> 2. You should ONLY be using deep cycle cells - used in marine > industry and Uniteruptable power systems -- DO NOT stop at your > local automotive dealer -- car/truck batteries are totally > inapprorpiate for this application.
Not always... some people are actually on a low budget and while an 8D Truck Battery might not be the best engineering choice... it can be a very cost effective path when priced typical 1/4 to 1/3 the retail price of a same size high-end battery deep cycle battery. Using large auto/truck batteries might be a more practical choice. The debate over using various battery types at solar sites would be a long thread. > The size and capacity fo the cells must be matched to your load > AND to the expected solar panel charging ability. (This is the > "teeter totter" part of the design). Matched pretty much only in the best made plans and budgets. But sometimes you have to take/use what resources are the most practical or available. I'm using deep cycle, flooded lead acid and surplus station batteries at many remote sites. From experience I can tell you a lot of the many pros and cons for using each type. ... and of course each site capacity and each setup is different. Every soup requires a bit of "season to taste". In a practical application... 4D and 8D Auto Batteries can and do work pretty well in at remote sites and they're a lot cheaper than the deep cycle types if you're on a budget. They are not the best choice... but the best choice does cost a lot more if you can go that route. cheers, skipp
