Flooded Lead Acid Battery

Flooded Lead-Acid
When you switch to solar energy, particularly to solar photovoltaic systems, you will be dealing with different types of solar batteries. The battery is one of the main components of a solar PV system that you should take a deeper understanding of. However, understanding and differentiating these solar batteries might be confusing to some, especially for those who are only new to the solar energy community.  

For today’s article, we will explain how important it is to understand the basics of solar batteries and highlighting one of the common solar battery types, which is the flooded lead-acid battery.
What is Flooded Lead-Acid Battery?
A flooded lead-acid battery is the most common type of deep cycle solar battery in the market compared to a sealed lead-acid battery and other lead-acid batteries. These lead-acid batteries are sometimes called “wet cell” lead-acid batteries and have been on the market for many decades. They are also the least expensive solar storage battery upfront next to Lithium-ion solar batteries, which are the most cost-effective ones. 

Flooded lead-acid batteries and sealed lead-acid batteries are always being compared with one another due to their almost same performance, depth of discharge abilities, warranty, and cycle life. The largest difference between the two lead-acid battery types is their battery maintenance. 
How Do Flooded Lead-Acid Batteries Differ From Other Lead-acid Batteries?
For a flooded lead-acid battery, you need to add water so often for their maintenance, you also have to perform periodic equalization needs. The specific gravity of the electrolyte also needs to be measured frequently with a hydrometer. 

Another factor that makes a flooded battery differ from other batteries is that it can off-gas hydrogen in particular battery charging conditions. Since it can off-gas hydrogen, you need to vent the battery needing to release all the accumulated fumes. On the other hand, a sealed lead-acid battery does not require any high maintenance nor not require battery venting, making its spot next to a flooded lead-acid battery and popular to solar users who don’t want to deal with battery high maintenance. However, a sealed lead-acid battery due to the inability to maintain the battery, may not perform at its maximum levels, making the flooded lead-acid battery remain the most ideal solar battery.
Flooded Lead-Acid Battery Maintenance
While the flooded lead-acid battery is the most common and economic solar battery on the market, it will only reach its expected lifespan if you know how to maintain them properly. These lead-acid batteries usually contain an electrolyte that can freely move inside the battery encasement. When it is being charged, its battery acid and lead plates usually react to store electricity. Thus, they are meant to be placed upright so that the electrolyte will not leak out of the caps on top. Also, you must check the levels monthly and topped them off with distilled water to reach their longest possible lifespan.
Is it Worth it to Buy for a Solar PV System?
Aside from its durability, performance, and depth of discharge abilities, using flooded lead-acid deep cycle batteries for your solar energy storage will save you from hefty costs. Among the other lead-acid battery, they are the most cost-effective battery with the lowest cost per amp-hour and cost per kWh cycle. With all of the mentioned advantages of a flooded lead-acid battery, it is surely worth buying for your solar PV system.

Manufacturers

In the simplest terms, manufacturing is the process of producing actual goods or items/products through the use of raw materials, human labour, use of machinery, tools and other processes such as chemical formulation. This process usually starts with product designing and raw material selection, turning them into an actual product output. 

Solar Products Manufacturers and Factories

In terms of solar, manufacturing encompasses the fabrication or production of materials across the solar market chain. The most common product being manufactured by solar companies are the solar photovoltaic (PV) panels, which are made with several subcomponents such as solar wafers, cells, glass, back sheets, and frames. Before a solar panel comes into life, it will undergo a lot of processes, from designing, modelling, choosing what raw materials to use and then assembling them all to make the final product.

More Than Just Solar Panels

Aside from the solar panels, solar companies have many other manufactured products that are required to make solar energy systems work smoothly, like solar inverters, batteries, combiner boxes, and racking and tracking structures.

Having a solar manufacturing sector makes a big difference in supplying affordable solar energy in different areas. Aside from maintaining the rising domestic and global demand for cleaner and renewable energy, they also help the economy grow, particularly the solar industry. If you are in search of a reliable solar manufacturing company, checking out our solar outsourcing company, SolarFeeds, would help you get easy access to reliable information, news, data and a list of solar manufacturers that can help you with solar products.

Costa Rica

A brief review of Costa Rica’s solar market outlook

Costa Rica, a Central American country, has achieved impressive renewable energy capacity in recent years. In 2019, the nation’s renewable energy share hit 99.15%. Looking at this renewable energy share capacity, one may assume that its solar capacity is equally impressive. Unfortunately, that assumption is inaccurate.

Solar market share statistics revealed that Costa Rica’s installed solar capacity stood at 5.4 Megawatts at the end of 2019. This figure accounts for only 0.08% of the Central American nation’s cumulative energy capacity. Any solar expert will agree that this is a severe course for concern.

However, things are looking up for Costa Rica’s nascent solar market. In June 2021, the Costa Rican government commenced bids for a large-scale photovoltaic project to power two municipalities. This move indicates a newly-found desire to support and build the Central American country’s emerging solar market. Looking forward, solar installers and other photovoltaic professionals should expect limitless opportunities in Costa Rica’s emerging solar market.

Solar equipment production and supply capability in Costa Rica

 As I mentioned above, Costa Rica is an emerging solar market. Still, the nation’s solar equipment production and supply capability is something to smile about. Several equipment manufacturers and distributors serve the nascent Costa Rican solar market. Do you need a trustworthy equipment supplier?

If the answer is yes, the Solarfeeds family has got you covered. Our website gives you access to leading solar equipment manufacturers serving Costa Rica. The sole task you need to undertake is going to the website’s inquiry page and request quotes.

Costa Rica’s ports and logistics services

Before venturing into any solar market, you must first consider the ease of accessing equipment. This means you must be able to import equipment if the need arises. Well, Costa Rica boasts of several sea ports that allow entry of goods from overseas markets. The country also has a healthy logistics services network that permits the safe transportation of equipment locally.