Battery cycles and warranty

When looking at batteries for your solar installation and warranties, the most important aspects to consider are the number of cycles and the depth of discharge. The better option is always a 1C-rated battery, which can be discharged to around 90%, with some even going to 100%. Half-C batteries should only be discharged to half of their capacity. For example, if you have a 500kW battery, you should only be drawing 250kW. 

The warranty cycle depends on how you use the battery. One battery brand starts with 6,000 cycles if you stick to the parameters of only depleting the battery by 80% and using it as a half-C. In other words, you would only be using 250kW of that 500kW at any given time. If you exceed that, the cycle count drops to 4,000 cycles. This means your 10-year warranty is not based on years but on the number of cycles. If you cycle your battery often, it will affect the cycle count and the warranty life.