Battery Enclosures

An off-grid solar system must have all the necessary equipment to generate, supply and store solar energy onsite. Off-grid solar systems are also referred to as standalone solar power systems, as they operate without a connection to any external power source. Off-grid solar systems are made up of 12 volt solar panels (or modules) that can be used individually or combined into a single array. The solar panels use a solar charge controller to send power to charge solar batteries and a solar inverter to convert direct current (DC), which the solar panel generates, to useable alternating current (AC). Off-grid solar systems are ideal for remote rural areas and applications where power sources are either impractical or unavailable.
Battery enclosures provide protection for the batteries in an off-grid solar system. Some off-grid systems may be located in environments that have very high temperatures, very low temperatures or both. Batteries need to be protected without consuming significant amounts of extra energy from the solar system. In very hot environments, it is important to avoid direct sunlight on the battery enclosure by shading it if necessary. Select an enclosure that is large enough to allow for plenty of air circulation and ventilation. In very cold environments, it is important to highly insulate the enclosure, use as little air space as possible around the battery while still providing the necessary ventilation and use any available heat source (waste heat from a backup generator or passive solar techniques).
A basic solar setup includes:
- Solar panels. The solar panel is going to absorb sunlight and convert that sunlight into energy.
- Charge controllers. The charge controller is going to direct the energy that's absorbed by the solar panel to specific locations.
- Batteries. A battery stores energy that is absorbed by the solar panel when it is not being used by the electrical load.
- Inverters. An inverter takes DC power and converts it to AC power for use in homes or businesses.
The solar panel is absorbs sunlight and converts that sunlight into energy, in this case, DC power. That energy is going to be transferred over to the charge controller, which dictates where that energy actually goes. The charge controller is going to be wired to both the battery and it's also going to be wired to an electrical load. The charge controller will monitor the energy that is coming off of the solar panel and determine where that power is needed. For instance, if power is needed for an electrical load, it will send power in that direction. If there's no power that's needed for that electrical load, it will send power to the battery to store for later use. In the case where there is no need for power at the electrical load and the battery is full, the charge controller will dissipate that energy in the form of heat. In other applications, an inverter may be used in a solar setup. The inverter works by drawing energy, DC power, from the solar panel. It converts that energy into AC power, which can then be used in homes and businesses.