A Lithium battery is often the most expensive element in a solar installation, and as a battery is a long term investment, it is important to take into account all aspects of a battery before buying. There are a number of parameters that are important to consider when buying batteries, for example:
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Voltage and Capacity
The Voltage of a battery will have to match the Voltage of your inverter. These days, most home solar or backup installations are 48 Volts (V). The higher the voltage, the less energy losses take place inside the system.
The Capacity of a battery is the total amount of electricity that it can store, measured in kilowatt-hours (kWh) or Ampere-hour (Ah). If the battery capacity is measured in Ah, just multiply the Voltage of the battery with the Ah rating:
Wh = Ah x V
To calculate how long a battery will last, for your intended use, you can multiply the loads you want to connect, by the duration you want to run the loads for. For example, your load is 1 kW (1,000 Watts); a battery with a useable capacity of 4 kWh will run this load for 4 hours.
Time (hours) x kW = kWh
C-rate
While capacity tells you how big your battery is, the C rate tells you how much power a battery can provide at a given moment, or how quickly the battery can be charged or discharged.
A battery with a high capacity and a low C rate would deliver a low amount of electricity (enough to run a few crucial appliances) for a long time. A battery with low capacity and a high C rate could run your entire home, but only for a few hours. The C-rate is relative to the capacity of the battery, e.g.:
In summary, 1C means that the battery is fully charged and discharged within one hour, 2C is 30 minutes, and 0.5 C means 2 hours.
Example: a Pylontech USC will have a C-rate of 0.5, while some other batteries have a 1 C-rate. To be sure that a 5 kVA / 4 kW inverter can run at its full potential, you would need at least 3 of these Pylontech batteries.
Depth of discharge (DoD)
The Depth of Discharge (DoD) of a battery refers to the amount of a battery&#;s capacity that has been used. Most battery manufacturers will specify a maximum DoD for optimal performance. For example, if a 10 kWh battery has a maximum DoD of 90 percent, you shouldn&#;t use more than 9 kWh of the battery before recharging it.
In theory, all Lithium batteries can be discharged at 100%, but this will shorten its cycle life and might affect warranties. The stated DoD in battery specifications should therefore always be considered together with the life span (see below).
Life span, warranty and back-up support
In general, most Lithium batteries will have an expected life-span of somewhere between 8 and 16 years. In most home solar systems, your battery will &#;cycle&#; (charge and discharge) daily. Over time, your battery will lose some of the charge.
This is similar to the battery in your &#; you are charging your each night, and as your gets older, the battery doesn&#;t last as long as it did when it was new. Extreme temperatures can affect the life span of a battery. The life-span of a battery is often stated in number of cycles, e.g. 4,000 cycles.
Your battery will have a warranty that guarantees a certain number of cycles and/or years of useful life, often for a certain maximum DoD. Warranty often states for example &#;10 years at a maximum (or average) DoD of 80%&#;, and that after 10 years &#;60% of the battery&#;s capacity&#; will remain. Always try to check for this statement in a battery&#;s specification, the DoD in combination with life span and remaining capacity.
Another aspect to consider is back-up support, and whether this support can be provided locally as well. For example, if a battery is assembled locally, and there is a specific battery cell that happens to be faulty, the manufacturer can come and simply swap out that cell. However, for many imported batteries, the unit has to be sent back to its origin for repairs, and you might have to wait for a long time to get your battery back once it is repaired.
Expandability
Most batteries are designed to be &#;expandable,&#; which means that you can add multiple batteries to your solar system to get extra capacity. Check for this option to make sure you can expand your system in the future.
Mounting
Some batteries can be wall-mounted, others have to be placed on the ground, and sometimes you need to buy specific cabinets. If, for example, you have limited space in your garage next to the DB board, the mounting system is something to consider as well.
Other considerations
Other aspects to consider are, whether you need extra specific battery cables, whether the battery is compatible with your brand of inverter and whether the battery is able to communicate with the inverter, and last but not least of course the what the total price is, compared to the quality of the battery. Price per kWh would be useful for comparison, taking into account, warranty, number of cycles etc; in short considering all the issues discussed above.
Link to SUNJ ENERGY
Many people believe lithium batteries to be better than alternative battery chemistries. They have established a solid reputation for being the more reliable and energy-efficient battery type throughout time, making them the preferred option for most battery users. These power packs are also frequently utilised in many devices, including commonplace devices like mobile phones and battery backups for sporadic power outages.
Before we answer this question, we need to understand lithium and batteries. Separately.
Well, lithium is a chemical element, pretty much like oxygen or nitrogen.
It is considered a superior metal because of several of its features:
And battery? Simply put, a battery is a source of electric power. It has three essential components: the anode (negative - side), the cathode (positive + side), and the electrolyte.
When the cathode and anode are connected to an electrical circuit, a chemical reaction occurs between the anode and electrolyte.
Imagine the anode to be a mischievous person who provokes the electrolyte (a child) to say something nasty to the cathode (another grown-up). As electrons (the nasty thing) flow through the circuit from the anode and reach the cathode, it prompts another chemical reaction
These reactions keep happening, and the energy these reactions produce is electricity. And then comes the point when nothing meaningful is left to make electricity.
Enter Lithium-ion batteries, which are secondary cells, i.e., they can be recharged and reused. These batteries are prevalent today, mainly because of their applications in mobile, laptop, cameras, etc.
So, the most significant difference between lithium and lithium-ion batteries is that the former can&#;t be recharged while the latter can be recharged and reused hundreds of times.
Like lithium-ion batteries, Lithium Iron Phosphate (LiFePO4) batteries are also rechargeable.
But while a lithium-ion battery has lithium cobalt dioxide (LiCoO2) or lithium manganese oxide (LiMn2O4) as a cathode, a LiFePO4 battery has lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4) as the cathode material.
Phosphate-based technology possesses superior thermal and chemical stability, which provides better safety characteristics than those of Lithium-ion technology.
Lithium phosphate cells are more stable under overcharge or short circuit situations, they can resist high temperatures without disintegrating, and they are incombustible in the event of improper handling during charge or discharge. The phosphate-based cathode material won't burn and won't be prone to thermal runaway if abuse does happen. Phosphate chemistry also offers a longer cycle life.
In a nutshell, Lithium Iron Phosphate maintains the advantages of lithium-ion batteries while mitigating the risks.
LiFePO4 batteries have a far longer life than their lead-acid or AGM equivalent. This fact, however, does not justify the lack of research when buying a LiFePO4 battery. There are several factors to consider when shopping for a lithium battery.
It is essential to understand your requirements before you invest in a battery. You don't necessarily need the biggest battery available. You can afford a more reliable brand while saving money by opting for a mid-spec battery instead of a high-spec.
Mapping your applications with the voltage is an excellent next step. 12V is enough for most applications, including camping and boats. No wonder over 60% of the camping batteries sold in Australia is 12V.
Also known as the C-rate, the charge rate is the unit to measure the speed at which a battery is fully charged/discharged. For example, charging at a C-rate of 1C means the battery is charged from 0-100% in one hour. The faster, the better, but you can weigh the charge rate against the price premium and your applications. Anything that takes more than 2 hours to charge may not be suitable for most people.
LiFePO4 batteries don't come cheap, and one of their biggest benefits is the service life. Don't settle for anything less than charge/discharge cycles. At Outbax, we only sell batteries with a minimum of charge/discharge cycles.
LiFePO4 batteries can operate in extreme temperatures. Check the battery specifications and determine if the operating range is suitable for your requirements.
Ensure that a decent warranty covers the LiFePO4 battery you choose. With lithium batteries, a five-year warranty shouldn't be beyond expectations. At Outbax, we have batteries with 3-year to 7-year warranties.
Outbax range offers various sizes and capacities of batteries to accommodate different consumer requirements, whether home or outdoor. We take safety and environmental sustainability very seriously and strictly adhere to the UL, IEC, CE and other standards. These factors and performance explain why we use Lithium Iron Phosphate cells at VoltX. These cells are incredibly safe and have longer shelf lives. What's not to love&#;it's top-notch quality at a budget-friendly price. And did we mention the fast and free shipping?
For more lithium battery cellsinformation, please contact us. We will provide professional answers.