Yes. It is possible to use solar batteries in cars. Ultimately the purpose of the batteries in the car is to power the lights, and equipment, and help in starting the car.
Unless the solar batteries are compatible to support the power connection in your car, you can use any battery in the car.
Is it ok to use a deep-cycle battery in my car?
Deep cycle batteries are quite heavy. You can use them in the car comfortably. However, deep-cycle batteries have some pros and cons. The deep cycle battery would have limited power bursts which sometimes cause problems while using them.
The storage batteries can start the engine and power the headlights and electric equipment in the car. Not good storage, but it does the job well.
Can a solar battery start a car?
The solar battery can start a car. However, they are not suitable in the region where the temperature reaches the freezing point. Most solar batteries are made of a Lithium-based battery or lead-acid deep cycle battery.
These batteries are highly efficient, but none of them generates sufficient power to replace the current car batteries.
Is it possible to use Car batteries for solar?
There are several similarities between car batteries and solar batteries. However, they are meant for different purposes. Car batteries are designed to generate a short burst of power to start the engine.
These types of batteries are not suitable for storing solar energy. Solar batteries are generally deep-cycle batteries.
They are manufactured to last longer without discharging. It will power your system for a very long period.
It will keep powering the system until the complete depletion. You can recharge this battery by using the solar panel.
What sets Solar batteries apart from car batteries?
Several factors affect the performance of car batteries compared to solar batteries. Every battery is designed with a different purpose in mind. At the same time, car batteries are designed to start the engine and power the lights.
It would be difficult to use these batteries for solar energy storage. You cannot power the home with car batteries due to the low voltage supply.
In contrast, solar batteries are deep-cycle batteries designed to store maximum energy during the day when connected to solar panels. The discharge rate of solar batteries is prolonged. It can power the equipment for very long periods.
Repeated recharge is possible with solar batteries. You will find two types of batteries in the market, which include lithium-ion and lead-acid batteries.
Why are Lithium-ion batteries used in solar?
Lithium-ion batteries are most common in solar batteries. They are taking the lead in home batteries for energy storage.
It is lighter compared to car batteries. Another quality of the lithium-ion battery is the depth in the discharge rate. It is highly efficient for long hours to use with an extended lifespan.
Typically the Lithium-ion batteries last for years and serve the purpose very efficiently. Not much maintenance is required and can be used for several years without spending a dime on the repair.
What is the use of Lead Acid batteries in solar?
Lead-acid batteries are made of chemicals that react to certain metals to produce the electron that moves freely from positive charge to negative charge. The movement of the electron generates the power for the equipment. It can produce power over a long period without needing a charge.
However, each time the lead-acid battery is charged and discharged, they lose some portion of the battery capacity.
Over time the lost capacity would result in a decrease in performance. It will also shorten the lifespan of the battery.
Lead-acid batteries are typically used in car batteries as they are the best source of instant energy for starting the car with a short burst.
The car batteries are kept in a lethal environment and have to go through different environmental conditions.
Therefore these types of lead-acid batteries are suitable for cars. Compare to solar batteries, car batteries will not lose performance when used in a freezing environment.
It performs well and keeps powering the car for long hours.
Eng. Matthew Joseph Nandirio is the Founder of walkingsolar.
After graduating from the University of Houston in 2002, matt started working as a Solar Electrical Engineer for several multi-national solar energy companies.
He has a wide range of experiences including solar system requirement analysis, planning, maintaining, debugging and even solar device development through research.
He now shares his 20 years of expertise through his articles on the walkingsolar website.
Further, he is also the author of two books on Solar Technology, “Solar Power for Villages” and “DIY Solar System for Dummies”.