What’s the Advantage of Gel Batteries for Solar Systems? Valve Regulated Lead Acid (VRLA) battery suppliers will always tell you that Gel batteries should be installed in solar systems.
But why? What’s the advantages of Gel batteries for solar systems? Why can’t I install an AGM battery in a solar system?
The team at Valen are here to support you with information as to why you should be installing Gel batteries into your solar battery systems.
Stand-alone solar systems place cyclic pressure on the battery storage systems due to regular use and factors such as solar drought.
These systems must utilise batteries designed for cyclic use, rather than standby use.
Cycling a Battery
A cyclic battery is designed to charge and discharge all day, every day, making these batteries the ideal solution for solar applications.
When the sun comes out, the batteries will begin to charge. When the sun goes down at night, or there’s heavy cloud cover, the battery starts to discharge to supply the load. Therefore, the battery is cyclic every day.
Cycling a battery designed for standby applications will result in the battery under-performing as well as premature failure. Failure is not a sign of low quality, instead of that, the incorrect battery is being used for the application.
Depending on how often the battery needs to cycle will decide on the type of battery you need to install.
So why Gel batteries?
Valve Regulated Lead Acid (VRLA) Gel type batteries have the unique ability to recover from deep discharges, heavy cycling and cyclic abuse which would otherwise damage a VRLA AGM battery type. By design, Gel batteries are well suited to handle the demands of stand-alone solar systems.
A Gel battery uses polyethylene separators with a Thixotropic Gel, and the electrolyte is suspended within this Gel. Through the Thixotropic Gel, the battery can be left in a partial state of charge without damaging the battery. A Gel battery can also cycle back from a low state of charge without damaging the battery.
AGM batteries are preferable when a burst of amps is required and can perform well in temperatures below 32°C. In comparison, Gel batteries cope well with slow discharge rates and are better performing in hotter environments.
Gel batteries are the ideal solution for your stand-alone solar requirements
The Valen Gel and ENDUROGEL batteries have been designed and manufactured using genuine Thixotropic Gel which allows them to offer true cyclic capabilities required for solar applications. For smaller solar systems, the Valen Gel range is recommended along with the advanced ENDUROGEL range for larger, heavier cyclic applications.
- Ability to recover after heavy cyclic discharge,
- Genuine Thixotropic Gel electrolyte means true Gel cyclic performance,
- Can be discharged even when full recharge has not been achieved, without the loss of battery capacity,
- Outstanding tolerance to higher temperature applications; and
- Thicker plates reduce grid corrosion and increase cycle life.
- Catalyst Life Extender prevents battery dry out making the Valen ENDUROGEL the battery of choice for harsher critical applications,
- Ability to recover after heavy cyclic discharge,
- Genuine Thixotropic Gel electrolyte means true Gel cyclic performance,
- Excellent tolerance to higher temperature applications; and
- Low self-discharge
Having the Catalyst Life Extender assists the ENDUROGEL battery to withstand battery dry out – a significant killer of VRLA battery technology. When the battery is subject to high temperatures and cyclic pressure, the battery is caused to vent. The Catalyst acts as a recombination unit, recombining up to 80% of these essential gasses which would have escaped otherwise and shortened the battery’s life.
Want to learn more about using Gel batteries in your solar system? Just ask Valen!
We don’t just “sell batteries”. We’re all about delivering end-to-end solutions for all your energy storage needs.
Talk to one of our technical consultants about your project. Tell us your requirements as well as your issues and challenges. We’ll provide assistance with your system design so you can make that final decision with confidence.
Click here to get in touch with us today.
