Whether you are planning to buy a new inverter battery combo or want to replace your existing battery with a new one, you need to make sure that you buy the best inverter battery. That’s because the efficiency of your home inverter system depends on its battery. But that said, how do we find out which battery is the best for our inverter? Well, the answer is simple.
There are three things that we need to ensure when looking for the best inverter battery.
- It provides the required backup
- It uses the right technology
- It offers the required longevity.
Let us look at these points one by one.
1. It provides the required backup.
To find out whether or not a battery can provide the required backup, you need to check its battery capacity. The battery capacity is a measure of the charge a battery can hold.
Here’s the formula to calculate battery capacity.
Battery capacity = (power requirements (in watts) * backup-time (in hrs) * aging factor)/ (battery voltage (in volts) * battery efficiency * inverter efficiency)
The following values in this formula are constant.
Aging factor=1.25
Battery efficiency=0.8
Inverter efficiency=0.8
Let’s say we are using a 12V Lead Acid Battery and the backup time is 2 hrs.
To find out the exact power requirement, we need to add up the power required by each appliance at the time of a power outage.
So let’s say you require the following appliances during a power cut.
- 8 LED Lights (7 Watts each)
- 2 Tube Lights (40 Watts each)
- 3 Fans (70 Watts each)
- 1 LED Television (70 Watts)
- 1 Refrigerator (140 Watts)
The total power requirement = [(8*7)+(2*40)+(3*70)+(1*70)+(1*140)] = 556 Watts
Now that we have all the required values let us calculate the battery capacity.
Battery Capacity = 556 * 2 * 1.25 / 12 * 0.8 * 0.8 = 181 Ah
Note – Since the charge holding capacity of batteries decreases with time or your power consumption may increase in the near future, it is recommended to go with a battery with 5-10% additional battery capacity. For example, in this case if the calculated battery capacity is 181 Ah we recommend that you buy a battery with 200 Ah battery capacity.
2. It uses the right technology.
Inverter batteries can be divided into two types based on technology – Flat Plate Battery and Tubular Battery. Your choice of inverter battery technology would depend on factors such as the frequency and duration of power outages in your area, maintenance, your budget and more.
Both flat plate and tubular batteries are a type of lead acid battery. But one of the major differences between the two batteries is that a tubular battery can hold more charge as compared to a flat plate battery. This means a flat plate battery is suitable only for areas that experience short duration power cuts. However, if your area experiences long power cuts then you should go with a tubular battery.
Similarly when it comes to maintenance of these batteries, a flat plate requires frequent water top-ups whereas tubular batteries are low maintenance and require fewer water top-ups.
Another major factor when choosing the right battery type is your budget. If you are looking for an economical battery then you should go for a flat plate battery. However, if performance is a priority and budget is not a constraint then we recommend that you buy a tubular battery.
3. It offers the required longevity.
The longevity of your battery would depend on its warranty. In case anything goes wrong with the battery during the warranty period, the manufacturer provides free of cost repair service. Battery manufacturers offer different warranties on their batteries. Typically, a battery with higher warranty comes at a higher price whereas a battery with lower warranty is cheaper.
Reputable brands like Luminous India offer a flat warranty and pro-rata warranty on their batteries. For example, a warranty of 60+15 months implies that the customer receives free of cost service for the first 60 months. For the next 15 months, the customer is offered a discount on replacing their old battery with a new battery. The percentage of discount depends on the terms mentioned in the warranty card).
Want to Buy the Best Inverter Battery?
If you are unsure about where to find the best inverter battery, we suggest that you check out the exclusive range of inverter batteries Luminous India has to offer. They are one of the most preferred brands in the home UPS inverter segment with an excellent track record of providing quality after sales service.
