Depending on which one of the above problems is of most concern for a particular application, appropriate modifications to the basic battery configuration improve battery performance. For renewable energy applications, the above problems will impact the depth of discharge, the battery lifetime and the maintenance requirements. The changes to the battery typically involve modification in one of the three basic areas:

• changes to the electrode composition and geometry;
• changes to the electrolyte solution; and
• modifications to the battery housing or terminals to prevent or reduce the escape of generated hydrogen gas.