Why Lithium Batteries?

Lithium batteries get all the attention these days in the battery industry.  After decades of using the extremely heavy metal, lead, as the choice material then switching to the least dense metal know to mankind, lithium seems like quite jump.  

Lithium is about half the weight of a comparable lead battery.   This doesn't necessarily mean the battery case will be any smaller but it will be easier to transport and install.  

Aside from the physical weight, lithium batteries provide a very flat discharge voltage.  This means when discharged, the battery holds nearly the same voltage before falling off sharply while a lead based battery will slowly drop in voltage during discharge meaning a 25% charged battery will provide considerably lower voltage than that same battery at 100%.  This can affect the performance for some equipment that require a more consistent voltage.

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The big advantage of lithium batteries used in renewable energy systems is the cycle life.  Specifically, the lithium iron phosphate chemistry we use is extremely stable and resistant to degradation.  Lithium batteries with this LiFePO4 chemistry can last 10 years or more even in demanding use applications.  

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The drawback is of course the higher up front cost.  For now, lithium batteries come in at a considerably higher price compared to gel or AGM batteries.  This difference will diminish significantly or even disappear over the long term if the lower cost batteries need to be replaced more frequently.  The lesser known weakness of lithium is cold temperature charging.  While lithium batteries will match or outperform conventional batteries for output when cold, they can not be charged back up until they are above 0C temperature.  This applies to all current types of lithium batteries available.  Our lithium batteries BMS protects against operation at temperatures that would be damaging.  

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Lithium batteries long service life and consistent output results in many very satisfied users.  If your project can avoid cold temperatures when recharging, your lithium batteries will outperform all other batteries on the market and your initial investment will be well spent.