Rolls Batteries

If you're building an off-grid solar system or sizing a solar battery bank, chances are Rolls — or Surrette — has come up. These batteries have been around since 1935. Serious off-grid users keep coming back to them, not because of the marketing, but because they hold up. This guide covers what you need to know before buying.

What is a Rolls battery?

Rolls batteries are made by Surrette Battery Company Ltd., a Canadian manufacturer based in Springhill, Nova Scotia. Founded in 1935, it's Canada's only remaining independent battery manufacturer.

You'll see two names in the market: Rolls and Surrette. Same battery, same factory. "Rolls" is used in the US; everywhere else, they're sold as Surrette. When you see "Rolls Surrette battery" in a product listing, it's just both names together.

Rolls makes deep cycle batteries. That means batteries designed to discharge slowly over long periods and recharge repeatedly, day after day. They're not starter batteries. They're built for renewable energy systems, marine use, RV setups, telecom sites, and anywhere you need reliable deep cycle energy storage over many years.

What makes Rolls batteries different?

Most deep cycle batteries use thin plates to maximize surface area and output. Rolls takes the opposite approach.

Their flooded lead-acid batteries use thick, lead-antimony plates — a design that trades peak output for endurance. Thick plates degrade more slowly under repeated charge and discharge cycles. Antimony in the grid alloy strengthens the plate structure, resisting the physical stress that wears out cheaper batteries.

Other design choices that matter

Double-insulated envelope separators. Prevent positive plates from shorting against the separators, a common failure point in standard batteries.

Higher electrolyte reserve. Means you top up with water less often than most competing flooded batteries.

Advanced NAM carbon additive. Included in all flooded models (Series 4000, 4500, and 5000) — speeds up charging by up to 15% and improves performance when batteries regularly cycle without reaching full charge, which happens often in real solar systems.

ISO-registered manufacturing. At their Nova Scotia facility keeps quality consistent across every unit.

Rolls vs other deep cycle options

Which Rolls battery product line is right for you?

Flooded lead-acid (Series 4000 and 5000)

The flooded lead-acid battery line is what built Rolls' reputation. These batteries use liquid electrolyte, which means some periodic maintenance, but they deliver the best long-term value for serious off-grid use. Both series are available in 2V, 4V, 6V, and 12V configurations, so you can build 12V, 24V, or 48V banks.

Sealed AGM and GEL (VRLA series)

Rolls' sealed VRLA line covers AGM-S, AGM-R, AGM-HL, and GEL models — all maintenance-free.

AGM batteries use fiberglass mats to absorb the electrolyte. No watering, no spills, and they handle vibration well, which matters in boats and moving vehicles. A GEL battery uses a thickened electrolyte and tolerates slow, deep discharges a bit better than standard AGM.

Lithium LiFePO4 (R-Series and S-Series)

Rolls added lithium iron phosphate batteries to the lineup to cover users who need lighter weight, zero maintenance, and higher cycle counts.

Key specs to look at

• Voltage: Rolls cells come in 2V, 4V, 6V, and 12V. You wire them in series to reach your system voltage. Four 6V batteries in series gives you a 24V bank, for example.
• Amp-hours (Ah): this is the battery's storage capacity. A 500 Ah battery at 6V can theoretically deliver 50 amps for 10 hours. To size your bank, calculate your daily energy use in watt-hours and work backward from there.
• Depth of discharge (DoD): how far you drain the battery before recharging. For flooded lead-acid, staying at 50% DoD or less is the standard recommendation. On a 500 Ah battery, that means using no more than 250 Ah per cycle. Going deeper doesn't destroy the battery immediately, but it cuts cycle life noticeably.
• Cycle life: the number of full charge/discharge cycles before capacity degrades below a usable threshold. A Rolls Series 5000 at 50% DoD can handle well over 1,000 cycles. Shallower discharges push that number higher. This is the real measure of long-term value, not the sticker price.
• C-rate: how fast you charge or discharge relative to capacity. Most deep cycle batteries prefer a slow charge at C/10 or C/20 rate. Charging too fast shortens battery life.

A1 SolarStore can help you get the sizing right before you order — because getting it right the first time costs a lot less than getting it wrong.

Flooded battery maintenance

Flooded Rolls batteries require upkeep. Less than people expect, but you do need to stay on top of it.

• Watering: check electrolyte levels and top up with distilled water only — tap water contains minerals that slowly damage the plates. Never add sulfuric acid during a routine top-up. Series 4000 and 4500 batteries typically need watering every 30 to 60 days; Series 5000 models generally need it every 60 to 90 days.
• Equalization charge: every 60 to 180 days, depending on your system, you'll run an equalization charge — a controlled overcharge that prevents sulfation and rebalances the cells. Plan for 3 to 4 hours, and make sure your charge controller supports equalization mode.
• Specific gravity checks: periodically check the specific gravity of one pilot cell with a hydrometer. If the reading drops when the battery is supposedly fully charged, something's wrong — usually chronic undercharging.

💡 If you go with AGM battery, GEL, or lithium Rolls batteries, none of this applies. Those lines are fully maintenance-free.

Making your decision

The hardest part of buying a deep cycle battery isn't choosing a brand — it's being honest about how you'll actually use it. Rolls doesn't make a cheap battery, and that's the point. Since 1935, every design choice they've made has traded low upfront cost for long service life. Whether that trade-off works for you comes down to one question: how long are you planning to run this system?

If the answer is ten years or more — and especially if you're off-grid full time — a Rolls Series 5000 is hard to argue against. One battery bank that outlasts your solar panels, needs water a few times a year, and doesn't ask much else of you. The Series 4000 is the right entry point if you want the same Canadian build quality and a 10-year service life without paying for the full premium. For boats, RVs, or any install where you can't reliably check electrolyte levels, skip the flooded line entirely and go AGM. And if weight or a modern 48V system is what you're building around, the LFP lineup is purpose-built for that.

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