Factors

The primary and certainly the most important factor is the load you anticipate your batteries
will have to store. Using the watts of load you calculated for your daily electrical loads,
convert this into the measure of how storage batteries are measured. Storage batteries are
measured in Ampere hours (AHr.).

Ampere Hours

Using the example of 157.42857 Watt hours per day from our getting started page and
assuming the battery array will be 12 volts you will arrive at 13.1 Ampere hours
required. The math is the same as before, this time we divide Watt hours by the battery
voltage ( 157.42857 ÷ 12V = 13.1 Ampere hours)

System Overheads

Each time you convert electricity as from solar voltaic panels to battery voltage and then
from electricity to chemical storage (battery) and transport low voltage electricity over
connections and through wire you lose some power. Using experience, a bit of math and
industry hearsay we use a 20% loss factor. This loss factor must be taken into account
within your battery storage. We call this portion of the calculation the Loaded Daily AHr
required. If we use 20% we now require 15.7 AHr ( 13.1 AHr X (1+20%) = 15.7 AHr.)

Reserve Days

All would be fine if the sun were guaranteed to shine equally every day. We now need to
factor how many days of capacity you want your batteries to hold up until the sun comes
out from the clouds or you need to turn on your generator. Lets assume you want 2 and a
half days of reserve time. This will bring your requirement up to 39.4 Ampere hours of
battery (15.7 Ampere hours X 2.5 days = 39.4 Ampere hours) of battery with reserve
calculated.

Battery Aging

Your batteries if well taken care of will have many years of life. However, batteries will age
over time and lose some of their potential. Because a battery array will work at the level of
the weakest battery placing new batteries into an old battery array is a waste (see adding
batteries ). We use best to account for the loss now as it also helps you keep the DOD
(soon! read on to the next point!) down. It is not unreasonable to use a factor of 20% to
account for battery aging so your battery requirement now comes to 47.2 AHr. (39.4 AHr X
(1+20%) = 47.2)

Battery Temperature

Because they are a based on an electro chemical process batteries lose power in the cold. If
you are going to use your system during the winter or shoulder seasons and store them
outside or in an unheated area, your batteries will need to be de-rated. If you use your
batteries all year, this is an important factor. Most battery manufacturers supply de-rating
tables based on battery temperature. We'll leave this factor out of our example for now
because many of you use your systems only in the summer and shoulder seasons
(see temperature de-rating).
Depth of Discharge (DOD) this is very important!

DOD a measure of how deeply a battery is discharged. When a battery is 100% full, the
DOD is 0%. Ampere hours removed from a fully charged cell or battery, is expressed as a
percentage of rated capacity. For example if 25 Ah are removed from a 100 Ah battery, it's
depth of discharge is 25% and the battery is at a 75% state of charge.

OK, with the definition taken care of, why is DOD an important part of calculating battery
capacity? First another definition:

A Cycle is a period of discharge and recharge is called one cycle. A battery cycle is one
complete discharge and recharge cycle. It is usually considered to be discharging from
100% to 20% DOD, and then back to 100%. One of a Battery's performance indicators is
the measure of the expected number of cycles it may deliver.

The greater the average depth-of-discharge, the shorter the cycle life. Be careful when
looking at ratings that list how many cycles a battery is rated for unless it also states how
far down it is being discharged. A battery that is rated for a 20 year life expectancy if
discharged by only 15% may have a 5 year life expectancy if discharged to 50%. Typically
batteries ratings are in AHr are published to 100% discharge. (Careful again! The longer
the discharge time e.g. 100 hr the more Ampere hours that can be squeezed from a
battery. Ratings should be compared at 20 hr discharge rate for off-grid purposes.)

Here's the crunch; If say a 100 AHr battery that is discharged to 100% will last 100 cycles,
however, it will last 400 cycles if discharged to 50% and longer yet if discharged to
35%. Before we go further with your battery sizing lets do the math for DOD.
100 cycles at 100% = 10,000 AHr discharge over the life of the battery. (100 cycles of
100AHr = 10,000AHr.)
400 cycles at 50% = 20,000 AHr discharge over the life of the battery (400 cycles of
50AHr = 20,000 AHr.)
At 400 cycles the battery lasts 4X as long an produces 2X as much power over its life!

back to battery sizing...

Size Calculation at 50% DOD

At 50% discharge the battery size required is 94.5 AHr. (47.2 AHr ÷ 50% = 94.5 Ahr.)

CALCULATION SUMMARY

We started off with a daily usage of 157 Watts or 13.1 AHr @ 12V and ended up with a
requirement of 94.5 AHr. capacity. I hope by this you appreciate how many systems are
sized to people's pocket books not to the system configuration requirement.

A Cynical Aside: Too many clerks tend to sell what a client is be able to afford, knowing full
well you'll be back later with your wallet open to buy more. It's easy to blame client
electrical usage, the weather or any number of things, then sell you more. ...or they just
don't know. Remember, you cannot add new or different batteries to you existing battery
bank. The new ones will fail before your existing batteries.
Saving you from Battery Math

We have developed a MS EXCEL spreadsheet to assist our Canadian clients with these
calculations. Contact us by email and we'll help you with your calculations.

Nearly all AGM batteries are recombinant, the Oxygen and Hydrogen recombine inside the
battery. These use gas phase transfer of oxygen to the negative plates to recombine them
back into water while charging and prevent the loss of water through electrolysis. The
recombining is typically 99+% efficient, so almost no water is lost.

During cell overcharging, hydrogen gas (H2) and oxygen gas (O2) are contrived through the
dissociation of water (H2O) in the cell’s positive plate electrolyte. AGM cells incorporate an
oxygen recombination process during overcharge, a process where oxygen gas is
recombined to the negative cell plates. While oxygen is produced and fully recombined,
hydrogen is not; excess hydrogen can accumulate within the cell jar and cause the internal
cell pressure to increase. With increased voltage level, gases are produced at a faster
rate. To mitigate cell explosion, a vent plug alleviates internal cell pressures by expelling
excessive gas build-up.

Amp (A) - is a measure of electric current; one A of current represents one coulomb of
electrical charge moving past a specific point in one second (1 C/s = 1 A).

Amp Hour Rating — The amp hour (AHr) rating describes the size of this storage capacity
of a battery over a period of time. A battery with a 125 AHr rating over 20 hours means it
can supply 6.25 Amps of current for a period of twenty hours before it is 100%
discharged. More Ampere hours can be drawn from a battery if the current drawn from the
battery is low. Some battery companies name their battery models and publishes their 100
Ahr ratings, however most provide a 20hr rating. This rating as it implies, is the amount of
ampre hours that can be drawn from a battery.

Antimony - is added to lead to increase hardness. The high antimony content also reduces
long discharge capability and increases the gases produced by the cells during charging.

Autonomy -is the length of time which a battery bank can support a specific load without
overcharging. A value used to measure battery reserve capacity and system reliability.

Battery — Two or more electrochemical cells enclosed in a container and electrically

interconnected in an appropriate series/parallel arrangement to provide the required
operating voltage and current levels. Under common usage, the term battery also applies to
a single cell if it constitutes the entire electrochemical storage system.

Battery bank - is a group of batteries wired in series or parallel (or both), to store the
electrical energy produced for later usage.

Battery Available Capacity — The total maximum charge, expressed in ampere-hours,

that can be withdrawn from a cell or battery under a specific set of operating conditions
including discharge rate, temperature, initial state of charge, age, and cut-off voltage (also
see amp hour rating).

Battery Cell — are the most basic individual component of a storage battery. They consist
of one or more positive electrodes or plates, an electrolyte that permits ionic conduction,
one or more negative electrodes or plates, separators between plates of opposite polarity,
and a container for the above.

Battery Cycle Life — The number of cycles, to a specified depth of discharge, that a cell or
battery can undergo before failing to meet its specified capacity or efficiency performance
criteria.

Battery Energy Capacity — The total energy available, expressed in watt-hours (kilowatt-
hours), which can be withdrawn from a fully charged cell or battery. The energy capacity of
a given cell varies with temperature, rate, age, and cut-off voltage. This term is more
common to system designers than it is to the battery industry where capacity refers to
ampere-hours (see amp hour rating).

Battery Energy Storage — Energy storage using electrochemical batteries. The three main
applications for battery energy storage systems include spinning reserve at generating
stations, load leveling at substations, and peak shaving on the customer side of the meter.

Battery Life — The period during which a cell or battery is capable of operating above a
specified capacity or efficiency performance level. Life may be measured in cycles and/or
years, depending on the type of service for which the cell or battery is intended.

Capacity -Deep cycle batteries are rated in amp-hours. An amp-hour is one amp for one
hour, or 10 amps for 1/10 of an hour. Stated mathematically (amps x hours). If you have
something that consumes 20 amps, and you use it for 30 minutes, then the amp-hours used
would be 20 (amps) x .5 (hours), or 10 AH. The the most common accepted AH rating time
period for batteries used in solar electric and backup power systems is the "20 hour
rate". This means that a battery is discharged down to 10.5 volts (100% capacity) over a
20 hour period while the total actual amp-hours it supplies is measured. The 100 hour rate
is sometimes given just to make the battery look better than it really is. See Peukert Effect
below.

The maximum total electrical charge, expressed in ampere-hours, which a battery can
deliver to a load under a specific set of conditions.

 Two 6V, 225Ah batteries are wired in Series, the voltage is doubled but the amp-
hour capacity remains 225Ah (Total Power = 2700 Watt-hours [225A * 12V]).
 Two 6V, 225Ah batteries wired in Parallel will have a total storage capacity of
450Ah at 6V (or 2700 Watt hours [225A * 2 = 450Ah] and [450Ah * 6V = 2700] ).
 Series-Parallel looks and sounds more complicated, however the principal is the
same. Consider, four 6V cells are wired in two "strings" of 12VDC that were then
wired in parallel. Using 6V, 225Ah batteries, this system will have a storage capacity
of 450Ah at 12V or 5400Wh.

Capacity (False)- A battery can meet all the tests for being at full charge, yet be much
lower than it's original capacity. If plates are damaged, sulfated, or partially eroded from
long use, the battery may give the appearance of being fully charged, but act like a battery
of smaller size. This can also occur in gelled cells if they are overcharged and gaps
(bubbles) have formed in the gel.

Captive Electrolyte Battery — A battery having an immobilized electrolyte (gelled or

absorbed in a material).
Cell (battery) — A single unit of an electrochemical device capable of producing direct
voltage by converting chemical energy into electrical energy. A battery usually consists of
several cells electrically connected together to produce higher voltages. (Sometimes the
terms cell and battery are used interchangeably). Also see photovoltaic (PV) cell.

Charge Factor — A number representing the time in hours during which a battery can be
charged at a constant current without damage to the battery. Usually expressed in relation
to the total battery capacity, i.e., C/5 indicates a charge factor of 5 hours. Related to charge
rate.

Charge Rate — The current applied to a cell or battery to restore its available capacity.
This rate is commonly normalized by a charge control device with respect to the rated
capacity of the cell or battery.

Battery charging takes place in 3 basic stages: Bulk, Absorption, and Float.

Bulk Charge - The first stage of 3-stage battery charging. Current is sent to batteries at the
maximum safe rate until voltage rises to near (80-90%) full charge level. Voltages at this
stage typically range from 10.5 volts to 15 volts. There is no "correct" voltage for bulk
charging, but there are limits on the maximum current that the battery and/or wiring can
take.

Absorption Charge: The second stage of 3-stage battery charging. Voltage remains constant
and current gradually tapers off as internal resistance increases during charging. It is during
this stage that the charger puts out maximum voltage. Voltages at this stage are typically
around 14.2 to 15.5 volts.

Float Charge: The third stage of 3-stage battery charging. After batteries reach full charge,
charging voltage is reduced to a lower level (typically 12.8 to 13.2) to reduce gassing and
prolong battery life. This is often referred to as a maintenance or trickle charge, since it's
main purpose is to keep an already charged battery from discharging. PWM, or "pulse width
modulation" accomplishes the same thing. In PWM, the controller or charger senses tiny
voltage drops in the battery and sends very short charging cycles (pulses) to the battery.
This may occur several hundred times per minute. It is called "pulse width" because the
width of the pulses may vary from a few microseconds to several seconds. Note that for
long term float service, such as backup power systems that are seldom discharged, the float
voltage should be around 13.02 to 13.20 volts.

Concrete — We frequently hear that storing batteries on concrete is bad as it will drain the
batteries. ...well it used to be bad back in the days when batteries were constructed out of
wooden crates soaked in tar. A long time ago batteries used to ooze electrolyte onto the
concrete eventually creating a ground allowing current to leak out as well. This hearsay has
been perpetuated as batteries will lose their charge over time. Batteries stored at less than
full charge for periods of time will form large, hard sulphate crystals further degrading the
battery. Go ahead and store your battery on concrete, just make sure it is charged when
you put it away and give it a charge from time to time to prevent sulphation.

Conductance - is the ability of a battery to conduct current. It is a measurement of the

plate surface available in a battery for chemical reaction, which determines how much
power the battery can supply. Conductance can be used to detect cell defects, shorts, and
open circuits which can cause the battery to fail.
Conversion Efficiency - is how well a battery converts an electrical charge into chemical
energy and back again. The higher this factor, the less energy is converted into heat and
the faster a battery can be charged without overheating.

Current -is the rate at which electricity flows through a conductor; measured in amps
(A). Current flow over time is defined as ampere-hours (a.k.a. amp-hours or Ah), a product
of the average current and the amount of time it flowed.

Cycles (Battery)- A period of discharge and recharge is called one cycle. A battery cycle is
one complete discharge and recharge cycle. It is usually considered to be discharging from
100% to 20% DOD, and then back to 100%. Battery performance may be measured by the
expected number of cycles it may deliver at varying depths of discharge.

Cycle Life - is the measure of how many charge and discharge cycles a battery can take
before its lead-plate grids/plates are expected to collapse and short out. The greater the
average depth-of-discharge, the shorter the cycle life. Be careful when looking at ratings
that list how many cycles a battery is rated for unless it also states how far down it is being
discharged. A battery that is rated for a 20 year life expectancy if discharged by only 5%
may have a 5 year life expectancy if discharged to 50%. A battery that is continually cycled
5% or less will usually not last as long as one cycled down 10%. At shallow discharge cycles
Lead Dioxide builds up on the the positive plates rather in an even film. Calculate based on
an average DOD of around 50% for the best storage vs. cost factor.

Deep-Cycle Battery — A battery with large plates that can withstand many discharges to a
low state-of-charge. Deep Cycle batteries have thicker lead plates that make them tolerate
deep discharges better. They cannot dispense charge as quickly as a starter battery but can
also be used to start combustion engines. Thicker lead plates lead to a longer the life
span. Battery weight is a simple indicator for the thickness of the lead plates used in a
battery. The heavier a battery for a given group size, the thicker the plates, and the better
the battery will tolerate deep discharges.

Deep Cycling — This is a battery restoration technique employing the repeated to deep
discharge and recharge of most of the battery's total storage capacity.

Deep Discharge — Discharging a battery to 20% or less of its full charge capacity.

Deficit Cycling — When a battery is not being fully charged on a regular basis

Depth of Discharge (DOD) — is a measure of how deeply a battery is discharged. When a

battery is 100% full, then the DOD is 0%. The ampere-hours removed from a fully charged
cell or battery, expressed as a percentage of rated capacity. For example 25 Ah are
removed from a 100 Ah battery, thus it's depth of discharge is 25% and the battery is at a
75% state of charge.

Direct current ( DC )- electric current which flows in only one direction in a wire. Solar
voltaic panels and batteries are DC.

Discharge — The withdrawal of electrical energy from a battery.

Discharge Cycle — When connected to a load, the chemical reaction within the battery
between sulfuric acid and the lead plates releases releases electrons from the electrolyte.
The chemical reaction coats both positive and negative plates with a substance called lead
sulfate also known as sulfation during during discharge. If immediately recharged the lead
sulfate a soft material is easily back into lead and sulfuric acid during the recharge cycle.

Discharge Factor — A number equivalent to the time in hours during which a battery is
discharged at constant current usually expressed as a percentage of the total battery
capacity, i.e., C/5 indicates a discharge factor of 5 hours.( see discharge rate and amp
hour rating).

Discharge Rate — The rate, usually expressed in amperes or time, at which electrical
current is taken from the battery.

Electrolyte — A nonmetallic (liquid or solid) conductor that carries current by the

movement of ions (instead of electrons) with the liberation of matter at the electrodes of an
electrochemical cell.

End of Life — When a battery's capacity reaches 80% of it's rating the battery is
considered to have reached end of life. This is the industry standard definition, it does not
mean the battery cannot be used nor does it mean it should be disposed.

Equalization Charge — The process of mixing the electrolyte in batteries by periodically

overcharging the batteries for a short time. This is a continuation of normal battery
charging, at a voltage level slightly higher than the normal end-of-charge voltage, in order
to provide cell equalization within a battery. This is a process of balancing the state of
charge in all the cells that form a battery bank to remove sulphates from battery plates and
restore capacity.

Float Charge / Float Voltage — The lowest voltage that will maintain the battery at full
charge. The voltage required to counteract the self-discharge of the battery at a certain
temperature.

Freezing Point of all Lead Acid batteries — The temperature at which the electrolyte will
freeze based on the battery's state of Chage (SoG)

Approx. (SoC) Approx. Electrolyte

State-of-Charge Freeze Point
100% (-67°C)
75% (-37°C)
50% (-23°C)
25% (-15°C)
0% (DISCHARGED) (-6.7°C)

Gassing - is when batteries start to gas when you attempt to charge them faster than they
can absorb the energy. The excess energy is turned into heat, which then causes the
electrolyte to boil and evaporate.

Gassing Current — The portion of charge current that goes into electrolytic production of
hydrogen and oxygen from the electrolytic liquid. This current increases both voltage and
temperature.
Gel-Type Battery — Lead-acid battery in which the electrolyte is composed of a silica gel
matrix.

Hydrometer — A direct-reading instrument for indicating the density, specific gravity, or

some similar characteristic of liquids. Specific gravity hydrometers to indicate specific
gravity of a liquid, with reference to water, at a particular temperature. The Hydrometer
used to measure the specific gravity of battery electrolyte is called a bulb hydrometer
and consists of a small commercial hydrometer contained in a larger glass tube into which
the solution to be tested is drawn by the action of a rubber bulb. It is used to measure the
specific gravity of the sulfuric acid solution in lead acid batteries.

Lead-acid battery - is a electrical storage device that uses a reversible chemical reaction
to store energy. It uses a combination of lead plates or grids and an electrolyte consisting of
a diluted sulphuric acid to convert electrical energy into potential chemical energy and back
again.

Liquid Electrolyte Battery — A battery containing a liquid solution of acid and water.
Distilled water may be added to these batteries to replenish the electrolyte as necessary.
Also called a flooded battery because the plates are covered with the electrolyte.

Load Voltage - As a battery is charged the plates polarize and develop a resistance to the
charge (surface charge). This resistance adds to the battery voltage. The voltage reading
will not reflect the true state of charge.

Maintenance-Free Battery — A sealed battery to which water cannot be added to

maintain electrolyte level.

Nickel Cadmium Battery — A battery containing nickel and cadmium plates and an
alkaline electrolyte.

Nominal Voltage — A reference voltage used to describe batteries, modules, or systems

(i.e., a 12-volt or 24-volt battery, module, or system).

Open Cell Voltage- (OCV) Cell voltage taken when the battery is at rest. Accurate battery
voltage may only be measured after all loads have been taken off the battery for a period of
at least 4 hours.

Overcharge — Forcing current into a fully charged battery. The battery will be damaged if
overcharged for a long period.

Peukert Effect- The Peukert value is directly related to the internal resistance of the
battery. The higher the internal resistance, the higher the losses while charging and
discharging, especially at higher currents. The faster a battery is used (discharged), the
LOWER the AH capacity. Conversely, if it is drained slower, the AH capacity is higher

Pilot Cell - One cell in in one battery is usually selected as a pilot cell for specific gravity
readings. Since all cells in all of the batteries receive the same amount of charge or
discharge current, their specific gravities will fall or rise proportionately to that of the pilot
cell. It is advisable to change pilot cells after about 10 readings, because a slight amount of
electrolyte is lost each time a hydrometer reading is taken.
Plates — A metal plate, usually lead or lead compound, immersed in the electrolyte in a
battery.

Power - is the product of voltage and current and is measured in Watts. Power over time is
usually defined in Watt-hours (Wh), the product of the average number of watts and time.
Utility usually bills are usually in per kilowatt hour (kWh), which is 1,000 watt-hours.

Rated Battery Capacity — The term used by battery manufacturers to indicate the
maximum amount of energy that can be withdrawn from a battery under specified discharge
rate, end voltage and temperature. (see battery capacity)

Recharge Cycle — During the recharge cycle electrons are forced back into the storage
battery and lead sulfate (sulfation) reconverts to lead and sulfuric acid. During the recharge
cycle some water is separated into its component elements of Oxygen and Hydrogen.

Self Discharge - is a measure of how much batteries discharge on their own. The Self-
Discharge rate is governed by the construction of the battery and the metallurgy of the lead
used inside. Batteries that are stored for long periods will eventually lose all their charge.
Self discharge varies considerably with battery type, age, & temperature. It ranges from
about 1% to 15% per month Batteries self-discharge faster at higher temperatures. In
general new AGM batteries have the lowest, and old industrial (Lead-Antimony plates) are
the highest self discharge rates. A major cause of batteries failure is caused by being stored
in a partly discharged state for a few months. A "float" charge should be maintained on the
batteries especially if they are not used.

Series - a connection pattern placing module or batteries in a string so that current flows
from positive to negative through each component. The current in series wiring remains the
same as that of a single module, while the voltage is added.

Specific Gravity — The ratio of the weight of the solution to the weight of an equal volume
of water at a specified temperature. Used as an indicator of battery state-of-charge.

Starter Battery - have many thin lead plates which allow them to discharge a lot of energy
very quickly for a short amount of time. They do not tolerate being discharged deeply, as
the thin lead plates needed for starter currents will degrade quickly under deep discharge
and re-charging cycles. Most starter batteries will only tolerate being completely discharged
a few times before being irreversibly damaged.

Starved Electrolyte Cell — A battery containing little or no free fluid electrolyte.

State-of-Charge (SOC) — The available capacity remaining in the battery, expressed as a

percentage of the rated capacity.

Storage Battery — A device capable of transforming energy from electric to chemical form
and vice versa. The reactions are almost completely reversible. During discharge, chemical
energy is converted to electric energy and is consumed in an external circuit or apparatus.

Stratification — A condition that occurs when the acid concentration varies from top to
bottom in the battery electrolyte. Periodic, controlled charging at voltages that produce
gassing will mix the electrolyte. See equalization.
Sulfation — A condition that afflicts unused and discharged batteries; large crystals of lead
sulfate grow on the plate, instead of the usual tiny crystals, making the battery extremely
difficult to recharge.

Surface Charge — As a battery is charged the plates will polarize and develop a resistance
to the charge; surface charge. Surface charge builds as a battery reaches full charge
reducing the rate of charge acceptance. Surface charge is removed as a battery is
discharged.

Temperature affect on Batteries - COLD Battery capacity is reduced as temperature

goes down, and increased as temperature goes up. This is why your car battery dies on a
cold winter morning, even though it worked fine the previous afternoon. If your batteries
spend part of the year in a cold area, the reduced capacity has to be taken into account
when sizing the system batteries. The standard rating for batteries is at room temperature -
25 degrees C (about 77 F). At approximately -22 degrees F (-27 C), battery AH capacity
drops to 50%. At freezing battery, capacity is reduced by 20%. Capacity is increased at
higher temperatures - at 122 degrees F, battery capacity would be about 12% higher.

Temperature affect on Batteries - HEAT While battery capacity at high temperatures is

higher, battery life is shortened. Battery capacity is reduced by 50% at -22 degrees F - but
battery LIFE increases by about 60%. Battery life is reduced at higher temperatures - for
every 15 degrees F over 77, battery life is cut in half. This holds true for ALL types of Lead-
Acid battery, sealed, gelled, AGM, or industrial.

Thermal run-away - is a very dangerous condition that can occur if batteries are charged
too fast. One of the byproducts of Gassing are Oxygen and Hydrogen. As the battery heats
up, the gassing rate increases as well and it becomes increasingly likely that the Hydrogen
around it will explode. The danger posed by high Hydrogen concentrations is one of the
reasons that batteries be installed in separate, well-ventilated areas.

Thermohydrometer - A Hydrometer containing a thermometer for measuring the

temperature of liquids .

Vented Cell — A battery designed with a vent mechanism to expel gases generated during
charging.

Voltage - is a measure of the electric potential difference between two points; usually
expressed as volts (V). Lead-Acid batteries supply about 2.14 volts per cell (12.6 to 12.8 for
a 12 volt battery) when fully charged.

Wet Shelf Life — The period of time that a charged battery, when filled with electrolyte,
can remain unused before dropping below a specified level of performance.
Calculation of Battery Size
Number of Cells and Cell Voltage - the number of cells is estimated based on the maximum battery
voltage and float charge voltage:

The minimum battery voltage is the minimum system voltage (including voltage drops across
cables). Given the minimum cell voltage the minimum cell voltage is given by:

Temperature Correction - at temperature decreases the capacity of a cell decreases (and vise verse as
the temperature increases). Manufacturers quote cell capacity at a given temperature and appropriate
correction factors should be used for other temperatures.
Aging Factor - battery performance is relatively stable throughout its life, dropping of rapidly towards the
end. To ensure the battery can meet the design requirements throughout its life the standard suggestions
the initial capacity should be 125% of the design capacity.
Design Margin - to cater for unexpected circumstances (increased loads, poor maintenance, recent
discharge, etc.) it is common to allow a design margin of 10% to 15%.

Sizing Methodology - the required capacity of the cell FS is given by:

Where S can be any integer from 1 to N depending on the section being calculated and FS is expressed in
watt-hours or ampere-hours depending on which Ct is used.
The required uncorrected cell size F, is then given by:

where:

 F - is the uncorrected (temperature, aging and design margin) cell size

 S - is the section of duty cycle being studied (containing all previous sections)
 N - is the number of periods in the duty cycle
 P - is the period being analysed
 AP - the amperes required for period P
 t - the time in minutes from the beginning of period P through the end of Section S
 Ct - is the capacity rating factor (for a given cell type, at the t minute discharge rate, at 25 °C, to a definite
minimum cell voltage
 FS - is the capacity required by each section

Capacity rating factor

There are two ways of expressing capacity:

Term Rt
The term Rt is the number of amperes each plate can supply for t minutes, at 25oC to a defined minimum
cell voltage.

giving:

Term Kt
The term Kt is the ratio of ampere-hour capacity, at a standard time rate, at 25oC and to a defined
minimum voltage which can be delivered for t minutes.

giving:

Rt is not equal to 1/Kt because each factor is expressed in different units.

- See more at: http://myelectrical.com/notes/entryid/163/battery-sizing#sthash.WNeLUf0w.dpuf