Solar powered street lamp Battery types and Maintenance Tips

Solar powered street lamps are favored by a large of population. It's energy-saving and environmentally friendly lighting solution. However, some people take it as a risk. This is all due to the bad quality of the rechargeable battery. Some inferior manufacturers use recycled batteries from electrical vehicles. The use of low-quality batteries will cause the solar street lights to explode. Performance of battery is significant. The solar powered street lamp batteries currently used in the market mainly include gel batteries, lead-acid batteries, lithium iron phosphate batteries and ternary lithium batteries. Let's get to know the types of battery and how to maintain it during use in this article. 

Common classifications of batteries for solar powered street lamp

Gel battery: equivalent to an upgraded version of lead-acid battery, maintenance-free, mainly because the internal colloidal electrolyte replaces the sulfuric acid electrolyte; the gel battery can be used in the temperature range of -40℃-65℃. It performs well in low temperature. Gel batteries are the best choice in northern alpine regions or tropical regions with higher temperatures.

Lead-acid batteries: The plates of lead-acid batteries are made of lead and lead oxides, and the electrolyte is an aqueous solution of sulfuric acid. The main advantages of lead-acid batteries are that the voltage is relatively stable, the price is relatively cheap, and the safety is high. The disadvantage is that the stored electric energy per kilogram of battery is relatively low, so the volume is relatively large. The number of cycles is about 300-500.

Lithium iron phosphate battery: small size, fast charging, and good stability. The temperature range is also wide, and it can be used at -40℃-70℃. The number of cycles is 1500-2000, and the service life is long, which can reach 5-8 years. Lithium iron phosphate batteries are very cost-effective, so the price is also the highest of all batteries.

Ternary lithium battery: Ternary lithium battery has many advantages, it has high specific energy, small size, fast charging and high price. Its deep cycle times are about 500-800 times, its service life is similar to that of gel batteries, and the temperature range for use is -15°C-45°C. However, the safety of the ternary lithium battery is poor. If the battery is not stable inside, or the ternary lithium battery is produced by an unqualified manufacturer, it is very likely that an explosion may occur during the overcharging process or in a high temperature environment.

Also in the process of using solar powered street lamps, we also need to maintain the battery reasonably to give full play to its performance and extend its lifespan. How to maintain the battery after the solar street lamp is used?

1. To prevent overcharging

In addition to the external maintenance, the battery lifespan of solar powered street lamp is also closely related to the accumulation of internal heat. If the solar battery is overcharged, the temperature inside the battery will rise step by step, causing thermal runaway. If it is serious, it may greatly shorten the lifespan of the battery, or even make the battery useless. If we want to prevent the battery from overcharging, we must strictly follow the manufacturer's instructions to provide the charging voltage value.

2. To prevent over-discharge

The depth of discharge of the battery is closely related to the number of charge and discharge cycles (service life) of the battery design. If the over-discharge is serious, the lifespan of the battery will be shorter. If it is serious, it may cause the battery to be unable to activate to the best state, or even be scrapped all at once.

3. To prevent insufficient charging

In addition to preventing overcharging, solar cells must also prevent undercharging. If the charge has been insufficient, it may be caused by low voltage. Frequent under-charging will reduce the number of cycles of the battery and also shorten the service life of the battery.

4. Control the ambient temperature

High temperature will shorten the service life of solar powered street lamp batteries, so it is very important to control the temperature of solar batteries. The battery has a longer service life in normal temperature weather. In hot weather, the battery will be greatly affected. If the environment is relatively harsh, with extremely low or extremely high temperatures, it is best to use batteries with a wider temperature range.