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100 AH Deep Cycle vs 200 AH Truck Battery

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  • 100 AH Deep Cycle vs 200 AH Truck Battery

    I can get a truck battery (apparently more robust than a standard car battery) which is double the capacity of a deep cycle AGM for roughly the same price (both within budget).

    Which would be better in a small 450W solar system?

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  • #2
    Depends on what type of charge controller you are using. 450W of panels can generate as much as 37 charging amps and even if your CC is limited to 30amp that is way too much for a 100Ah battery and even marginal for a 200Ah battery.

    AGM are usually more expensive because of how they are made but they do not last as long as a standard FLA Deep cycle battery.

    I also am not sure about that 200Ah 12volt truck battery because it would be very very heavy and not something you find in most vehicles unless you have a hoist to get it in and out of the battery compartment.

    If you are looking to build a proper solar/battery system sometimes cost is secondary to using the proper equipment for a stable system.

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    • #3
      Originally posted by SunEagle View Post
      Depends on what type of charge controller you are using. 450W of panels can generate as much as 37 charging amps and even if your CC is limited to 30amp that is way too much for a 100Ah battery and even marginal for a 200Ah battery.

      AGM are usually more expensive because of how they are made but they do not last as long as a standard FLA Deep cycle battery.

      I also am not sure about that 200Ah 12volt truck battery because it would be very very heavy and not something you find in most vehicles unless you have a hoist to get it in and out of the battery compartment.

      If you are looking to build a proper solar/battery system sometimes cost is secondary to using the proper equipment for a stable system.
      Where did you get 37 amps from? Max my panels give is 25.

      Also I read from multiple places that AGM has a longer life cycle than a flooded battery.

      The battery still weighs less than 100 pounds.

      ​​​​​​Btw I'm still looking for an answer to my question.

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      • #4
        Originally posted by SunSeeker1 View Post

        Where did you get 37 amps from? Max my panels give is 25.

        Also I read from multiple places that AGM has a longer life cycle than a flooded battery.

        The battery still weighs less than 100 pounds.

        ​​​​​​Btw I'm still looking for an answer to my question.
        The 37 amps is calculated by dividing the total wattage by the battery voltage or 450w / 12v = 37.5amps. That is what you might get using an MPPT type CC. If you are using a PWM and have the panels wired to it in parallel you will get the total of the Imp rating of the panels which in most cases would be less amps then what you would get from an MPPT CC.

        I have AGM's and I like them but I also chose that type of battery so I could move them around and not worry about spilling any fluids. They generally cost more than the standard FLA type battery and have shorter life span then a deep cycle FLA type battery no matter what you have heard about AGM.

        If it was my money I would go with the 200Ah battery since it has the potential to deliver more watt hours then the 100Ah at the same cost. But the draw back IMO might be the weight of that 200Ah and if it really is a deep cycle rated.

        It is your money to spend and I usually say don't over spend on your first battery bank since it is the "learning" battery and may not last as long as you hope. The second battery choice may be higher quality and more cost if that is the way you want to go.

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        • #5
          Never heard of a FLA 12 volt 200 ah. battery weighing under a hundred pounds. Are you sure about this?
          2.2kw Suntech mono, Classic 200, NEW Trace SW4024

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          • #6
            Originally posted by littleharbor View Post
            Never heard of a FLA 12 volt 200 ah. battery weighing under a hundred pounds. Are you sure about this?
            I also wondered if that battery was a true 200Ah deep cycle or just 200 Cranking amps. Big difference but then again I do not know about all available batteries.

            Comment


            • #7
              Originally posted by SunSeeker1 View Post
              .....The battery still weighs less than 100 pounds....
              Then pass on it. Can't possibly be a true 12V 200ah @ 20hr rate battery. Using a SLI battery in deep cycle use, will damage it quickly, it might last 100 cycles if you are lucky.


              Powerfab top of pole PV mount (2) | Listeroid 6/1 w/st5 gen head | XW6048 inverter/chgr | Iota 48V/15A charger | Morningstar 60A MPPT | 48V, 800A NiFe Battery (in series)| 15, Evergreen 205w "12V" PV array on pole | Midnight ePanel | Grundfos 10 SO5-9 with 3 wire Franklin Electric motor (1/2hp 240V 1ph ) on a timer for 3 hr noontime run - Runs off PV ||
              || Midnight Classic 200 | 10, Evergreen 200w in a 160VOC array ||
              || VEC1093 12V Charger | Maha C401 aa/aaa Charger | SureSine | Sunsaver MPPT 15A

              solar: http://tinyurl.com/LMR-Solar
              gen: http://tinyurl.com/LMR-Lister

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              • #8
                Originally posted by SunSeeker1 View Post
                I can get a truck battery (apparently more robust than a standard car battery) which is double the capacity of a deep cycle AGM
                That is an oxymoron. Car and Truck batteries are not deep cycle. So the answer to your question is neither battery. A 12 volt 200 AH deep cycle battery is going to weigh more than 125 pounds.

                Example here is one of the best rated at 127 pounds.
                Last edited by Sunking; 06-14-2018, 04:12 PM.
                MSEE, PE

                Comment


                • #9
                  Originally posted by Sunking View Post
                  That is an oxymoron. Car and Truck batteries are not deep cycle. So the answer to your question is neither battery. A 12 volt 200 AH deep cycle battery is going to weigh more than 125 pounds.

                  Example here is one of the best rated at 127 pounds.
                  It's not a deep cycle battery. It's a truck battery so basically a heavier duty car battery.

                  My original question is which is the better but a 100 AH deep cycle vs 200 AH non deep cycle.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Originally posted by SunSeeker1 View Post

                    It's not a deep cycle battery. It's a truck battery so basically a heavier duty car battery.

                    My original question is which is the better but a 100 AH deep cycle vs 200 AH non deep cycle.
                    For solar a deep cycle is better. But for a first time build I would go with the lower cost or higher output. Again just be careful and check to see if that truck battery is really rated 200Ah @ 20 hours.

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Originally posted by SunEagle View Post

                      For solar a deep cycle is better. But for a first time build I would go with the lower cost or higher output. Again just be careful and check to see if that truck battery is really rated 200Ah @ 20 hours.
                      Ok thanks.

                      But generally at what point does capacity override battery quality. When it's 50% more, twice as much?

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                      • #12
                        Originally posted by SunSeeker1 View Post

                        Ok thanks.

                        But generally at what point does capacity override battery quality. When it's 50% more, twice as much?


                        While you're still learning how to maintain a healthy battery bank. Which involves monitoring specific gravity. fine tuning voltage setpoints, When to equalize. Keeping daily use to acceptable levels. Augmenting charging with your generator. Stuff like that. Once you are comfortable with that kind of stuff then buying higher quality batteries isn't dangerous to your wallet.
                        2.2kw Suntech mono, Classic 200, NEW Trace SW4024

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Originally posted by SunSeeker1 View Post

                          It's not a deep cycle battery. It's a truck battery so basically a heavier duty car battery.

                          My original question is which is the better but a 100 AH deep cycle vs 200 AH non deep cycle.
                          That is all you need to know. SLI (starting lighting and ignition) and Deep Cycle batteries are made completely differently. A SLI battery is constructed with thin spongy plates to increase suface area and an alloy allowing it to operate at higher voltages with some space in the bottom of the jar for plate shedding so the corrosion does not short out the plates. They are made to deliver very high short burst of current to crank an engine and be recharged quickly and cannot be cycled. If you try you will only get 50 to 100 cycles and with each cycle less capacity.

                          Deep Cycle batteries are made with heavy think solid plates that fill the battery jar that can be deep cycled.

                          MSEE, PE

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                          • #14
                            Originally posted by SunSeeker1 View Post

                            Ok thanks.

                            But generally at what point does capacity override battery quality. When it's 50% more, twice as much?
                            Something you also have to look at is the amount of charging amps you plan on throwing at the battery. You mentioned 25amps which would calculate out to a C/4 charge rate (100Ah / 25a = 4hr) and might be too aggressive for that 100Ah AGM battery.

                            While AGM can handle faster charge rates then FLA type it seems to me that if you stayed within the C/8 to C/12 charge rate you will not cook or stagnate the battery.

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