Operating LEDs from a Battery

LEDs are low voltage dc, low power products and are therefore ideally suited to operation from battery supplies.

The majority of our products are 12V dc and these are the most suitable – using a 12V lead acid battery. Most other products require 24V dc and this can be provided by two equivalent 12V batteries connected in series.

The lead acid battery is rechargeable and can be used on a swap and charge regime or with a charging circuit included in the system. Providing the charger cannot operate at the same time as the LEDs the LEDs can be connected directly to the battery. As the battery voltage drops from fully charged to discharged most LED products will dim somewhat. Only if they have a built in regulator will they give a constant output over this range.

If the charging circuit could be active while the LEDs are on then a regulator must be placed in between to ensure that the higher voltage applied to the battery during charging does not reach the LEDs. In addition if the charger is an alternator on an engine then a surge protector must also be included to prevent high voltage spikes from damaging the regulator and LEDs.