There are numerous applications for the use of lead-acid storage batteries. They range from the extremely large battery systems used in load leveling by electrical utility companies to the relatively small batteries used in hand tools.
Lead acid battery systems are used in both mobile and stationary applications. Their typical applications are emergency power supply systems, stand-alone systems with PV, battery systems for mitigation of output fluctuations from wind power and as starter batteries in vehicles.
Solar Energy Storage Options Indeed, a recent study on economic and environmental impact suggests that lead-acid batteries are unsuitable for domestic grid-connected photovoltaic systems . 2.Introduction Lead acid batteries are the world's most widely used battery type and have been commercially deployed since about 1890.
Technical progress with battery design and the availability of new materials have enabled the realization of completely maintenance-free lead–acid battery systems [1,3]. Water losses by electrode gassing and by corrosion can be suppressed to very low rates.
Stationary lead acid batteries have to meet far higher product quality standards than starter batteries. Typical service life is 6 to 15 years with a cycle life of 1 500 cycles at 80 % depth of discharge, and they achieve cycle efficiency levels of around 80 % to 90 %. Lead acid batteries offer a mature and well-researched technology at low cost.
The lead-acid battery is the oldest and most widely used rechargeable electrochemical device in automobile, uninterrupted power supply (UPS), and backup systems for telecom and many other applications. Such a device operates through chemical reactions involving lead dioxide (cathode electrode), lead (anode electrode), and sulfuric acid .