Choose the right battery, inverter and lights.

Batteries

Choosing a battery

Start with what the battery is for. Each I-VOLT line is built for a different kind of work.

What Ah means

Ah (amp-hours) is how much charge a battery holds. A 12V 150Ah battery stores about 1,800 watt-hours (12 × 150). After inverter losses, and without draining it flat, plan to use about two-thirds of that. So a 150Ah battery runs a 300W load for about four hours.

Tubular or flat plate

In a flat-plate battery the active material is pasted onto a grid, and a little of it sheds with every deep discharge. In a tubular battery it is packed into porous tubes around lead spines, so it stays in place. Tubular batteries handle long power cuts and daily solar charging better, which is why every I-VOLT battery is tubular.

12V, 24V or 48V

Small home inverters run on one 12V battery. Bigger inverters need two batteries (24V) or four (48V), wired in series. Batteries in one bank should be the same model and the same age.

Inverters

Choosing an inverter

The inverter turns battery power into the 230V your appliances use, and charges the battery when the grid is on. I-VOLT batteries work with standard home and solar inverters.

VA and watts

Inverters are rated in VA. As a rule, divide your total load in watts by 0.8 and leave some headroom. A 300W load needs at least 450VA; a 600VA inverter is the comfortable choice.

Pure sine wave

A pure sine wave inverter gives the same smooth power as the grid. Fans run quieter, and fridges, motors and electronics run cooler. It is the right choice for most homes.

Fridges, pumps and motors

Anything with a motor draws several times its running power for a moment when it starts. Size the inverter for that start-up surge, not only the running load.

Solar-ready inverters

A solar hybrid inverter charges your batteries from solar panels as well as from the grid. If you plan to add panels later, choose a solar-ready inverter now.

Lighting

Choosing LED lights

Lumens, not watts

Watts tell you how much power a bulb uses. Lumens tell you how much light it gives. LEDs give far more light per watt than old bulbs, so compare lumens when you choose.

Warm white or cool daylight

Warm white (3000K) is soft and yellow, good for bedrooms and living rooms. Cool daylight (6500K) is crisp and bright, good for kitchens, study tables, shops and offices.

B22 or E27

B22 is the push-and-twist pin base. E27 is the screw base. Check your holder before you buy; I-VOLT makes both.

AC or 12V DC

AC bulbs run on mains power or through an inverter. 12V DC bulbs connect straight to a battery or solar home system with no inverter in between, so no power is lost converting it.

Street lights

I-VOLT street lights come in 50W and 100W, with or without a sensor that switches them on at dusk and off at dawn.

See all I-VOLT lights

Care

Looking after your battery

• If your battery has top-up caps, check the level every month or two. Top up with distilled water only, up to the MAX line. Never use tap water or acid.
• Keep the terminals clean and tight. A thin layer of petroleum jelly stops corrosion.
• Give it air. Keep the battery in a dry, ventilated place, away from direct sun and open flames. Batteries give off gas while charging.
• Recharge soon after a long power cut. Leaving a battery flat for days shortens its life.
• Replace a bank together. Mixing old and new batteries, or different models, wears out the new ones faster.