What are lithium ion solar batteries?
Generally speaking, lithium-ion batteries for solar power systems are lithium-ion solar cells. It can store excess solar energy by matching with solar energy system. More specifically, most lithium ion solar batteries are deep-cycle LiFePO4 batteries, just like the traditional lead-acid deep-cycle start batteries used in cars.
In solar applications which involve irregular charging and discharging, LiFePO4 batteries are excellent because they use lithium salts to make an incredibly efficient and long-lasting battery.
Are lithium-ion solar battery the best choice for solar panels??
Of course, the best choice is the lithium-ion solar battery. They are more efficient, charge faster, need no maintenance, and last longer than their competition.
Extremely low internal resistance is the source of efficiency, which minimizes battery loss during charging. This also shows that they can use the minimum loss when discharging, so the input energy is equal to the output energy. When charging less efficient batteries, you cannot recover any lost solar energy.
Considering these benefits, lithium ion solar batteries are a much better long-term investment than other battery types, regardless of their premium price tag.
Why The Battery Bank is the Most Important Part of a Solar System?
Many people have a big misunderstanding about the saying that the most critical part of the solar system is the solar panel. The battery pack is one of the most critical parts of a solar system. Many consumers enter the solar world by buying several solar panels to charge their standard lead-acid batteries. However, to get good results, we must first invest in the battery bank. We must ensure that the battery pack is able to meet our needs so that we can make enough solar panels.
The energy of solar panels is used to store power through the battery. When the sun goes down or cloudy, your system will not generate electricity without the energy of the sun. So, our battery pack is our restrictive power supply, normally there is a positive relationship between the battery combination battery, generally speaking, the larger the battery pack, the greater the functions that can be used. If you want to charge the battery bank faster, you deserve a large solar array that can charge quickly without increasing the battery capacity.
What are the pros and cons of lithium ion solar batteries?
Pros of lithium ion solar batteries
The advantages of lithium ion solar batteries include:
Lifespan Beyond 5,000 Cycles
- Great for Inconsistent Discharge Cycles
- Voltage stability
- Lifespan
Beyond 5,000 Cycles
Few people buy lithium ion batteries because of their high price. However, one of the most important factors we need to additionally consider is their service life, generally speaking, the normal service life of ordinary lead-acid batteries is 200-900 cycles. Under the ideal conditions of proper maintenance, solar charging every day can be used for up to a few years.
In contrast to lead-acid batteries, lithium ion batteries can last more than 5000 charging cycles, equivalent to more than 10 years of use. For example, the battery designed by battle born can be used for 3000 to 5000 cycles regardless of the discharge depth, with a 10-year warranty. This ensures that 80% of the batteries are still available after 5000 discharge cycles!
Although the initial investment may be high for lithium ion batteries, the service life is longer. Creating a battery bank with lithium ion batteries is among the most cost-effective options due to their low replacement frequency.
Great for Inconsistent Discharge Cycles
It is also possible to draw more or less power from your battery bank from day today. lithium ion batteries are ideal for handling inconsistent discharge cycles.No matter whether your lithium battery bank is used as a backup power supply or the main power supply, it can handle the inconsistency of discharge without damaging the battery. Even the deep discharge of damaged lead-acid batteries is understandable for high-quality lithium ion batteries.
Voltage stability
When you run out of lead-acid batteries, the voltage will continue to drop. In most cases, we can only use 50% of the capacity of a lead-acid battery, why? Because if it is less than 50%, it will cause too much voltage drop to power electronic devices. In addition, if the capacity of lead-acid battery is less than 50%, it will cause damage and shorten the service life of the battery.
One advantage of lithium-ion batteries is that when the battery is not completely depleted, it can provide stable power and voltage, which means we can use the full capacity without any significant voltage drop. In addition, fully discharged lithium ion batteries will not cause damage to them like lead-acid batteries.
Cons of lithium ion solar batteries
The disadvantages of lithium ion solar batteries include:
High cost
Thermal runaway
High cost
For the most expensive battery storage, lithium ion batteries are often a little better, especially compared with lead-acid batteries.
The good news is that solar systems are eligible for federal tax credits and other incentives to make lithium ion batteries more affordable. As the saying goes, you get what you pay for. Although lead-acid batteries are cheaper to buy, they have a short service life and must be replaced frequently.
Thermal runaway
lithium ion batteries are at risk of ignition because they have a higher risk of thermal runaway. However, as long as lithium ion solar batteries are installed correctly, there is no risk.
No Battery Maintenance Vs. Lead-Acid
There are many things in the world that need regular maintenance. It is easy to understand that lithium battery is a maintenance-free choice. After installing lithium ion batteries for the battery bank, you can almost forget them because they don’t need regular maintenance.
In contrast, lead-acid batteries require considerable regular maintenance. The principle of energy storage of lead-acid batteries is different. A mixture of water and sulfuric acid can be used to store energy if used as an electrolyte. You need to charge it often because the water will evaporate during the charging and discharging of the lead-acid battery. If the lead-acid battery is not checked and filled regularly, it will have the effects of permanent damage, decreased performance, and shorter battery life.
Some lead-acid batteries are maintenance free, however, we do need to do regular recharging so as to ensure that the batteries are healthy. Lithium-ion TVs are a great choice for many people as they reduce other maintenance tasks.
What To Look For When Buying lithium ion solar batteries
Amp-Hour Rating
Ampere-hours (Ah) is a measure of how much power a battery can deliver in one hour. For instance, a 100 Ah battery can supply 100 amps for an hour. A 50 Ah battery can deliver 50 amps for two hours, etc.
The larger the number, the greater the capacity of the battery in terms of power supply. By paralleling multiple batteries to form a battery bank, the number of amp-hours and available capacity can be increased.
In order to understand your requirements for the battery bank, you need to conduct an energy assessment before purchasing the battery. If you do not have enough amp-hours in your battery pack, you may be in trouble because you may find yourself without electricity when you need it. Battle-born battery experts can answer any questions you want to know. If you need to, please contact battle-born battery experts.
Discharge Threshold
You know, if the lead-acid battery is discharged below 50% of its capacity, it will cause permanent damage and decrease the performance of the battery. In this regard, we designed our battery so that it will not cause damage when discharged to 0%.
It is the BMS battery management system that manages the discharge cycle, and what we can get is the rating of the battery. Other lithium ion solar batteries typically allow for only an 80% discharge threshold before starting to lose capacity.
Battery Management System
The safe operation and optimal life expectancy of lithium ion solar batteries can be ensured by the internal battery management system (BMS). The responsibility of BMS is to monitor the health and temperature of batteries and balance the charge between batteries. If the BMS detects an unsafe situation, it turns off the battery to prevent damage. BMS plays an important role in protecting battery safety. We need to make sure that the lithium battery we choose must have an internal BMS.
Expert Customer Service
Due to the complexity of solar systems, it requires extensive knowledge to calibrate and optimize functions correctly. Inadvertently turning off a setting in the system can lead to frustration and regret. However, not all lithium solar battery companies have excellent customer service.
If you just want to find a brand with a good reputation and a good customer service record, many brands will be willing to charge you money to serve you, but you should also make sure that they will serve you after you buy the product. In this regard, in order for your lithium battery to give full play to the best performance, you need professional customer service.
Lithium Solar Battery Lifespan & Warranty
The latest batteries on the market include lithium ion solar batteries. With the continuous progress of research and technology in the lithium ion solar batteries industry, the service life and warranty period provided by the corresponding industry are also extending. Brands that once provided warranty protection for three to five years now provide warranty protection for more than 10 years.
Before purchase, in order to ensure a normal warranty, please ensure that your product is within the warranty coverage and can meet any of your requirements. In order to buy satisfactory products, you also need to be clear about the contents covered and the replacement process.
How much do lithium ion solar batteries cost?
The cost of the energy storage systems is the biggest concern of most homeowners. It is calculated that the total cost of installing a lithium battery storage system may be between $7000 and $30000.
Prices may vary depending on: What manufacturer do you choose, battery features, How many batteries do you need, and Installation cost.
The installation cost of a lithium battery is much higher than that of a lead-acid battery. The installation of lead-acid batteries costs $5000 to up to $15000, which is much lower than the installation cost of solar lithium ion batteries.
Since the installation cost is high, why do people still choose lithium ion batteries? Although the price is higher, the higher price tag also brings many additional benefits that lead-acid batteries cannot obtain.
When is a lithium ion solar battery the best choice?
For everyday residential, lithium ion solar batteries are the best choice for solar storage systems because they are small and take up small space, but their small bodies can still store a lot of energy. In addition, their high DOD means that more stored energy can be used by you.
Due to the long service life of the battery, it does not need to be replaced as often as the lead-acid battery. In addition, their high efficiency also means that you can use more energy generated and stored by solar panels.
However, there are other battery types that are more suitable for your situation. If you only use solar batteries as backup power storage, other battery types are more suitable for you. Since you don’t run out of backup batteries regularly, you don’t think lower DOD and service life are important, so you don’t have to buy these features.
Lead-acid batteries are very popular in off-grid solar system projects that are not often used. But for daily use, the best choice may be to spend more on lithium-ion solar batteries.