Which type of circuit configuration should be used to increase the voltage of a battery bank?

A series configuration is utilized to increase the voltage of a battery bank because it connects multiple batteries end-to-end. In this setup, the positive terminal of one battery is connected to the negative terminal of the next. This arrangement allows the voltages of each battery to be additive, resulting in a higher total voltage at the output. For example, if you connect two 12-volt batteries in series, the total voltage delivered to the circuit will be 24 volts.

This configuration is especially useful in marine applications where higher voltage is needed to power equipment or systems that require more energy than a single battery can provide. Batteries in series maintain the same capacity (amp-hours) as a single battery, meaning while the voltage increases, the overall energy storage capacity remains the same.

In contrast, parallel configurations are designed to increase the total capacity (amp-hours) while maintaining the same voltage level as a single battery. A hybrid configuration might combine series and parallel setups but does not directly relate to simply increasing voltage. Using a secondary battery typically implies adding more batteries but doesn't inherently specify a method for increasing voltage. Therefore, the series configuration is the clear choice for elevating voltage in a battery bank.