Solar Lattice

Concept

Depth of discharge

ID
concept:depth-of-discharge
IRI
https://solarlattice.org/kb/concept/depth-of-discharge
Status
active
Also known as
DoD
Category
Storage
Concept kind
technology

Depth of discharge (DoD) is the percentage of a battery's capacity that has been taken out, measured against the fully charged state. DoD and state of charge always add up to 100 percent. For example, a battery discharged once a day down to 65% of its capacity has a DoD of 35%. The allowable DoD is the deepest discharge permitted in operation. For deep-cycle batteries it is usually held to no more than 75 to 80%, and it must also be limited to keep lead-acid batteries from freezing in very cold conditions. Charge controllers and battery-based inverters enforce the DoD limit with a low-voltage disconnect set point. For a typical lead-acid cell, an LVD of 1.85 to 1.91 volts per cell corresponds to a DoD of 70 to 80% at discharge rates of C/20 and lower. Battery life depends mainly on DoD, cycle count, time spent at each state of charge, and temperature. The link between DoD and life is non-linear, and a shallower daily DoD usually means a longer life. Together with battery capacity and daily load, the allowable DoD sets the days of autonomy for off-grid designs. For example, a 400 Ah bank used to 75% DoD gives 300 Ah of usable capacity. Monitoring systems and set points should keep the battery above its minimum state of charge. Some products, such as the SolarEdge Home Battery, claim full DoD with no 5% manufacturer energy reserve, and also offer a backup reserve setting.

<!-- review notes

Claims

related_to

c1 drafted · lead State of charge

State of charge and depth of discharge add up to 100 percent.

c3 drafted · lead PV charge controller

The controller's low-voltage disconnect set point sets the maximum battery DoD at a given discharge rate.

c4 drafted · lead Lead-acid battery

Limiting the allowable DoD protects lead-acid batteries from freezing. A lead-acid LVD of 1.85 to 1.91 VPC corresponds to a DoD of 70 to 80%.

review note: review: partial - The passages support both the freezing protection and the 1.85-1.91 VPC to 70-80% DoD figure, but the note drops the source's limit that this holds only at discharge rates of C/20 and lower.

c5 verified · fact Usable energy capacity

The allowable DoD sets how much of the nominal capacity can be used.

verified by: review-workflowverified on: 2026-10-24

c6 verified · fact Backup reserve

verified by: review-workflowverified on: 2026-10-24review note: support check: partial - The u3 figure shows depth of discharge diagram with backup reserve and minimum state of energy, but no explicit relation is stated.

explains

c2 verified · fact Cycle life

Battery longevity depends mainly on DoD, cycle count, time at each state of charge and temperature. Shallower average daily DoD usually gives longer battery life.

verified by: review-workflowverified on: 2026-10-24

Referenced by

Data