Solar Battery Vs. Normal Battery: Key differences

Be it any type of battery, the sole purpose is to generate a chemical reaction that produces an electric current or power. Every battery has a way of generating and storing electricity. Generation of the electricity has an effect on the battery type as well.

The difference between a solar battery and a normal battery is that they both have different discharge ratings. Normal batteries or inverter batteries have a c20 and above rating.

This usually means that the batteries must not be discharged within 20 hours of charging it. Whereas, solar battery discharge rating is c10. That means it shouldn’t be discharged within 10 hours of charging. 

Hence, solar batteries can be charged and used regularly, while normal batteries can only be charged once and are usually used during long power cuts. 

This is only a single difference between solar and normal batteries. There are a few more differences that you will know about today in this article. 

What Are Solar Batteries?

A battery is basically an additional factor that helps store the energy absorbed by the panels and uses it later. For example, in the evening, when the panels are not actively absorbing or producing any energy.

A solar battery typically stores the energy from a solar PV system. The panel absorbs the sun’s energy and then changes it to electric energy that passes from the inverter to your home for use. 

In case you don’t have an off-grid system, the PV system connects with the electricity grid. This helps your home receive the electricity if the panels aren’t producing any energy per the demand.

If the system production is higher than the energy consumption, the additional energy produced is sent back to the grid. This process is known as net-metering. 

This will also reduce your next electricity bill amount and reduce the payment required to be done.

What Is A Normal Battery?

Any batteries that we use to store energy can be considered as normal batteries. Based on reusability, any normal batteries are divided into non-rechargeable (primary) and rechargeable or secondary batteries.

Primary Batteries vs Secondary Batteries

The biggest difference between the both is that the secondary battery can be used again and again after being discharged once. In contrast, you cannot charge primary batteries repeatedly if they are fully discharged.

Although the Solar battery is a secondary battery, it is still different from other secondary batteries in many ways, especially in terms of discharging rate.

You’ll get to know more about the differences in this article. If you are interested to know about Solar Vs. Inverter battery, I recommend you to check out our other post here.

How are Solar Battery and Normal Battery Different?

It’s possible to use a normal secondary battery as a solar battery, as long as you use a charge controller and do not over-discharge. However, the discharge rate is the primary difference that you’ll notice in a solar battery. Also, we have some other differences, which we will check out in detail below.

1. Discharge Rate:

It is believed that all the C-rated batteries are of similar capacity. The battery type shows the battery attribute. As mentioned earlier, the C10 battery will last for 10 hours, and hence you shouldn’t discharge it in 10 hours.

If the opposite is done, then it can reduce the battery life. And similarly, a C20 battery lasts for only 20 hours. The faster the battery discharges, the less energy will be emitted. 

C10 is the fastest discharge, while C20 is a medium discharge rating. C10-rated batteries are recommended for industrial and solar needs as they can deliver more power in less time duration.

C20-rated batteries are usually not a preferred option due to the excessive current being drawn than the supply, and this decreases the life cycle.

For a solar battery, C 10 discharge rating is perfect as Sun is barely up for 8 to 10 hours. So you can quickly charge your solar battery when the daylight is up, and when the Sun is set, you can have at least 10 hours before discharging it at the given current. Also, you can keep doing the same regularly.

2. Price:

Undoubtedly, solar batteries are more expensive than normal batteries. The current price of solar batteries is from $200-$5000.

The Tesla battery has 13kWh and is for about $10k. It is a bit more advanced than the normal solar batteries. However, it is still highly expensive.

If you want to get a lower-cost battery, then use lead acid, and this is the best idea for a home storage facility. It doesn’t have to be small or light, plus it is cheaper and safe than other kinds of solar batteries.

3. Life Span:

The lifespan of a battery is super important to consider before getting one. A normal battery will usually last you for three to five years.

But, remember that this duration can be affected by other factors such as type of vehicle/inverter, weather conditions, and other maintenance factors.

And solar batteries last for about 10 to 15 years. Every solar battery loses its storage capacity eventually. But, not all batteries function the same. Few solar batteries have innovative designs as well as features that slow down the degradation process. Various batteries last for different time spans. The lifespan of a solar battery also depends on various other external factors.

4. Maintenance:

The maintenance process for both the normal as well as solar battery is almost the same.

The ultimate aim of battery care is to maintain and improve the battery life and its performance. Battery life depends on all kinds of factors such as the temperature of storage and so on. Hence, these factors must be kept in mind to care for and maintain a battery.

More than 80% of battery failure is caused due to sulfation. Sulfation usually takes place when the battery is on low charge. To save the battery from sulfation, it is essential to monitor and control this factor in case of flooded batteries. 

All you need is distilled water, a temperature compensating hydrometer, and a digital voltmeter to take care of a battery. 

Can We Use A Normal Secondary Battery As A Solar Battery?

Yes, you can use a normal secondary battery as a solar battery. The C10 battery can give more power over a 10-hour cycle than the C20 battery, which is for a 20-hour cycle.

But make sure never to over-discharge a battery. Solar operators also function as regular inverter, but it also has the feature of charging the battery using solar panels. It also runs in a hybrid mode which signifies that the battery is charged using electricity as well as solar energy.

The battery that is used in homes is made up of these compositions (anyone): Saltwater, lead-acid, and lithium-ion. 

Lithium batteries are the best for a solar panel. However, other batteries might be comparatively more affordable.

Also, you might be wondering about the differences between a solar and a car battery, you can check this reference post for a detailed overview.

Future of Solar Battery

The future is Solar! It is believed that solar energy will take over electric energy in the near future. For converting solar energy into electric energy, two technologies are widely used. 

These technologies are photovoltaics as well as concentrated solar power. Concentrated solar power is also known as solar thermal. Both are believed to be used in their current as well as plausible forms.

The studies also show that there will be a dramatic expansion of the solar industry from a small scale to a large scale and widely used technology in the future.

Solar deployment in the future also depends on various uncertain market conditions in the future. This includes policies that are aimed to mitigate global climate change.

Solar power will dominate the coming generation, from now till 2050, and it wouldn’t take any longer than that.

Right now Solid-state batteries might be a future for storage systems. Not only that, Green H2 is going to be a promising advancement for power storage as well.

Conclusion

All in all, solar and normal batteries are different in some aspects, but they can be used interchangeably at any given point.

However, solar batteries are preferable to normal ones as they have a longer life span and better discharge rate than normal secondary ratings. Also, the maintenance of both the batteries is almost the same. 

We would recommend you to opt for the one that fits the best with your requirements. As the world is moving towards a more sustainable world, we should stick to eco-friendly options as much as possible.