In many photovoltaic systems, rechargeable batteries are required to even out irregularities in solar irradiation. However, the health conditions of the batteries are crucial for the reliability of the overall system. In this paper, the equivalent DC resistances of Lithium ion battery cells of various health conditions during charging under different temperatures have been collected and the relationships between equivalent DC resistance, health condition and working temperature have been identified. The equivalent DC resistance can easily be obtained during the charging period of a battery by switching off the charging current periodically for a very short duration of time. A simple and effective battery charger with state of health (SOH) detection for Lithium ion battery cell has been developed based on the identified equivalent DC resistance. Experimental results are included to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed SOH determination scheme. Crown Copyright (C) 2012 Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.