What to do for long life of a photovoltaic battery?

The battery system is a very useful part of home photovoltaics, and the cost of batteries is certainly not negligible. So what can be done to extend their lifetime as much as possible?

Maintaining the temperature within the recommended temperature ranges
In the battery datasheet (downloadable with each product), there is an indication of the "Ambient operating temperature range". Pay attention to both the lower limit and the upper limit. If the battery is heated too much, its life will be reduced by up to 50%. Similarly, it is completely inappropriate to charge a battery that is below 0 °C. The ideal temperature for a battery is around room temperature up to 25 °C.
The usability (capacity) of the battery decreases with temperature. In winter, it must be taken into account that the battery cannot be charged to 100% of its nominal capacity. It cannot be charged at the same currents as at room temperature. Also, the discharge curve is different. The charging and discharging processes have to be handled by a BMS (battery management system).

DOD settings
The DOD or usable depth of discharge should be set from the default 90% to a value in the range of 60% - 80%. Or increase the minimum battery condition value from 10% to 20 - 40%.

Charging to 100%
Occasional (twice a month) or regular (daily) charging to full capacity is very beneficial for batteries. Use the energy from the distribution network. Charging to 100% sets the so-called top balancing, i.e. the upper limit for the correct calculation of the remaining battery capacity.
We recommend using the "green" mode and set the time when the battery will be charged to 100% to 2-3am, when spot prices are usually lowest.

Winterizing the battery
One way to extend the life of your battery is to charge it to 100% and completely shut it down over the winter. Keep in mind, however, that this step will unfortunately extend the payback period of your PV investment.

Longer discharge and charge times
Spread the surge consumption over the whole day. For example, by taking advantage of the delayed start of your appliances - there is no reason to put unnecessary strain on the batteries and cover power peaks by discharging the batteries in leaps and bounds (leap discharging is just as bad for the batteries as leap or fast charging).
Battery warranties are 6-10 years (80% of usable capacity after 10 years). By following the above recommendations, your batteries can last you, for example, 13 or 15 years in service.

Discover the full range of battery systems in our range. We offer suitable solutions for commercial and residential applications.