Crown Industrial Deep Cycle Batteries

Crown Industrial deep cycle fork lift type batteries

A note on warranties and ratings for Crown industrial batteries:

• Most carry a 5 year warranty. However, this warranty is based on motive power use (forklifts etc.), and really does not mean much when used for solar electric systems. For example, the Crown warranty is for 2000 cycles @ 80% discharge, and it will still have 80% capacity. That does not usually mean much in PV, as systems are almost never cycled that hard.
• We have been selling these types of industrial batteries for over 20 years, and have YET to have a warranty OR a replacement. We have one set that was installed in the Mohave desert in 1980 (with summer temps running at over 120 degrees), and it was just replaced in April of 2002 as part of a site upgrade - it was still working.
• Factory ratings on nearly all industrial batteries are at the 6-hour discharge rate, because that is a typical usage. Nearly all PV applications are designed around a 20-hour rate. A 510 AH battery rated at 6 hours would be 640 AH at 20 hours.

The Crown industrial batteries are very heavy, and in some locations it may be impossible to carry or move the batteries, as they can easily weigh 1000 pounds or more - our largest ones can weight over 6,000 pounds. If you need very heavy duty batteries but cannot handle the weight, see the Rolls-Surrette batteries - these come in 3-packs, and the individual cells can be unbolted and taken out and moved individually. Their new 4KS21 is 1100 amp-hours and the 4KS25 in the 1500 amp-hour range.

If using Anderson connectors, use the 350 amp size. Anderson connectors are an easy method of disconnecting the battery bank from the system for test or maintenance. If desired, we can supply these cables ready made. If you do not have the heavy duty crimping tool required this is what we recommend.

General Information

Crown batteries have solid Lead plates composed of 5-6% Antimony for strength - (Rolls-Surrette is 4-5%). These batteries are designed for extremely heavy usage in fork lifts, electric mining and railroad equipment, and other large motive power applications. They are rated at 1800 to 2000 complete cycles down to 80% discharge. At the usual 30-60% discharge that most PV systems operate at, you can expect 3,000 to 8,000 cycles (up to 20 years). They are extremely vibration and shock resistant.

These are the type of batteries that we use in many of our large systems (see photos for a couple of our CP installations in the USA. These are large pictures, so may take a minute to load).

We recommend that Hydrocaps be ordered with the batteries - using Hydrocaps will reduce water consumption by 80-95% and reduce maintenance.

These batteries are very heavy, and it is recommended that you insure that you have the manpower or power equipment to handle them before we ship them. One advantage of being so heavy is that theft is extremely difficult - all except the smallest batteries will weigh in excess of 500 pounds, and some as much as 4,000.

Crown Batteries

Crown has been manufacturing industrial batteries since 1926. Crown manufactures a wide range of batteries, including batteries for forklifts, golf carts, and electric mine engines. Of those suitable for use in solar electric power systems, there are over 1500 sizes and configurations possible. We have listed only a few of the most popular sizes, along with a few examples of other sizes available. These are LARGE batteries, and are furnished as complete units of 3, 6, or 12 cells enclosed and sealed in a heavy duty steel casing.

Specifications

The table below show specifications for the most common Crown Industrial batteries. The specifications for both are identical for all practical purposes. These are assembled units in steel trays. Prices shown are for standard 12 volt configurations. 6, 8, 12, 18, 24, 32, 36, and 48 volt are available at approximately the same price per cell. Prices shown are per 12 VOLT PACK - other voltage configurations will be the same price per 12-volt pack. All are rated at 1500 cycles to 80% discharge, and 5,000 cycles to 20% discharge, minimum. For pricing or quotes, please email us.