Balck box basics

Batteries are the core of any off-grid system, and are essentially small reactors that convert chemical energy to electricity. When a battery is connected to an external device, forming a circuit, a chemical reaction is triggered that causes electrons with a negative charge to flow around the circuit – this is the electrical current that powers devices like lights or a fridge.

Their history is fascinating, and its even possible batteries have been around since Mesopotamian times. The first real documented breakthrough came in 1800 when Italian physicist Allesandro Volta stacked discs of copper and zinc on top of each other, separated by cloth soaked in brine. Wires attached to the top and bottom of this stack produced a constant voltage.

The familiar flooded cell or wet cell lead-acid battery, and the world’s first rechargeable battery, was invented in 1856 by French physicist Gaston Planté. His invention used a lead anode and lead dioxide cathode, both immersed in a sulphuric acid solution. The reaction of both electrodes with the acid electrolyte produces lead sulphate,