Why a Deep Cycle Battery
for your solar system?
First, let's compare a deep cycle battery to a regular 12-volt car battery.
 Deep cycle batteries are design to be gradually discharge down to 80 % of their full capacity and then recharged hundreds of times.
Car batteries are shallow cycle batteries made to give a rapid discharge to start your car's engine. So, by using a car battery in a deep cycle application, it would last no more than a year.
Deep cycle batteries are a major part of a well-designed solar system, so choosing the right one is very important.
There are two categories of deep cycle batteries, Sealed or Standard.
 When you're considering solar as a backup system, sealed batteries are the perfect choice.
Though twice the price of standard batteries, they practically require no maintenance and they are the best in the "waiting-to-be-used" category.
Sealed batteries come in two types.
The Gel types, where the acid is like Jell-O. These ones have to be charged at a very low pace. Then, there is AGM (adsorbed glass mat) types, where a fibreglass sponge mat holds the acid.
A standard deep cycle battery is still a good choice for solar energy storage but it has to be well taking cared of. 
They are cheaper than sealed ones but they are much higher maintenance batteries. They need to be filled with distilled water every 3 to 6 months.
Their tops and connectors have to be cleaned frequently from corrosion. If not, this corrosion will "rob" your power.
Very important: When these types of batteries are being charged by solar panels, they produce hydrogen gas that can be dangerous to your health. So, installing them in a cabinet with an outside vent is a must.
Here is the average life you should except from these different types of deep cycle batteries.
RV Marine: 1.5 to 2.5 years
Golf Cart: 3 to 5 years
L-16: 6 to 8 years
Solar Gel (sealed): 5 to 10 years
Industrial quality: 15 to 25 years
When planning a solar system, you will need more that one battery, also know as a battery bank. This bank should provide you with 3 to 5 days of use and enough power for any surge loads, based on your needs.
 All these batteries have their best operating temperature... and that is room temperature.
At freezing point, they loose roughly 20% of their capacity and the colder it qets, even more. So it is better to install them were they would be most efficient.
As mentioned earlier, if you are using standard batteries, make sure that they'er in an outside vented cabinet.
In your solar planning, you will need a charge controller to make sure that your batteries aren't over charged and also an inverter to supply to your home the collected power.
Deep cycle batteries are today's best choice for solar systems. Other new technologies are in the making but not yet ready. I will keep you informed.
So now you see why choosing the best deep cycle battery is very important. They will feed your home with this environmentally friendly power for years to come.
In a solar system, well-kept batteries can live a long and powerful life and even exceed their expectancies.
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