Comparative Analysis of Commonly used Batteries for Residential Solar PV Applications

In this paper, a comparative performance analysis of batteries commonly used for residential solar Photovoltaic (PV) applications is presented. The typical charging and discharging characteristics of four battery chemistries, namely, Lead Acid (LA), Lead Carbon (LC), Lithium Ferro Phosphate (LFP) and Nickel Manganese Cobalt (NMC), along with voltage regulation and capacity degradation performance, are compared to analyze their performance. A case study from ITP Renewables Australia, where different battery chemistries are exposed to test conditions similar to Australian solar duty cycle, is analyzed to validate the findings from typical battery chemistries. The analysis shows that LFP batteries are more suitable for applications where a stable voltage or deep discharge is required. On the other hand, LC batteries allow a more stable voltage during discharge compared to LA, whereas NMC batteries demonstrate a lower capacity fade. The presented analysis provides useful insights for battery selection in residential solar PV applications.