Conditioning/"formatting" new batteries: update in 1st post

Capacity tends to increase for initial cycles. The greatest gains are in about the first six cycles. Some where north of 25 to 50 cycles maximum capacity arrives. After that it is back to the slow decline. Perhaps one of the new chemistries will solve this. Or super capacitors may do the trick.

Again, I believe an adequate solar system tends to extend battery life span, simply because the battery bank gets fully charged.