With hundreds of battery types and styles to choose from, how do you sift through spec sheets and marketing to find the right battery for you?

Battery technology is key. Many batteries -- commercial, automotive, and UPS -- can't handle constant cycling in renewable energy systems.

Lithium-ion batteries are maintenance-free but have the highest cost per ampere-hour (Ah). They also pose fire and thermal runaway risks and cannot be fully recycled.

In most, but not all, cases, lead-acid batteries are the best fit. They have the highest ROI, over 100 years of safe use, and are the most recyclable product in North America.

Here are 5 key battery features to look for:

1. Heavy, thick plates provide more active material for chemical reactions, so they last longer.
2. More active material means increased capacity and life. Because lead is 60% to 80% of a battery's cost, some manufacturers skimp on lead -- and slash lifespan.
3. Automation improves reliability and longevity. For instance, computerized paste mixing optimizes over a dozen variables to ensure consistent performance. And aerospace vision systems eliminate human errors.
4. Reverse osmosis and deionization remove lifespan-shortening chemicals and impurities.
5. Cast-on-Strap (COS) manufacturing allows for over 4,000 adjustments versus 40 for manual welding. This improves reliability, reduces maintenance, and eliminates failures common in manually-assembled batteries.

John Connell is the Vice President of Crown Battery's SLI Products Group. Crown Battery manufactures all its advanced technology, lead-acid batteries at its ISO-9001:2008-certified plant in Fremont, Ohio.

Crown Battery | http://www.crownbattery.com