Australia is one of the leading countries when it comes to electricity consumption per person. This might not seem like a big deal if you intend to enjoy the comfort of your home. However, if you decide to spend some time off-grid with an RV, you can't really enjoy the benefit of unlimited electricity. Solar Is the Best Power Option for RVs If you go for life on wheels, or RV-ing in particular, the first thing you gonna look in a docking site would be whether it offers electricity. Also known as shore power, it will be the easiest option to supply your RV with power. But this also means that you need to stay put in one place without being able to venture to less-travelled areas of the countries. For that reason, RV owners who want to have unlimited freedom to choose their next destination opt for solar power systems. It wasn’t always easy to set up a solar power system, however the advancements in technology made it ubiquitous – now everyone looks for one. The less touted point on solar energy is the mismatch between energy production and energy consumption. You need your electricity most in the morning and in the evening. And most productive solar hours are in the middle of a sunny day. So you’ll need a battery to store all the generated power. Deep Cycle Batteries & RV Solar Power Systems
There is a type of battery in every vehicle. Even a motorcycle has a starter battery. They are lead-acid batteries that produce a surge of electricity that is enough to start the engine. The chemical reaction used in the process powers kick-starting, after that it doesn’t discharge. Deep cycle batteries, on the other hand, are best for solar power systems as they continuously discharge electricity. The system is based on electrochemistry and it involves two electrodes (one of lead, one of lead dioxide) submerged in dilute sulphuric acid which acts as an electrolyte. These are the type of batteries that can power the appliances aboard your RV. It goes beyond that as well. A solar gel battery or an AGM battery can be used in all sorts of homes on the move: caravans, camper vans, motorhomes, 4WD’s, boating, camping and trailers. This serves to prove their worth in terms of efficient energy storage. In addition to this, it creates a community of users that can share their trials and errors before they got it right. And manufacturers try to be on their top game because their customers are savvy. Different Types of Deep Cycle Batteries and Their Pros & Cons When you go shopping for deep cycle battery, you will inevitably hear all these abbreviations: AGM, VRLA, and also deep cycle battery gel, flooded and lithium-ion. Before you make your decision on what type of battery is best for your RV solar power system you have to get familiar with the way things work. You have to know what maintenance is central to optimal performance. And only then you can weigh the financial aspects. There is no way around it. Most common are flooded (lead-acid) batteries. The plates of the battery are immersed in electrolyte, hence the name. They have many advantages: the up-front cost is very low, you can find them everywhere and people (users and technicians alike) are familiar with them. If you employ them in an RV, however, they can become a burdensome chore. The battery box has to be accessible because maintenance is based on watering the appliance. At the same time, this box has to be separated from your living space because the process generates poisonous gases. Deep cycle gel batteries are made to avoid some of these issues. For that reason, when it comes to powering an RV with a deep cycle battery gel options are the most common choice. The electrolyte in them is gel (silica additive) instead of water. This eliminates the potential for spills and the poisonous gases. Because of this they can be installed in any orientation in the circuit and sealed in place without risks of corrosion. Gel batteries also last longer in hot weather environments and are used in many automobiles and boats and you can even find them in an aircraft. So, if you don’t intend to put your RV through excessive vibrations you can go for gel solar batteries. AGM stands for Absorbent glass mat and it refers to the fiberglass mat which absorbs the electrolyte. They can be designed like a wet cell lead-acid battery or their plates can be configured in a spiral fashion. Regardless of the subtype they are used a lot in RVing because they can be fully charged at a lower voltage. Low internal resistance AGM batteries also accept current with larger charge. Another type of sealed batteries are VRLA. That is short for Valve Regulated Lead-Acid battery. In plain terms that is a battery with a valve that controls the release of hydrogen and oxygen gasses during charging. Not only do they keep you away from poisonous amounts of gas, they are also widely known as maintenance-free. If made with care, they also have low self-discharge rates so you can leave them for a long time. Important Considerations If you are buying gel solar batteries online please make sure you research them thoroughly before shopping. Sometimes terms like gel batteries are used to refer to all of these types indiscriminately. It is just like we are used to associating a product with the best known brand that is selling it. Just spend some extra time checking the specification and that will do. And remember - neither of the off-grid solutions is 100% foolproof. Common wisdom is to have at least one, if not more than one, back up system. When you take your home on wheels to a remote or unknown location and one of your systems breaks down, and it will, you need to fall back on something. Some needs can be covered with propane gas. Electricity can be generated with a diesel generator or a wind turbine. All of them have a degree of inconvenience associated with their use. Gas is odorous and is a safety hazard if not maintained. Diesel generator can produce quite a mess in your small home. Wind turbine takes up a lot of space.
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