When the voltage is stepped down, the energy doesn't just disappear. It "transforms" into higher amperage similar to a gear ratio change where you're trading speed for torque and vise versa.
Why do I need a different approach to charging a battery?
However, a different approach is necessary if the following conditions prevail: The supply voltage is less than the battery voltage, or, even worse, the supply voltage ranges above and below the battery voltage. The charger may need to accommodate one of several voltage sources, according to which is active.
What happens if a battery is connected in parallel?
This is due to the manufacturing process. If you connect them in parallel, your design impose that that their voltages are equal. When the design is switched off, the battery with the higher voltage will discharge into the one with the lower voltage. If the chosen battery technology doesn't allow recharging, this energy is lost.
Should I use a step-down converter?
Using a step-down converter offers greater immunity to input overvoltage, and will cause the voltage which is fed to the main circuitry to drop once the battery voltage has sagged too much. In many cases, this will cause the device to start working less well as the batteries age--sometimes a good thing, and sometimes a bad thing.
Fitting a step down unit (switched mode) to provide 5 volts doesn't alter the battery chemistry so the AH capacity of the battery doesn't change However, what you really should be talking about is the WH (watt hours) when you are considering power usage.
How to set up a step down converter?
Anyway, you set up your Step Down Converter similarly to your charge controller. There should be ports in the device for connecting the Battery and Solar Panel. It all boils down to not messing up the terminals. After you set up your Step Down Converter, you should get a screwdriver and multimeter.
Should batteries be drained before a battery replacement?
Further, while most devices give users a choice between replacing batteries while they still have useful life left in them, or having a device become non-functional due to dead batteries, a device which focused drain on the weaker batteries would allow users to get all the useful life out of batteries before replacement.