The best lithium battery for solar energy storage

Home energy storage batteries have been on the market for many years with numerous varieties and sizes now available. Due to the rapid improvements in lithium technology, modern lithium battery systems quickly superseded traditional lead-acid batteries as manufacturers developed smart, modular systems to suit different energy storage applications.

What are the best batteries for solar? Batteries used in home energy storage typically are made with one of three chemical compositions: lead acid, lithium ion, and saltwater. In most cases, lithium ion batteries are the best option for a solar panel system, though other battery types can be more affordable.

Lithium solar batteries are a rechargeable energy storage solution that can be paired with a solar energy system to store excess solar power. Lithium ion batteries are commonly used in rechargeable electronics like cellphones and in electric vehicles (EVs).

Why Switch To LifePO4 Battery? They outperform traditional lead acid batteries in many ways.

1.Depth of Discharge: This refers to the percentage of a battery that can be discharged without inflicting damage. Lithium-ion can generally discharge around 86-98% while lead-acid can handle closer to 30-50% discharge. This means at any given moment, a lithium-ion battery has over a 30% larger operating range. It also means lithium-ion batteries are less prone to the damage that comes from exceeding the depth of discharge.

2.Lifespan: All batteries degrade over time, but lithium-ion batteries consistently outlast AGM. Factors like a larger depth of discharge make lithium-ion batteries more resilient and help these batteries go up to six times the life cycles of AGM alternatives. Depending on the chemistry and usage habits, lithium-ion batteries can degrade at less than 1% year-over-year.

3.Capacity: While not as crucial for stationary applications, it is important to note that the higher energy density of lithium-ion means that it can store more energy per mass than AGM. This means systems can be smaller and lighter while providing the same amount of output.

4.Embodied Energy: This may be an important factor for every business or homeowner, but lithium-ion batteries have a smaller energy footprint to build than lead-acid. A Stanford study examined several different grid-scale storage options and found that lithium-ion is five times better than lead-acid when considering the energy needed to make the batteries compared to the energy stored over its lifetime.

Whether you're looking for a way to keep the lights on when the grid goes down or you want to help offset demand charges, continued advances in the solar storage industry are making batteries cheaper and more efficient. While still an expensive option for home energy backup, batteries run on a free energy source and are more environmentally friendly compared to a gasoline generator.