8 Advantages of Lithium batteries
1. Longer shelf life
Lithium batteries keep their charge longer, when not in use, compared to traditional lead acid batteries. They don’t require the frequent amount of charging that lead acid batteries do and they generally don’t degrade significantly simply by sitting idle.
2. Lighter Battery Weight
Lithium batteries are significantly lighter than their lead acid counterparts. The reason for this benefit is because they are comprised of simple atoms containing just three protons each. For the same amount of energy in lead-acid, lithium batteries weigh less than one-quarter the weight.
3. Temperature Tolerance
Lithium batteries have higher temperature tolerances than lead acid batteries. In general, a lithium battery may become compromised when stored at temperatures below 0 degrees Fahrenheit and above 115 degrees Fahrenheit.
4. Long battery life
Most lithium batteries have charging lifespans that range from 300 to 500 charge cycles or 2 to 3 years, whichever comes first. Lithium batteries discharge at slower rates than traditional lead acid batteries which allows them to last longer on average after a full charge.
5. Maintenance Free
Lithium batteries don’t require much maintenance when compared to their lead acid counter parts. In general, lithium batteries should be charged and discharged every 6 to 12 months to maintain the batteries capacity. However, no water needs to be added to the battery as lead acid batteries do.
6. Faster charging times
Charging a lead-acid battery can take more than 10 hours, whereas lithium-ion batteries can take from 3 hours to as little as a few minutes to charge, depending on the size of the battery. Lithium-ion chemistries can accept a faster rate of current, charging quicker than batteries made with lead acid. See the quick charge chart at batterypowertips.com.
7. More useable capacity
They offer the highest energy density of any other battery cell, meaning they store more energy than other batteries, such as alkaline. Lithium batteries are only sold in AA, AAA, and 9V sizes; however, their mAh ratings exceed every other non-rechargeable battery.
8. Constant Power
Lithium batteries provide 100% of their rated capacity, regardless of the rate of discharge. Lead-acid batteries typically provide less usable energy with higher rates of discharge. They are usually limited to 50% of the rated capacity to prevent diminished life. Read the flashlight use case on Powersonic’s website.
There are always engineers working to improve battery technology. Who would have thought that cars and houses would be running off of batteries as they do today. Combined with solar systems, lithium batteries provide great power systems for many use cases. Try one out and enjoy all the benefits mentioned above.
