Solar lifepo4 batteries are popular for home energy storage systems, when we choose the iron phosphate lifepo4 battery for a solar system, we will find there are low voltage solar batteries and high voltage batteries, which one is right for your home energy system? Today, we will compare them deeply to help you make an informed decision.
Understanding the voltage of the battery
The voltage of a battery means the potential difference between the positive and negative electrodes of the battery. It determines the power energy that a battery can provide. Generally, the voltage of a lifepo4 battery cell is between 3.2V and 4.2V. And the lifepo4 battery voltage will change according to the status of the charging and discharging of the battery, the voltage will rise when the battery is being charged, and will decrease when the battery is being discharged. Batteries with different voltages are suitable for different application areas.
What is the low voltage lifepo4 battery?
The low voltage lifepo4 battery refers to batteries of voltage less than 100V, generally ranging from 12V to 48V. As the voltage is less, the power of the low voltage batteries is less than the high voltage lifepo4 batteries, making them suitable for residential applications, backup power systems, small-scale commercial systems, and so on.
What is the high voltage lifepo4 battery?
The high voltage solar battery refers to batteries of voltage higher than 100V, generally ranging from 100V to 600V, some are even higher than 600V. These batteries operates at higher level of voltages than low voltage batteries, and reduce the current, which highly improve the power efficiency of the batteries, making them suitable for solar energy storage, powering electric vehicles, backup power systems and so on.
The difference between low voltage and high voltage batteries
Comparison of energy density
High voltage solar batteries have higher energy density than low voltage lifepo4 batteries, because the high voltage lifepo4 batteries tend to transfer more energy considering the same volume or weight of the batteries. For low voltage lithium iron phosphate lifepo4 batteries, they need to connect in parallel to get more capacity needed. P=UI. When we consider the same current I, then the power(W) of the high voltage batteries will be higher than low voltage batteries.
How fast can they be charged and discharged
- Charging rate:
For high voltage lifepo4 batteries, they may handle the charging current to 1C to 3C rate. For example, a 100Ah battery, the charging current can reach 100A to 300A, in which way will greatly reduce the charging time of the battery.
For low voltage solar batteries, they may handle the charging current rate to 0.2C to 0.5C. For example, a 100Ah battery, the charging current can reach 20A to 50A, the charging time will be long. And if you charge the low voltage batteries at higher current, it will cause overheating and other damages of the lifepo4 batteries.
- Discharging rate:
High voltage lifepo4 batteries have higher discharging rate than low voltage batteries too, the high voltage batteries to deliver a large amount of power quickly, while the low voltage lifepo4 batteries will deliver stable power output relatively.
Cost and Installation complexity
The high voltage batteries usually cost more than the low voltage batteries because of the complex structure, electricity equipment, protection systems, and the more complex installation procedures that require professional electrical knowledge and skills. And due to the high energy density of the high voltage li ion battery, it is important to choose an adequate space for installing them for normal use and safety of the battery. For low voltage batteries, the connection and wiring will be relatively simpler and have lower requirements for the installation environment than high voltage batteries.
Application Scenarios
High voltage lifepo4 batteries are usually used for electric vehicles, electric bikes, aerospace, industrial equipment,power tools, grid storage, and so on that need high power output.
While the low voltage lifepo4 batteries are usually used for home energy storage systems, small businesses, marine and RV applications, and so on.
Find the best solar battery for your home energy system
In conclusion, there are many differences between high voltage and low voltage lifepo4 batteries. To choose the right battery for your home energy storage, you need to evaluate your home energy requirements. High voltage lifepo4 batteries are suitable for large power consumption with complex installation needs, while low voltage lifepo4 batteries are suitable for houses with moderate power needs. You can consult us for professional suggestions and solutions with your specific power goals at any time, we are always here to support you.
