What You Need to Know About Lithium Solar Batteries
What You Need to Know About Lithium Solar Batteries
Lithium solar batteries can hold more power in a smaller space, making them a top choice for commercial and residential solar energy systems. They also deliver higher power density and require less maintenance.
Longer Lifespan
Unlike traditional lead acid batteries, lithium batteries are designed to withstand a high number of charge-discharge cycles without significant capacity loss. Battle Born lithium batteries, for instance, are rated to last 5,000+ cycles.
1. Long Lifespan
The lifespan of a solar battery is an important factor for homeowners to consider. Many lithium solar batteries have a warrantied life of 10-15 years, which is much longer than the lead-acid batteries that dominated the market in previous decades.
However, the exact lifespan of a battery will depend on several factors, including the usage and cycles of the battery, its ambient temperature, and its maintenance. Excessive cycling drains batteries quickly, and over time it will degrade the battery’s ability to hold a charge. Keeping a close eye on the depth of discharge (DoD) of your battery is critical for longevity.
Lithium solar batteries are safe to operate in most temperatures, and don’t generate harmful gases like hydrogen lithium solar batteries and oxygen. They can be installed indoors, which also helps to reduce the effects of temperature on capacity.
As with all solar products, choosing a manufacturer with great customer service will help ensure your batteries are properly maintained and have the longest possible lifespan. Look for a company with a great reputation and a long history of supporting their customers after the sale.
2. Fast Charging
It’s no secret that lithium batteries have dominated the solar market. With their high energy density and long depth of discharge, lithium-ion (Li-ion) and lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4) solar batteries have replaced lead acid in most residential solar systems.
Compared to other battery chemistries, lithium batteries have superior charge efficiency. They are also able to charge at much higher currents than lead acid, which means they can provide your home with an uninterrupted, renewable energy source.
In addition to their fast charging capabilities, lithium solar batteries eliminate overcharge anxiety by regulating their internal temperature and automatically discharging at the appropriate rate. This prevents damage to the battery cell and prolongs its lifespan.
The premium price tag associated with lithium batteries is well worth the peace of mind and reliability they offer homeowners. Combined with solar panels, they allow you to power your home from sun to sun without the need for grid connection. This is especially useful in remote areas or for boondockers. They can even help you cut out the need for generators during cloudy days and winter months.
3. Internal Battery Management System (BMS)
A lithium solar battery BMS monitors your system and prevents overcharging or over-discharging to keep it working optimally. It also detects and isolates faulty cells or modules to prevent a cascading failure of the entire pack.
The most essential functions of a BMS are electrical and thermal protection and capacity management. The former involves preventing a lithium-ion battery pack from being damaged by usage outside its specified operating limits. This is achieved through cell balancing, where energy is evenly distributed between adjacent cells in a pack.
The latter feature involves passive and active temperature control to maintain and optimize battery performance. This can include deploying an external in-line cooler for an electric vehicle battery pack, or turning on resident heater plates on a battery pack incorporated within a helicopter or other aircraft. For larger battery packs, a centralized BMS implementation is commonly used. This requires fewer ports for connecting with individual battery packages and simplifies troubleshooting. However, it can increase complexity and costs, especially for more advanced BESS designs with a high number of battery packages.
4. High Energy Capacity
When it comes to solar storage, battery capacity is a key factor. Unlike lead-acid batteries that need frequent maintenance due to their water evaporating during charge cycles, lithium batteries can be discharged to 100% without damage. This allows them to deliver the full nameplate (or rated) capacity of the battery, reducing overall costs.
In addition, lithium batteries can tolerate lower ambient temperatures without affecting their performance or lifespan. This is an important benefit for homeowners living in colder climates.
Lithium batteries are the ideal backup power solution for solar homes. They take up little space and can deliver a substantial amount of energy during a grid outage. They also help offset high electricity lifepo4 battery prices and time-of-use rates, allowing solar homeowners to avoid paying the local utility company for grid energy during peak hours. Plus, they are quieter and less polluting than generators. They are the perfect alternative to traditional fossil fuel generators and the best way to maximize your solar power system’s energy production. BSLBATT curates an extensive portfolio of hardware options from internationally recognized solar battery and power electronics manufacturers to provide homeowners with safe, reliable, and renewable energy backup solutions.
5. Excellent Customer Service
Unlike lead acid batteries that require frequent watering and equalizing, lithium solar batteries are maintenance free. All you need to do is make sure the battery modules are clean of debris and are not damaged.
Lithium solar batteries are incredibly efficient, with round-trip efficiency ratings of 90 to 95%. These high efficiencies help to lower your energy bills, making them a cost-effective solution over the long term.
Additionally, lithium solar batteries can tolerate deeper cycling than other battery types. This enables homeowners to use more of their nameplate ampere-hour or Watt-hour capacity and reduce their reliance on the grid.
When shopping for solar batteries, look for a brand with a reputable reputation and outstanding customer service. They should be able to answer any questions about your system and provide expert advice on how to get the most out of your batteries. Lastly, look for a company that offers excellent warranties. Many brands are elevating their commitments and now offer up to 10 years of warranty protection (EP Cube included).