Battery Cabling And Hook-Up Configurations; Battery Parallel Connection - Xantrex Freedom SW 815-3012 Installation Manual

Battery Cabling and Hook-up Configurations

Several smaller batteries can be connected to create a battery bank of
substantial size. You can connect batteries in three ways: in parallel, series,
or series-parallel.
To make a larger battery bank, connect individual batteries with heavy
cables. The actual size of the cable depends on whether the batteries are
connected in parallel or series. Generally, the cable should not be smaller
than the inverter cables—if the main cables are 4/0 AWG, the battery
interconnects should be 4/0 AWG.
The best configuration is to connect the batteries in series and parallel. This
requires additional cables, but reduces imbalances in the battery bank and
can improve the overall performance. Consult your battery supplier for
more information regarding the hook-up configuration required for your
system.
97-0020-01-01

Battery Parallel Connection

Batteries are connected in parallel when all the positive terminals of a group
of batteries are connected and then, separately, all the negative terminals are
connected. In a parallel configuration, the battery bank has the same voltage
as a single battery, but an Ah rating equal to the sum of the individual
batteries. See below.
Figure 23 Batteries Connected in Parallel
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