Comparison of discharge performance of 12v/150Ah gel and AGM sealed lead-acid batteries in stand-alone PV-based systems in UAE

Abstract

This paper investigates the discharge performance of two major lead-acid batteries, namely 12V/150Ah Gel and AGM sealed lead-acid batteries, when operating in stand-alone (off-grid) mode in photovoltaic (PV) based systems in United Arab Emirates (UAE). At harsh environmental conditions such as in UAE where the temperature can go to extremely high level in the summer, the battery performance and replacement cost increases the concerns about the reliability and economic feasibility of those batteries. This paper compares the discharge characteristics of those batteries through discharge tests performed on four similar batteries (two of each type). Experimental results of the discharge tests followed by a comparison between the two batteries are presented in this paper.