The invention of lithium batteries has completely transformed our world. They power everything from our smartphones and power tools to large off-grid electricity systems and electric vehicles. They’re also extremely energy-dense, low maintenance, and have long shelf lives. But exactly how long do lithium-ion batteries last? And are they really worth the money?
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Below, we answer these questions and more as we take a deep dive into everything lithium. That includes how long they last, whether or not they expire, and how you can get the most out of your investment. Let’s get started.
Lithium-ion batteries are the most advanced form of commercially available battery technology we currently have. They use lithium ions as the main component of their chemistry, which contain many more valence electrons than other battery types. This means they can store a lot more energy for their size.
Like all batteries, lithium batteries have an anode, a cathode, a separator, and an electrolyte. However, their electrochemistry is what makes them unique. They can use a variety of different materials for the cathode, but the most common are: lithium iron phosphate, lithium nickel manganese cobalt oxide, and lithium cobalt oxide.
As for the anode, the most common material you’ll find in lithium-ion batteries is graphite. It’s porous, has excellent conductivity, and has a good voltage match with the above cathodes. This combination of materials creates a battery that’s second to none when it comes to energy density, weightlessness, and longevity.
The answer to this question is going to depend on the battery. There are many different types of lithium chemistries and pack designs that vary drastically. For example, a pouch cell Lithium Polymer with a cobalt aluminum oxide chemistry may only achieve 100 discharge cycles. However, a high-quality cylindrical lithium iron phosphate cell could exceed 20,000 cycles under proper conditions.
Our Battle Born lithium batteries can last anywhere between 3,000 – 5,000 usable discharge and recharge cycles under real-world conditions. However, that doesn’t mean your battery will automatically stop working after discharging for the 5,000th time. It simply means that your battery won’t function as optimally as it did when it was new. In most cases, lithium batteries will still hold 75-80% of their energy capacity as they age.
We use high-quality lithium cells that are matched together to provide the longest-lasting safe battery pack possible.
While “3,000 – 5,000 cycles” is the standard lifespan of a lithium-ion battery, there are ways to extend the life of your battery so it averages closer to 5,000 cycles. First and foremost, make sure you’re using the correct battery charger for your lithium batteries. While lead-acid chargers may send power to your lithium batteries, they don’t charge them optimally. You probably won’t get an adequate depth of charge as you would with a lithium charger.
Second, it’s important to avoid completely depleting your batteries. Yes, lithium-ion batteries are amazing because they can handle a 100% depth of discharge and still work exceptionally well. However, if you can avoid doing this repeatedly, you’ll increase the lifespan of your batteries significantly.
Lastly, it’s best to avoid charging your batteries in extremely cold weather. While lithium iron phosphate batteries can handle dramatic temperature changes with ease compared to other types of batteries, they won’t allow a charge if their internal temperature reaches below 24 degrees Fahrenheit. This protects against lithium plating, which can be dangerous and cause short-circuiting.
Lithium batteries don’t necessarily expire, but they do experience a small amount of energy depletion when left sitting. Specifically, when left in the right conditions, our LiFePO4 batteries experience a 2-3% depletion each month. Thus, you may come back to completely dead batteries if you leave them sitting long enough without a charge. This does take a long time though, so if you’re storing your batteries over the winter, for instance, this is often not too long.
For our Battle Born lithium batteries we recommend disconnecting your batteries from any source of power draw. This includes radios, clocks, and other small power draws. Store your batteries with at least a 50% charge. If you store your fully-charged batteries in proper conditions, they can last an entire year. Any less, and they may not last as long.
Unlike lead-acid batteries, it’s not absolutely essential to remove your batteries and store them above freezing temperatures. In fact, your LiFePO4 batteries will be just fine in typical freezing temperatures as long as you fully charge them and disconnect them from any power source. Nevertheless, if you expect temperatures to plummet to below -15 degrees Fahrenheit, we recommend removing them and storing them at warmer temperatures.
➡ Read our article all about How To Winterize and Store Your Lithium Batteries
Yes! You can and should recycle your lithium batteries when you’re done with them. At Battle Born, we pride ourselves on creating batteries with no hazardous materials. However, batteries that still have a slight charge can pose a fire hazard if they are shorted out. Moreover, your lithium batteries contain critical and limited raw materials. In other words, once these resources are gone, they’re gone. Because of this, we need to reuse what we already have as much as possible in order to have batteries in the future.
So, what’s the easiest way to recycle your batteries? Start by returning them to where you purchased them. Most battery retailers have a system of recycling the batteries they sell. If they don’t, they’ll know where to point you. You can also find drop-off locations for lithium batteries at www.earth911.com and www.call2recycle.org/locator. If you still have questions, call our Nevada support team at (855) 292-2831 for help.
When compared to lead-acid batteries of the past, lithium-ion batteries are truly superior in every way. They weigh less, hold more power, and have a lower self-discharge rate. They also require less maintenance and have a much longer lifespan. Yes, you’ll pay more in upfront costs, but the overall savings are significant. This is why we believe lithium-ion batteries are completely worth it. They provide a hassle-free, reliable way to store large amounts of power for when you need it most.
Do you have any questions about lithium-ion batteries? Leave them in the comments below!
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According to IRENA power generation costs, solar together with onshore wind energy are now the cheapest sources of electric energy. So there is no better time than now to get into the solar game and enjoy guilt-free and radiant peace of mind.
The biggest problem that solar and wind power experience was the question of storing the produced energy for later use. However, that problem, little by little, is being overcome by newer and better battery technologies that undauntedly continue to improve.
One of the latest and most efficient battery technologies for solar is the lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery technology which presents new perspectives to an existing problem.
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If you are only interested in a particular topic above, feel free to use the above links to skip to your destination. That being said, we highly recommend you take the time to read the whole article and save you are interested
Many people like you wonder what is lithium. Meaning they want to know the difference between lithium batteries and other types of batteries like lead acid.
So what exactly is a lithium battery?
A lithium battery, also known as a lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery, is any type of battery that uses the mineral Lithium as one of the main components in its construction. Lithium batteries are known for their light weight and long lifespans and are used in many applications, from mobile phones, laptops, electric vehicles to solar generation.
Lithium-ion batteries typically follow the same design consisting of a cathode (positive electrode) made of some kind of Lithium metal, an anode (negative electrode) made of Graphite or Silicon, and a lithium salt as the electrolyte.
Some of the more notable types of Lithium-ion batteries are:
●Lithium Iron Phosphate LFP (LiFePO4)
●Lithium Cobalt Oxide LCO (LiCoO2)
●Lithium Manganese Oxide LMO (LiMn2O4)
●Lithium Nickel Cobalt Aluminium Oxide NCA (LiNiCoAlO2)
●Lithium Nickel Manganese Cobalt Oxide NMC (LiNixMnyCozO2)
●And more…
Since the 1960s Lithium batteries have gone through many changes with each successive generation being better in terms of cost, lifespan, energy density, and other aspects.
Nowadays, in solar energy circles, LiFePO4 (LFP) batteries are the best lithium-ion batteries on the market, boasting many areas where they are superior to other lithium and lead-acid batteries.
An LFP or LiFePO4 stands for lithium iron phosphate. If you are wondering where the ‘F’ comes from. It comes from Ferrum, the Latin word for Iron. LFP batteries have a Lithium Iron Phosphate cathode and Graphite anode, which gives them a lower energy density in exchange for increased safety and better performance in other aspects such as discharge rate.
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So how does an LFP battery stack up to other lithium-ion batteries?
We are going to compare Lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4) batteries to other Lithium-ion batteries in six categories:
1.Cost
2.Energy Density
3.Energy Discharge Rate
4.Lifespan
5.Safety
6.Charging
Roughly speaking, depending on the quality and type, your lithium battery can last anywhere from two to over ten years. More affordable lithium-ion batteries typically have between 500 and 3000 life cycles. While premium Lithium Iron Phosphate LFP batteries can last anywhere from 3500 to over 4000 cycles.
Other external factors also influence the performance and lifespan of your batteries. Therefore, proper storage and use will protect and preserve your batteries so they last longer.
When not being used, it’s recommended to store your batteries in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight and heat. When recharging, you should follow the manufacturer’s instructions to prevent overcharging, misconfigurations and other actions that can negatively impact battery life. Doing this will ensure your battery will last for the longest possible time.
Lithium batteries are well-known for having longer lifespans than other types of batteries. For example, LFP batteries have over 4000 charge-discharge cycles, that's over 10 years of daily use. Compared to other types of batteries, LFP batteries have 8x more lifespan than Flooded Lead-Acid batteries and over 4x more lifespan than Gel and AGM batteries.
Before buying a battery, it's important to understand its advantages and disadvantages. This will help you make informed decisions about which battery satisfies your needs.
Therefore, before moving forward with LFP batteries as your energys storage, take time to understand their caveats and benefits
1. High Cost: LiFePO4 batteries tend to be more expensive than other types of rechargeable batteries due to their special chemistry and manufacturing process. This can become an issue if multiple batteries are needed for a device or project as costs can quickly add up.
2. Low Energy Density: LiFePO4 batteries have a lower energy density than other types of batteries. This means that at the same size, rechargeable lithium iron phosphate batteries will contain less energy than other types. If a device requires higher levels of power or needs frequent recharges, this could be a disadvantage.
3. Regulation Issues: These batteries require extra components such as balancers to ensure proper functionality and prevent damage during charging and use which can increase complexity and cost in certain situations.
1. Longer Lifespan – Lithium iron phosphate batteries are known to have longer lifespans than most other types of rechargeable batteries.
2. Increased Safety – Lithium iron phosphate batteries are designed with materials that allow for more efficient charge/discharge cycles without overheating or posing any safety hazards.
3. Lower Cost Over Time – While lithium iron phosphate batteries may cost more initially, they provide much greater value in the long run due to their longer lifespan and increased safety.
4. 80% - 100% Depth of Discharge – You can discharge LFP batteries almost completely without worrying about causing permanent, irreparable damage to your LFP battery.
FLA, AGM & Lithium (LiFePO4) Battery SoC and Voltage Chart
5. Eco-Friendly: LFP batteries don’t contain dangerous substances or toxic metals that cause damage to the environment.
Lithium batteries are a powerful and versatile energy storage device but they can wear out over time. That’s why it's important to take proper care of them because otherwise, they won’t last long.
1.Store Lithium Batteries Properly - It's important to store lithium batteries correctly so that their chemical properties remain the same. Keep the battery away from extreme temperatures, humidity and direct sunlight.
If you are going to store the battery for a long time, we recommend you store it at an SoC (state of charge) between 30% to 50%. Don't put away the battery at 100%.
2.Balance Partial Charge & Discharge Cycles - To enjoy the best Lithium-ion battery lifespan do not discharge your batteries completely. Lithium batteries perform best when they experience balanced cycles of charge and discharge. In short, don't leave your battery full and don't 100% discharge your batteries all the time.
3.Avoid Overcharging - Overcharging causes more strain on your lithium battery than normal usage does. Excessive voltage speeds up the degradation of your batteries.
4.Avoid Extreme Heat or Cold - Lithium batteries don’t perform well in extremely cold or hot environments. So if you plan to use a Lithium battery outdoors, make sure the environment is within the recommended optimal thermal range of the battery.
5.Handle with Care - Always keep careful track of where your battery is placed. Avoid dropping or bumping the battery since severe impacts can damage the battery.
By following these tips and tricks for taking proper care of your lithium-ion battery, you'll be able to max out your battery pack’s lifespan.
Remember Samsung’s exploding phones with lithium batteries?
So does everyone else. Explosions and fires are a significant concern when using some lithium-ion batteries. That’s why airlines don’t allow larger lithium batteries on their planes as they present a hazard to their passengers.
The explosion and/or fire, AKA thermal runaway, in lithium-ion batteries (except LiFePO4) is due to the flammable electrolyte used in the batteries. So when the battery is improperly made, incorrectly used, or suffers damage, it often results in an explosion, fire, and toxic smoke.
Fortunately, Renogy only sells the very best LiFePO4 batteries,, which are the safest lithium-ion battery on the market. LFP or LiFePO4 batteries have an electrolyte that won’t catch fire when the temperature reach 800 °C. The chemistry is highly stable. For more information, have a look at another article: Are Lithium Ion Batteries Dangerous And What Are The Safest Lithium Batteries?
We highly recommend you only buy the safest, high-quality LiFePO4 lithium batteries from reputable manufacturers with a proven track record like Renogy. This investment ensures your solar batteries won’t cause loss or damage to your property in case something goes wrong.
In addition to 12V lithium ion batteries, Renogy also sells reliable and safe AGM and GEL batteries that come at affordable pricing. We are sure to have the right solar solutions you need to install, upgrade, or replace your components.
Related articles:
Buy Lithium Solar Batteries In 2022: How To Choose A LiFePO4 Battery
Bluetooth Lithium Iron Phosphate Batteries For Solar: Everything You Need To Know
Are Lithium Batteries Worth The Investment
What To Know About Lithium Batteries
Renogy's REGO System Installation Tips, Product Review, & Score Card
If you want to learn more, please visit our website Wall Mounted Lithium Battery.