There are generally 3 types of residential solar power system that you can choose from:

1) Grid-intertied solar power system.

2) Grid-intertied solar power system with battery backup.

3) Off-grid solar power setup.

In this post, I am going to write about the battery bank.

Building Your Own Battery Bank

To build a battery bank for your home, firstly, you have to know what type of battery to choose. The type of battery suitable for a residential solar power system is the “deep cycle”.

Deep cycle batteries are more durable and capable of discharging at a slower rate. The battery also discharges at a deeper level without destroying itself.

Deep cycle batteries are direct contrast to conventional lead acid batteries used on automobile. Car battery discharges very fast in order to have sufficient power to crank the engine. It is also not recommended to discharge the battery to a low level or it will damage the battery.

Therefore, if you are planning to make a home battery bank, do not use car batteries.

The video above shows a battery bank made out of 6 volts cells. You may be wandering, why use 6 volts when you can get 12 volts battery?

The answer is simple really. It is because of the “cost”.

6 volts batteries are generally cheaper compared to 12 volts. When you connect 2 units of 6 volts battery together in series, you will get 12 volts anyway. Doing that, you will save you some money.

There are benefits of using a 12 volts battery though. The major advantage is space saving and less power cables to deal with. Secondly, 12 volts battery requires less maintenance. Maintaining 1 unit of battery is easier compared to 2.

Safety First

When building your DIY battery bank, remember, safety first. Batteries are filled with sulfuric acid which is a very nasty stuff.

Always wear protective clothing and safety glasses when working with battery. As a safety precaution, have a box of baking soda nearby. If for any reason you got sulfuric acid on you, use the baking soda to neutralize the acid.

DIY Home Solar Power System

When you have the battery bank all set up, you can now charge it with a solar panel. A DIY solar panel with 36 pieces of Photovoltaic (PV) cell usually will generate 18 volt and approximately 75 watts of electricity on a clear sunny day. The solar panel will be suitable for your battery bank.

How much would it cost to make the solar panel? As a matter of fact, you can get it done for less than $150.

To find out how you can build an inexpensive solar panel, check out the Green DIY Energy program. The program comes with 2 e-books and 6 High Definition (HD) instructional videos showing you step-by-step how to make a solar module at minimal cost.

For more information, read the Green DIY Energy review at www.greendiyenergyreviews.com.

==> Click here to read more about Green DIY Energy now!

Related web pages:
1) Golf Cart Battery – Maintenance Guide To Extend The Life Of Electric Golf Cart Batteries

2) Solar Panels For Homes – Back To Basics

Do It Yourself Home Solar Power System

Many people are really keen to use renewable energy source such as solar power to reduce their home energy consumption. When the energy is generate by the solar array, most of the time, it will not be used immediately.

Most people with a Do It Yourself (DIY) solar energy system will build a battery bank to store the electricity generated. The size of the battery bank will be dependent on your household energy requirement.

Power will be drawn from the battery bank at night or when there is heavy cloud coverage. To have sufficient power, it may be a good idea to have 15 – 20 units of battery.

Where To Find Cheap Battery Storage For Home DIY Solar System?

Getting 15 – 20 units of battery can be quite expensive. There are many ways to reduce your budget though.

Want to know where to find cheap batteries? You can actually find them on eBay!

What type of battery should you use? For long lasting and steady power flow, it is recommended to use deep cycle battery for a DIY solar power system.

A deep cycle lead-acid battery is designed to deliver a consistent voltage as the battery discharges. In contrast, starter batteries on most road vehicles are designed to deliver sporadic current spikes. You don’t want this kind of battery or you will experience flickering on your lights or electrical appliances.

The most suitable deep cycle batteries are the one used on electric golf carts. If you want to know how to get your hands on some cheap deep cycle batteries, keep on reading.

Shopping For Cheap Batteries On eBay

The first step is to go to eBay main web site at www.ebay.com. You will see a pull down menu at the center of the page where it show All Categories. Click on the down arrow button and select eBay Motors.

Next, type in “golf cart batteries” in the search box next to it and click on the “Search” button. The web site will now gather all the deep cycle battery listings on eBay.

When the search results are presented, now all you have to do is browse through all the offers and auction and find the one which meets your requirement.

Here’s a tip, you should try doing the battery search couple of times a week on eBay. This is because as time goes by, people will start auctioning some used golf cart battery on eBay. You can to take advantage of this and be on the constant look out.

The screen shots below show some deep cycle batteries listings the last time I did a search on eBay.

Deep Cycle Battery listings on eBay

Building Your Own Home Battery Bank System

Do you want to know how to make your own battery storage system for your home solar panel? If you do, check the Power 4 Home manual by John Russel.

The e-book will show you step-by-step how to set the battery units with relatively low cost. For more information, read the Power 4 Home reviews in this blog.

==> Click here to visit Power 4 Home now!

Related web sites:

1) Deep cycle battery – A deep-cycle lead-acid battery is designed to deliver a consistent voltage as the battery discharges.

DIY Home Battery Bank

When you are setting up a home renewable energy system such as solar or wind power, one of your biggest expenses would be on the batteries.

The number of battery needed will depend on your power requirement. If you are planning to plug-in a lot of electrical equipment to the system, obviously you will need a large battery bank.

The Type Of Battery

What type of battery should you use to store all the energy generated by the solar panels or wind turbine?

It is recommended for you to use deep cycle battery. Deep cycle battery can hold a lot of power and yet it will release the energy over a longer time frame.

Unlike car batteries that release large amount of energy for a very short time in order to crank the engine, deep cycle battery tends to release a steady flow of electricity.

The deep cycle battery can also be discharged to a deeper level hence it is perfect for home solar power system.

Getting The Best Out Of Your Investment

Most deep cycle batteries are quite expensive. Your best option is to use dead deep cycle battery intended for golf carts.

If you are planning to invest money on the batteries, it would be best for you to get the most out of your investment. You want to make sure the battery lasts a long time.

I’ve already did the research for you. The best manual that I found on the internet on deep cycle battery care is the “Electric Golf Cart Battery Guide” from www.golfcartbatteryguide.info.

It also offers the best value for money. The e-book is selling for only $19.95!

If you are keen to know how to take good care of your deep cycle batteries, check out the manual from the link below.

==> Click here to visit the Electric Golf Cart Battery Guide now!