Recommendations on lead acid batteries
Recommendations on the use of lead acid batteries are given on 3 levels,
depending on the available information on the renewable energy system. The
higher the level, the better the recommendations suit the specific renewable
energy system.
Level 1: General
recommendations
If no information on the renewable energy system is available the general
recommendations on lead acid batteries should be followed:
Level 2: Specific recommendations for systems with limited
design information
If limited information about the design of the renewable energy system is
available, such as the source of energy, the daily electricity consumption, and
some more general parameters, it is recommended to use a simulation tool to
choose the sizing of the various components, including the battery. Some more
information on simulation tools for renewable energy systems is given in
this
table. The output of such a design tool can be used to estimate the stress
levels of the battery and the category of similar battery use.
An automated tool for the procedure from the output of the simulation tools
to the arrival at the specific recommendations is given here.
Level 3: Specific recommendations for systems with detailed
design information
Detailed information on the renewable energy system may be available in the
form of time series from battery current, voltage and/or temperature. This
information may originate from a simulation tool or from measurements on a
similar renewable energy system.
If time series data is available one can use the publicly accessible evaluation
tool called THESA
developed by the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems in Freiburg,
Germany, to produce a comprehensive evaluation of the way the battery is used.
This evaluation has been called a Standard Evaluation Report (SER) and includes
the values of the 8 stress factors previously discussed. With the values of the
stress factors the associated intensity levels of the stress factors can be
determined using RESDAS. With the intensity levels of the stress factors the
usage of the battery can be assigned to one of the 6 categories of similar use
using the "radar plot diagrams" in RESDAS. This will lead to specific
recommendations for the renewable energy system. An automated tool for this procedure
is given here.