Page 25 - Ready for IMPACT Battery Blog

With energy costs at all-time highs, it's not surprising that many people are looking for alternative ways to generate electricity. Solar power is a prime example. If the idea of reducing your dependence on traditional energy appeals to you, you may be thinking about having solar panels installed on your home. While there are plenty of advantages to doing so, there are many disadvantages as well. It's important to weigh the pros and cons before taking the plunge.

Advantages of Solar Panels

Once solar panels are installed, energy is generated for free. No raw materials are needed to produce solar energy; all you need is sunlight. Many people are drawn to this type of energy in the hopes of having very low energy bills in the future.

Solar energy lets you go off the grid. Many people dream of disconnecting entirely from the regular power grid. In sunny places, this is actually feasible.

Solar power generates no greenhouse gases. If you're looking for an eco-friendly way to produce electricity,

Memorable advertising is essential in a market that has many competitors. It is sometimes not enough for a company simply to make an outstanding product; they need a good ad campaign to promote what they offer. Below are some of the more memorable battery ad campaigns that have withstood the test of time.

Energizer

Who doesn’t recognize the pink bunny with the bass drum? The mascot and the ad campaign just keeps going and going and going . . . because it’s a battery ad that works.  The company’s best campaign was when it partnered with Lucas Films in 1994 for a Darth Vader vs. The Energizer Bunny commercial.

Duracell

When Morpheus held up a battery with a bronze-colored top in The Matrix, everyone knew which brand of battery it was: Duracell, the “copper top.” While its slogan is “no battery is stronger longer,” it is the battery’s appearance and the two-word description that made it memorable. In fact, Duracell’s most famous commercials outside the U.S. were a series of pink bunny commercials.

Electric cars have been hailed as an answer to civilization's reliance on fossil fuels for a few years now. By itself, electricity produces no air pollution or greenhouse gases. It's cheaper to transport electricity on power lines than it is to drill, ship, refine, and transport gasoline to fill stations around the country.

Unfortunately, electric vehicles have some flaws that will need to be addressed in the next few years. Some of these issues stem from fundamental problems in the United States' energy infrastructure, and they will be difficult and costly to fix.

Initial Cost and Extended Savings

Electric cars may cost too much for the average driver. With an entry point of $27,700 after the federal tax credit, the base Nissan Leaf model is out of reach for many people. For comparison, a gasoline-powered Nissan Versa starts at just $11,990 and gets up to 40 highway mpg.

However, electric vehicles shine when it comes to operational cost. For somebody who drives an average of 15,000 miles

Motorcycles are notoriously hard on the batteries required to start them. The constant vibrations inherent with bike riding and bike recharging systems can cause batteries to wear out in one to two years, especially with the cheaper brands. That is why it is imperative to purchase quality motorcycle batteries instead of those at the bottom of the barrel.

An article published by the Greater Atlanta British Motorcycle Association corroborates the prevailing expectation that traditional motorcycle batteries are on the way out and will soon be totally replaced by a new breed of battery that requires no maintenance, resists vibrations and holds a charge for several years in all conditions.

A few brands are known to stand out as the top motorcycle batteries, and these brands are worth considering before any others.

Antigravity Batteries

Antigravity batteries use some of the most advanced technology available to produce motorcycle batteries that are among the highest quality in the world. Antigravity’s

If you're in the market for a new boat battery, you've probably   discovered that the marketplace is filled with a bewildering selection of boat batteries. New boat batteries can be expensive, and low-quality batteries might not even last a year before forcing you to replace them. It's important to only select quality batteries that will justify your investment. Although it can be difficult to separate the good batteries from the poor batteries, there are specific battery models that stand out for their power, durability, reliability or affordability.

Die Hard PM-1

The Die Hard PM-1 is a long-lasting and dependable battery. Although this battery isn't cheap, it does carry a 36-month warranty. This battery is sealed and is built with absorbent glass mat technology, or AGM technology, helping the battery to remain secure and functional no matter the conditions. This battery features an operational reserve time of 205 minutes, providing enough reserve power to return safely in an emergency.

The battery is one of the most important parts of a functioning car. Unfortunately, batteries have the uncanny ability to die at the least expected and most inconvenient moments. For this reason, all drivers should be familiar with the process of replacing a car battery.

Find the Battery

Fortunately, most car batteries are easy to find. If the battery is not visible when you open the hood, consult your owner's manual. Some vehicles have the battery in other locations, such as under a rear seat or in the left front fender. This guide will focus on batteries that are located under the hood. For specifics about other locations, consult your owner's manual.

Does the Battery Need to be Changed?

Before deciding to replace a car battery, it is important to determine if the battery is really the problem. Other problems, such as a blown fuse or a bad alternator, may trick some motorists.

Corrosion can lead to battery problems. A white or blue residue on the battery terminals is an indicator of corrosion.

Disposing of batteries can be a tricky process when dangerous materials are a concern. The impact that battery disposal has on the environment can also be an important point to remember when getting rid of battery waste, so anyone who would like to get rid of old batteries should understand the disposal process and know where to properly recycle batteries.

Proper Battery Recycling Procedures

The first step in battery recycling is ensuring that a battery is properly disposed of once it has lost its charge. Many households simply throw old batteries in the household garbage can, but this is a practice that is both wasteful and potentially dangerous if non-alkaline batteries are involved.

Batteries that are no longer able to power a device still have a small amount of charge left in them, so it is important to avoid disposing of more than one battery in the same waste receptacle at the same time. This is most important to remember in regards to alkaline batteries, which can be disposed of

Batteries are the heart of the UPS system that protects your computers and other electronic equipment from power fluctuations. UPS units use high-current batteries that can handle power spikes, dips, blackouts and line noise. Most UPS batteries are sealed lead acid and designed to last from five to eight years.

UPS Battery Life

A UPS battery reaches the end of its useful life when it can no longer supply 80 percent of rated capacity. After this point, capacity and backup time degrade quickly. For example, a battery that normally provides 15 minutes of backup may have seven minutes at 80-percent capacity. This degradation is most often due to corrosion of the positive grid's inner wires. You can prolong your battery's life by keeping it clean, maintaining connectors and cables, and regularly checking performance.

Sealed Lead Acid Batteries

Sealed UPS batteries don’t require you to add water although they do need preventive maintenance. Absorbed glass mat (AGM) batteries are ideal for UPS

Car batteries do not last forever. Most of them have useful lifespans that range from three to five years. Although the technology used for automotive batteries has vastly improved over the years, the electric consumption of the average vehicle has also dramatically increased. All of the power equipment that is standard in new cars puts a great strain on the battery and can potentially reduce its lifespan. On the other side of the spectrum are vehicles in storage. When a car is not being used, it can drain a battery more than a heavily used car. However, it is possible to preserve a car battery in either situation by following a few simple rules.

Is It On?

The first step that will help preserve a car battery is to make sure that it is not being used unnecessarily. While being driven, this is not usually a problem because the battery is constantly being recharged by the alternator. However, it can still help to turn down the air conditioning when it is not that hot outside and to use the