Are LiFePO4 batteries good for solar?

To get the best out of solar energy systems, it is important to use the best batteries to store solar power. A solar system with a good battery, like a LiFePO4 from WHC Solar, will guarantee that enough energy is stored for use at a later time.

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LiFePO4 batteries are arguably the best batteries for solar power storage compared to other popular solar battery bank types. Many consider them the best battery because of their long lifespan, high energy density, efficiency, a wider range of applications, and environment-friendly design.

This blog will discuss LiFePO4 batteries extensively, what they are, their pros and cons, the need to consider investing in them, and other salient points. 

What Should You Know About Solar Battery Storage?

One of the limitations of using solar at home, during recreational activities, or in businesses is that it is affected by sunrise and sunset. On cloudy days, there might not be enough energy to serve its intended purpose. This is why solar batteries are important.

Solar battery storage is a technology that allows for the storage of excess solar energy generated by solar panels during the day. At sunrise, the solar panel traps energy from the sun till the sun sets. The energy is stored in a solar battery or a solar battery bank, which can be used to power a home or business or to provide backup power in case of a power outage or at times when energy demand is high.

Three Popular Kinds of Solar Power Batteries

The 3 popular types of solar power batteries are lead acid batteries, lithium-ion batteries, and LiFePO4 batteries.

Lead-Acid Batteries

Lead-acid is among the oldest battery for solar. They have been in use for over 150 years and are well-established and reliable technology. They are made up of lead and sulfuric acid.

Although they offer affordable solar energy storage, lead-acid batteries have some notable disadvantages. These include cases of possible leakage, which poses a threat to the user and the environment. Also, they are relatively heavy and have a limited lifespan, typically around 5 years.

Lithium-Ion Batteries

The lithium-ion solar battery is an upgrade of lead-acid batteries. It is better suited for solar power systems because of its high energy density. This allows them to store more energy per unit of weight or volume than lead-acid batteries. They also have a longer lifespan, typically 10 years or more, which means they may be more cost-effective over the long term.

LiFePO4 Batteries 

LiFePO4 batteries are rechargeable batteries that are gaining popularity in solar power systems. They are a variation of lithium solar batteries. LiFePO4 offers some unique advantages over other types of batteries, such as lead-acid and lithium solar batteries. They have a longer lifespan of up to 15 years and a fast charging time.

Overall, LiFePO4 batteries offer significant advantages over other types of batteries for solar power systems, especially in applications where safety, lifespan, and energy density are important considerations. They are widely considered to be the safest type of lithium battery.

Why Are LiFePO4 Batteries the Best Energy Storage Option?

LiFePO4 batteries stand out as the best batteries for solar power storage because of their long lifespan, level of maintenance required, high power density, fast charge, and discharge feature, and their ability to show resilience to high temperatures.

Has a Long Lifespan

LiPO4 battery is regarded as the best solar battery because of its long lifespan. They are known for having a longer lifespan compared to other types of batteries used in solar power systems. They can last up to 15 years or more with proper maintenance, which is significantly longer than the lifespan of lead-acid batteries, which typically last around 5 years, and Lithium-ion batteries, which last about 10 years. 

They are less prone to overheating and thermal runaway, which is a common cause of battery failure in other lithium-ion batteries. This makes them safer, and more reliable, which can extend their lifespan

No Active Maintenance is Required

LiFePO4 batteries are generally considered to be low maintenance compared to other battery types. Although they are low maintenance, they require an easy routine like regular charging and cleaning. Regular cleaning of the battery terminals and surrounding area is important to prevent corrosion and buildup of dirt or debris.

Offer High Power Density with Small and Light Features

LiFePO4 batteries are known for their high power density and compact, lightweight design. Compared to other battery types, such as lead-acid or nickel-cadmium batteries, they can provide significantly more power for their size and weight.

This is due to their unique chemistry of them, which allows for high energy density and fast charging capabilities. LiFePO4 batteries have a high charge acceptance rate, which means they can be charged quickly without risk of damage or reduced lifespan.

Fast Charge and Discharge Rates

LiFePO4 batteries are capable of fast charging and discharging rates compared to other battery types. They have a high current flow rate and much higher capacity, allowing them to charge fast and discharge fast. 

LiFePO4 batteries can be charged at a maximum current of 100A, resulting in a full charge in approximately 1 hour.

Similarly, they can also be discharged at high rates without significantly impacting their lifespan. They can typically handle discharge rates of up to 3C, meaning a 100Ah battery could deliver up to 300A of current.

More Temperature Resilient

LiFePO4 batteries can operate over a wide temperature range, typically between -20°C and 60°C, without significant performance degradation or safety concerns. They can also handle temperature spikes during charging and discharging without significant risk of overheating or catching fire.

A typical WHC LiFePO4 battery is designed to handle 149F (65C) temperatures. It can handle hot climates better than traditional batteries.

Five Points to Consider When Purchasing Lithium Solar Batteries

These five points should be considered before purchasing lithium batteries for solar system

Life Cycle

The life cycle of a battery refers to the number of times it can be charged and discharged before it begins to lose capacity and performance. It is important to consider the lifespan of the solar battery before purchasing it to be sure of getting a durable battery.

To answer the question of how long solar batteries last, it depends on the type of solar battery. LiFePO4 batteries, for example, typically have a longer life cycle than other battery types, with some models capable of over 10,000 charge and discharge cycles. Lead-acid batteries, on the other hand, have a shorter life cycle of around 500- cycles.

Power and Capacity

The capacity of a battery is the amount of energy it can store, measured in kilowatt-hours (kWh). Power on the other hand, power is the rate at which the battery can deliver energy for use.

When choosing a solar battery, it is important to consider both power and capacity. The specific power and capacity requirements will depend on the energy needs for the intended purpose, so it&#;s important to carefully evaluate the energy usage and choose a battery that can meet those needs.

Round-trip Efficiency

Round-trip efficiency refers to the amount of energy that can be stored in the battery compared to the amount of energy that can be retrieved from the battery. In other words, it measures how much energy is lost during the charging and discharging process.

A battery with high round-trip efficiency will lose less energy during the charging and discharging process, so more of the energy generated by the solar panels will be available for use. The reverse is the case with a battery with lesser round-trip efficiency.

Expert Customer Service

Solar batteries are complex products that require careful installation and maintenance. It is important to have access to reliable technical support and troubleshooting assistance in case of any issues.

Look for a manufacturer with a good reputation for customer service, including timely response to inquiries and a willingness to provide technical support and guidance as needed.

Warranty

When considering a solar battery, it&#;s important to look for a warranty that covers both the performance and the lifespan of the battery. This typically includes a warranty against defects in materials and workmanship, as well as a guarantee of the battery&#;s capacity and performance over a specified period of time.

By understanding and considering these elements, an informed decision can be made in choosing the best solar batteries and getting good value for the money spent. 

Best LiFePO4 Battery Manufacturer Recommendation: WHC SOLAR

Image source: WHC Solar

WHC solar has been in business for over 13 years, working in the battery industry. WHC SOLAR is an experienced LiFePO4 battery manufacturer that offers the best battery for storing solar power.

WHC offers a wide range of highly efficient lithium batteries that suit any solar power project or business requirements. WHC LiFePO4 solar batteries have long service life of - deep discharge cycles, which is excellent for residential and commercial use. Also, the batteries are rugged and can withstand a temperature of up to 149F (65C).

In addition, WHC offers a wall-mounted solar lithium battery, which is easy to install, beautifully designed, and space-saving. The designs are ideal in tight spaces.

Reasons to Should Consider WHC LiFePO4 Solar Batteries:

1. Quality: WHC has a long history and tracks record of providing high-quality LiFePO4 solar batteries that are reliable and durable.
2. Customer service: WHC LifePO4 battery manufacturer provides good customer service and support, including responsive communication and prompt resolution of any issues or concerns.
3. Warranty: WHC offers a warranty that provides adequate coverage and protection for each appliance.
4. Price: WHC has a solid supply chain of premium materials and other components, allowing for one of the best LiFePO4 batteries. The rich selection of lithium-ion batteries allows for meeting solar energy needs while staying within budget.

Conclusion

Whether or not a LiFePO4 is the best battery for storing solar power depends on specific needs and circumstances. While LiFePO4 batteries are a good choice for many solar energy storage applications, there are some applications where other types of batteries may be a better fit. When choosing a solar battery, it is important to consider the specific needs and circumstances of the applications the solar battery will be subjected to.

For more information on WHC solar LiFePO4 batteries, Contact our experts. We are more than ready to guide you in exploring the best available options.

See also:
5 Benefits Of Using an Energy Monitoring Software - Attune Blog

Contact us to discuss your requirements of lifepo4 battery solar system. Our experienced sales team can help you identify the options that best suit your needs.

Solar energy is a fantastic way to get power anywhere the sun shines. It works great but only when the sun is out, so it&#;s critical to have the best battery possible for storing solar energy. LiFePO4 battery chemistry is one of the best options for solar storage for a number of reasons.

Join us as we take a closer look at the best option for storing the sun&#;s energy.

What Is Solar Battery Storage? 

First, let&#;s simply define solar battery storage. Solar panels convert sunlight into energy, but you can&#;t always count on having enough sunlight to provide consistent power on demand. If it&#;s overcast or nighttime, you&#;d be out of luck without a good battery. 

When the solar panels absorb the power, it is transferred to the battery until it reaches capacity. You can use the power stored within when it&#;s overcast or night and rely on fresh solar power when it&#;s sunny. The battery can also provide a larger amount of energy for a short period of time. It is possible to run a watt microwave on a 300-watt solar panel, but only if you have a batter to store and provide the larger amount of energy for a shorter period.

The battery is the heart of the solar system because none of the other components are much help without it.

Solar Battery Storage Options

As you might have gathered from the title, LiFePO4 is our top choice and what we specialize in at dragonfly energy. It stands head and shoulders above traditional lead-acid batteries of all types, and we consider it the best lithium battery option for solar.

Here are a few of the most common types of solar battery storage options

Lead-Acid Batteries

Lead-acid batteries are likely the most familiar type that can be used for storage. The vast majority of gas-powered passenger vehicles operate with a lead-acid battery to power the starter and other electrical components.

The battery chemistry is tried and true, having been around for generations. It&#;s easy to find, and they tend to be less expensive than lithium options. There are many different types of lead-acid such as flooded, Gel, AGM, or crystal but they all perform similarly for storage.

These are industrial lead-acid cells that have been used in solar systems of the past. Due to their major drawbacks, they are becoming obsolete.

While lead-acid is less expensive upfront, there are many drawbacks to solar storage. Chief among these is their usable capacity; you can only discharge them to 50% before they suffer damage. They also last for many fewer life cycles than lithium batteries. Charge rates are also slower and they suffer damage when not fully recharged properly a common occurrence with solar energy systems.

Lithium-Ion Batteries

As mentioned, lithium batteries, like LiFePO4, have a more advanced chemical makeup. Though they&#;re generally more expensive upfront, lithium batteries have proven their worth over the years in both small applications like cameras and cell phones as well as in large appliances and vehicles.

Lithium batteries store more energy, put out more power and deliver a more consistent supply, and last longer, particularly compared to lead-acid batteries. Charging can start and stop anywhere in the charge cycle and they last thousands of more cycles than lead-acid.

The initial cost is the biggest drawback of lithium batteries. They can be much more expensive initially, but it pays off in the long run. We guarantee our LiFePO4 battery to last 5 years, but they normally last much longer.

LiFePO4 Batteries

Lithium-ion batteries can boast different kinds of chemistry based on the application. Regarding solar battery storage, LiFePO4 (lithium iron phosphate) has a battery chemistry that stands out above both lead-acid and other lithium batteries.

LiFePO4 batteries are widely considered the safest type of lithium battery, and they last for a decade or longer. They also offer flexible charging and deeper discharge cycles without damage. 

This solar system available in Montana Fifth Wheels includes two dragonfly LiFePo4 Batteries at the heart.

There aren&#;t many drawbacks to LiFePO4 batteries other than the initial upfront cost. Although, many would say it&#;s not truly a disadvantage since you&#;ll likely save money buying just one lithium-ion battery in 10-15 years rather than several lead-acid batteries. 

Why LiFePO4 Batteries Are the Best Batteries for Storage Power Storage

As you can see, the positives of LiFePO4 batteries greatly outweigh the negatives. Their efficiency and consistent energy output make it a clear winner. Let&#;s go over the specifics. 

Long Battery Life

Battery life is where LiFePO4 batteries make up for the higher initial cost. A high-quality LiFePO4 like Dragonfly Energy is designed to last - cycles of deep discharging and still retain 80% of its original capacity. This is critical for a solar system because the batteries are used every single night and recharged every day.

In reality, the battery life cycles are even higher as most discharges are not full. 10,000-15,000 cycles are common for LiFePO4 in a solar application making them good for many years.

Little to No Maintenance

Because our LiFePO4 batteries come with a built-in battery management system, they&#;re highly efficient. This also means that they require little to no maintenance. Even if you&#;re using your battery for RVing or marine capacities with constant movement and jostling, LiFePO4 batteries still hold up well.

Lightweight

LiFePO4 batteries also come with considerable weight savings. They generally weigh about one-third to one-half of what a lead-acid battery weighs. This means you can ramp up your battery bank since it takes two or three LiFePO4 batteries to equal the weight of one lead-acid battery. They also have more usable capacity, which maximizes their weight to power ratio.

Fast Charging Time

LiFePO4 batteries offer lower resistance, and they don&#;t require a float charging cycle. So they charge much faster than lead-acid batteries. When you&#;re relying on solar power, a battery that recharges faster is significant. If there are only a few hours of pure sunlight per day where you are, a shorter charge time is gold. 

This is an example of solar system power in watts charging a LiFePO4 battery. As the solar climbs for the first part of the day the battery rapidly takes the charge of almost watts. Notice that once it&#;s charged it immediately goes to a float charge. Other battery types taper off and can waste solar energy or not get fully charged if there is not enough sun.

Environmentally Friendly 

LiFePO4 batteries are non-toxic and recyclable. Many of us want to use solar energy for its environmental benefits, so it only makes sense to utilize solar battery storage that&#;s not detrimental to the environment. There are fewer gas emissions from them and no risk of acid spills.

How Much Do LiFePO4 Batteries Cost? 

A 100 amp-hour LiFePO4 battery typically costs between $800 and $1,000. That certainly sounds like a lot when compared to lead-acid batteries that run around $300. But remember that because you won&#;t damage them by deeply discharging them, LiFePO4 batteries can easily last 10-15 years with between 3,000 and 5,000 cycles.

What to Look for in Solar Battery Storage

While we&#;ve already talked about why LiFePO4 batteries are good for solar power storage, we want to make sure you understand all that goes into choosing a great battery.

• Flexible and fast charging cycle
• Has 100 percent usable capacity (otherwise you need to stop using the battereis under certian conditions to prevent damage)
• Long battery life under solar charging and discharging conditions
• Safe and non toxic
• Good energy denisty to pack more power into a smaller space

We&#;ll explore each here to help you make a more informed battery purchase. 

Flexible Charge Cycles

Choose a battery that has flexible charging cycles. Basically, that means you can deeply discharge a battery without damaging its lifespan. Also, batteries should efficiently recharge, no matter how low the power level gets.

Here is an example of a battery charge-discharge in a solar system. The yellow line is current and every time it crosses the dashed line it changes from charging to discharging. A solar storage battery needs to handle this regular change without damaging the battery.

You can only discharge some batteries (lead-acid) to about 50% capacity before they start suffering irreparable damage. But you can discharge LiFePO4 batteries almost entirely without causing harm. Charging can also start and stop at any point with LiFePO4 batteries.

Usable Capacity

Usable capacity considers how much you can discharge a battery before it sustains damage. If you have batteries that cannot be fully discharged, you must program the solar system to cut out early or risk battery damage.

Let&#;s look at an example: Battery A is a lithium-ion LifePO4 battery rated for 200 amp-hours, and Battery B is a 200-amp-hour lead-acid battery. You might think the lithium and lead-acid batteries have the same usable capacity because they have the same power rating. However, you can completely discharge Battery A without causing damage. But if you let Battery B dip below 50%, it will sustain damage that shortens its lifespan and power capacity. 

Because of the potential damage issues, Battery A gives you a full 200 amp-hours of energy. Meanwhile, Battery B only gives 100 amp-hours. The practical, usable capacity of Battery A is thus twice that of Battery B.

Battery Life

Always factor in your battery&#;s lifespan, especially when you&#;re considering the cost. A lead-acid battery can cost a couple of hundred dollars, while a lithium-ion battery might run several hundred or upwards of a thousand dollars. But when you think about how long your battery lasts, you&#;ll recognize the colossal bang for your buck.

This is a test we ran comparing one of our LiFeP04 packs to a traditional lead-acid running deep discharges. The test was stopped for the lead-acid when 80% of its original capacity was left. It only made 100 cycles which would be less than a year in a solar system. The Dragonfly Energy battery was on its way to even with deep discharges.

Lithium batteries also last longest under solar charge and discharge conditions that change rapidly. As the sun comes and goes, charge and discharge cycling can happen tens to hundreds of times per day.

Safety

While it&#;s not very common anymore, you can purchase non-sealed lead-acid batteries. They require significantly more maintenance than other battery types, and if they&#;re jostled too much (like in an RV or boat), they could leak battery acid. This is a safety hazard, and it&#;s toxic to the environment. 

Additionally, most batteries can let off flammable or toxic gases if they overheat or are not well-ventilated. But some present more of a hazardous gas problem than others. Lead-acid batteries are more likely to produce a gas called hydrogen sulfide. It smells like rotten eggs and is colorless, flammable, and very poisonous. 

Your battery might also emit flammable gases if it&#;s overcharged, so finding a battery that will automatically stop charging when it&#;s full is highly valuable. 

Dragonfly Energy lithium-ion batteries have many built-in safety parameters and a perfect safety record that should assuage your concerns here.

What is the Best Battery for Solar Power Storage? 

When weighing the options for solar battery storage, there&#;s really no argument: LiFePO4 batteries are the best option. The advanced technology and battery chemistry can stand the test of time and be worth every cent. 

We&#;ve covered the many benefits here, but if you have any other questions about our LiFePO4 batteries for your solar system or another application, feel free to reach out.

Are you interested in learning more about Balcony Solar System? Contact us today to secure an expert consultation!