit. The best way to get extended life for a lithium-ion battery is to keep it energy efficient by not letting it sit idle for too long or overcharge and discharge. The lithium ion solar battery does not require maintenance and can serve for 4000 cycles, can be used for ten years if charged and discharged once a day. The solar light battery must charge and discharge regularly if you need to improve its efficiency. If you turn off the battery for an extended period, the battery will be subject to self-discharge and damage the battery, so regular charging is needed. If you feel that your solar street light batteries are not working, it could be that they need to be maintained or charged using appropriate equipment. In case of storage, you should check whether all the waterproofs are tight and there is no leakage from soldering points, etc. Also, ensure the terminals are insulated from adjacent metals by insulators.

The installation cost and how do I replace or install a solar light battery?

The Li-ion solar light battery roughly costs around $199-289. The installation prices of solar light battery may depend on the market price or consult with the battery manufacturers, including the technician’s charges. Apart from the cost of the solar panels, inverters, and connection cables, there are no other installation costs involved. There is another article top 100 lithium ion battery manufacturers help you know more about what battery manufacturers are out there. The replacement of solar light battery is very easy when it comes to garden lights or smaller lights. You need to take the light to a clean area. Switch off the light and look for the battery case. Check the type of battery in use and replace it with the same kind of battery. The new batteries will come charged, so you can turn on the light and test it. If the light is not illuminating, allow the battery to charge for some time and check again.

FAQs about solar street light battery

How long does a solar street light battery last?

Long-term and proper maintenance will help a solar street light battery last longer. The active life is related to the quality of the PV module and battery. How long it can be used on a single charge, this mainly depends on the capacity and the current of the street light.

How do you make the solar light battery last longer?

● Make sure the batteries get regular recharging. ● Don’t overcharge and overdischarge.

How to safely charge the solar light battery for the street?

First of all, lithium batteries need to be equipped with high-quality BMS to avoid short circuit, overcharge, overcurrent, overtemperature, etc., to ensure safe charging. Secondly, a charge controller must be installed in the solar street light system to ensure that the electrical energy converted by the solar panel is stored in the battery within a suitable voltage and current range.

How to store a solar street light battery?

Lithium batteries have more shelf life, and their self-discharge rate is very low. In a standard case, lithium-ion batteries will have a life of about ten years if charged and discharged once a day. Once they are drained of their power and cannot be recharged, they will no longer provide usable energy. The best way to store them for long-term usage (such as in emergencies) is to charge them 3-6 months once to charge, making sure not to leave them in the sun for extended periods. Solar street light batteries need to be stored in dry places. Also, they should not be charged below freezing temperatures.

Common solar street light battery damage and how to prevent it?

Lithium-ion batteries are used to light up street lights because of their extended life, high discharge rate, and no maintenance. If the solar light battery cannot hold power and discharge as per the specified battery discharge capacity, that will affect the performance of the street light. Solar street lights use for a period of time, even if there is enough light, there may be a short lighting time, rainy days can not normally provide lighting, most of the battery problems, its power storage capacity decreased, will naturally cause insufficient power storage. If this is a problem to replace a supporting battery in time, the parameters should be appropriate.

Conclusion

The solar lighting unit comes with rechargeable solar batteries along with solar panels and other accessories. The solar light battery is recharged every day with the help of solar panels by converting the sunlight into electric energy and stored in the battery for later use. Selecting the correct battery requires careful analysis by considering the power needed to light up the LED, and accordingly, you must purchase the solar light battery with the matching power capacity.