The answer is yes, but we don’t recommend that you do. First, let’s look at why you can use a car battery instead of a solar battery.
Currently, car batteries on the market are mainly lead-acid batteries, which are widely used due to their low price, and you can find them in any automobile workshop or parts store. The operating voltage of a car battery is similar to that of a solar battery, which is 12 V. Therefore, solar panels can be used with car batteries.
The reason we don’t recommend Use a Car Battery for Solar Panel
Although car batteries and solar cells have similar properties, they work very differently. Car batteries mainly provide the high current needed to start the car, and car batteries can output higher current and voltage in a shorter period of time. Car batteries are designed to be different from solar batteries in that they are only used to start the car’s engine. Car batteries do not need to be discharged for long periods of time, which consumes very little power, and then the car battery will be recharged by the engine again, so car batteries do not need to be discharged as deeply as solar batteries.
The discharge of lead-acid batteries is realized through chemical reactions. When the battery is fully charged, there are enough raw materials for chemical reactions in the battery, so the chemical reactions can be completed quickly to release higher current and voltage, but with the reduction of raw materials, the current and voltage will be reduced accordingly. This is ideal for automotive batteries.
However, batteries for solar energy systems are better at working with stable low currents and can be used continuously for long periods of time, so the batteries often need to be deeply discharged. If lead-acid batteries are used, as the discharge (charging) goes deeper, the reactive chemicals continue to decrease, and the conversion efficiency of the energy decreases. Therefore, the use of automobile batteries will affect the energy conversion efficiency of solar panels and shorten the battery lifespan.
Solar batteries generally use lithium batteries, lithium batteries have a longer cycle life, solar energy system as a daily long-term use of facilities, need to experience very many times of charging and discharging, so lithium batteries are more suitable for solar energy system. Lead-acid batteries, on the other hand, have a relatively short cycle life and perform poorly in low temperatures. They do not work well for daily power supply in winter. The use of lead-acid batteries may lead to a decrease in the performance of the solar system and a shorter battery life.
In summary
While automotive batteries may still be usable in some situations, they have many limitations in terms of compatibility and performance with solar systems. Therefore, if you want to utilize the full potential of your solar photovoltaic panels and ensure that your system can be used for a long period of time, it is recommended that you use lithium batteries that are specifically designed for solar photovoltaic panels.
If you need to use a car battery due to conditions, here are the considerations you should be aware of
1. When choosing a lead-acid battery, make sure that the battery has good deep-cycle capability, long life and the ability to apply to different environments.
2. It is not advisable to over-discharge the battery, and if it is over-discharged, it should be recharged immediately.
3. Avoid using batteries in confined environments as small amounts of oxygen will be generated by the battery during charging and the accumulation of gas in confined spaces may be dangerous.
4. The performance of lead-acid batteries is greatly affected by temperature and should be kept within the recommended operating temperature range, generally between 0-25 degrees Celsius.
5. Use a suitable charger and select the appropriate charging current and voltage according to the battery specifications to avoid over-charging or over-discharging.
6. Traditional lead-acid batteries require regular maintenance during use, including adding water, etc. This will increase the maintenance cost of the system and may affect the reliability of the system if the amount of water is insufficient.
7. Lead-acid batteries require proper maintenance during use to maintain their performance and prolong their lifespan
