Due to wide range of energy storage systems available on the market today, selecting the right type of solar battery can be a daunting choice. Virtue Solaris has been installing domestic and commercial battery systems in Malta since 2019, both on and off-the-grid, and we have gained considerable experience in selecting the right type of battery system for our customers’ needs.
Broadly speaking, there are three most common types of battery systems for solar applications:
- Lead-acid batteries are well known for use in vehicles. Their derivatives, such as deep cycle gel batteries have been the mainstream in solar off grid systems for many years. Although this type of battery comes at a relatively low cost, it suffers from several drawbacks in comparison with other alternatives. This includes relatively low power density, limitations of charging cycle, and relatively short lifespan.
- Flow batteries store energy by pumping metal ions in dissolved liquids through a membrane. Such batteries are more suited for larger, industrial scale systems, and involve high initial investment and maintenance costs. On the other hand, flow batteries have great potential for industrial uses due to their extremely long lifespan.
- Lithium-ion batteries are presently the most common battery type used predominantly in consumer electronics. Lithium ion batteries are ideally suited for domestic solar energy storage applications, due to their compact size, modular design and scalability, high power density, long lifespan, absence of maintenance costs, high safety and relatively low cost.
Virtue Solaris offers its customers latest range of solar batteries that utilize lithium-ion cell chemistry.
