Battery temperatures

How freezing temperatures affect batteries

July 6, 2017

Recent sub zero temperatures in Victoria have caused problems with liquid in solar panels and batteries freezing.

Plumbers and solar installers say they have struggled to keep up with unprecedented demand for help as temperatures plummet. Cold weather can cause water in solar panels to freeze and expand, resulting in snapped and split panels and broken frost valves. Naturally this problem is worse in cheaper products or products that aren’t installed properly to allow for temperature extremes.

We have also heard of several instances of batteries freezing as well. Most lead acid and lithium ion batteries only operate effectively between around 5 – 35 to 40 °C which is problematic on days when the temperature gets very cold or even is below freezing as we experienced in Melbourne recently.

Battery Operating temperatures

June 3, 2017

Most batteries will operate, with varying degrees of effectiveness in the 5- 35 °C range so are fine for the autumn and spring operating months, however if you want a battery that will also operate efficiently in winter and summer you need to understand how temperature has an effect on a batteries operating capabilities.

The ambient weather temperatures have a large impact on the performance and on the life of most batteries and unfortunately, it’s a characteristic that isn’t often talked about.

The optimum temperature for most batteries to operate at is around 25°C and this is the temperature all battery testing is performed at. When temperatures vary, either up or down there is an effect on the performance and life of most batteries.

Operating Temperatures for Energy Storage Batteries

June 3, 2016

The SoNick or molten salt batteries have an operating range of -20° to +60°C which makes them a much better alternative to other batteries. In Australia, we have extreme weather conditions and even in a garage in suburbia, a common place for housing a battery, the temperature can often exceed 40°C.

The SoNick batteries are the only batteries that will really work in temperatures over 40°C without having any detrimental effect to the batteries longevity. Although other batteries claim to be able to operate at the 40°C mark, they will deteriorate when operating around this temperature and will have a much reduced lifetime.

The wide temperature range of operation makes it a perfect battery for hot remote areas or areas that are bushfire prone. Other batteries stop working at around 40°C whereas the Sodium Nickel Chloride battery continues to work to at least 60°C and doesn’t need cooling. For example the lithium ion batteries that are currently receiving a lot of market attention from Tesla, only have an operating range of around 5 – 35°C, which means they will not operate on many hot days in Australia and even on cooler days if they are not housed in a cool enough environment.

What is the best operating temperature for your battery?

March 21, 2016

Most batteries will operate, with varying degrees of effectiveness in the 5 – 35 °C range so are fine for the autumn and spring operating months, however if you want a battery that will also operate efficiently in winter and summer you need to understand how temperature has an effect on a batteries operating capabilities.

The ambient weather temperatures have a large impact on the performance and on the life of most batteries and unfortunately, it’s a characteristic that isn’t often talked about.

Depending on the chemistry of the battery different batteries will only operate optimally within a limited temperature range, so it’s important to understand this when purchasing or upgrading your battery for energy storage.

When the temperature starts to fall below about 15°C, depending on the battery chemistry, the electro-chemistry of the battery becomes sluggish and doesn’t perform as well. In fact, very few batteries operate below 0°C. This is relevant in many countries in Europe, the USA or Canada but not as relevant in most of Australia.