How often do you replace your solar batteries?

[AccordGuy]

I've been looking at different types of deep cycle lead acid batteries for solar use and it seems the best ones are carbon fibre ones that are rated to around 1000 80% discharge cycles.

On a daily use, small scale solar system that could mean replacing these quite expensive batteries every 3 years... My system only has a 84W PV array and so on rainy days it doesn't make enough charge for the daily load on the inverter and the battery starts to run down.

How often have people had to replace their solar batteries?

[Jerry Campbell]

I have had my batteries for 5 years. About 1600 Amps. 5 or 6 months a year I use them heavely. Everyday down to 75% or so. The other time I use them lightly. Most people are getting at least 10 years or more out of these Trojan L16H 6 volt. I hear!! Mine seem to be acting just like they always have. So I,m hoping. A friend just paid $2400 for 8 Trojan L16H batteries.
Jerry

[Dennis The Bus Dweller]

Hi there Accord guy

Here’s the Dennis the bus dweller theory. If your going to buy your self a battery bank. It may be a better bang for the buck to get a bank of 6 or 8 / 6 volt gulf cart 220 amphr each ( interstate, Bj’s or Cosco ext ) for the next couple of years along with a few more PV solar panels. That will buy you some time to build up a sizable solar aray and then spend some big bucks on some “MONSTERâ€

[AccordGuy]

Hahahaha... I'm so minor league

I've got an old 70Ah leisure battery that I've had kicking around for about 7 years and a bunch of car batteries in various states of ruin. At the moment I've got the leisure battery and a new 70Ah car battery in parallel for this solar experiment. The car battery I got cheap from a friend who bought it for his daughter's car and then 2 weeks later she crashed it

I originally bought the leisure battery for travelling in Scotland in the winter in my car. I'd park up in the mountains and sleep in my car to wait for the dawn and take pictures. It can get damn cold there so I used a 150w 12v fan heater on this battery to keep the frost off my nose while in a sleeping bag!

Then I got married and somehow the idea of sleeping in a freezing cold car in the middle of nowhere didn't appeal to my wife... So the battery has been languishing in the garage for a few years but now it's found a new vocation in life...