Lithium Batteries for Beginners
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The lithium batteries below are considered "Drop-in Lead Acid Replacement" because you can use them with standard 12/24/48 volt solar charge controllers/chargers/inverters and more. Simply hook them up to your system in the same way you would a typical lead acid battery.
These lithium batteries out perform lead acid in every regard (even price!) and once you buy one, you will never go back.
These lithium batteries out perform lead acid in every regard (even price!) and once you buy one, you will never go back.
Best value, high quality LiFePO4 12V Battery: SOK Battery
$570 for 100Ah 12V
$1029 for 206Ah 12V |
This battery has the components of a $1000+ LiFePO4, at a fraction of the price. I have not found a better battery w/ warranty for the price of the SOK. Check out these stats:
And it is well engineered! It is a tank of a battery, and can handle abuse for years. And it is a fraction of the price of other batteries! Buy the battery direct from SOK for a cheap price: 100Ah SOK Battery Click Here 206Ah SOK Battery Click Here |
Big Battery PowerBlock 12V 170Ah
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This is a nice battery, but it requires the use of Anderson Powerpole connectors (included with the battery). Some people prefer the traditional terminals that the SOK battery has, and others prefer anderson connectors. Technically, anderson connectors are more ideal because you can disconnect a battery from your pack in seconds if something were to go wrong, or you wish to rearrange your batteries.
The Powerblock uses high quality Lishen cells, and has a voltage meter and on/off switch. If a cell fails in 15 years, you can easily swap it out by unscrewing the metal panel on the side. This battery does not require a fuse like other batteries on this page, because it is built into the case. Which makes it a truly plug and play battery. The BMS is also more powerful than the SOK battery, which gives it the capability to charge and discharge at higher rates: Max Continuous Discharge Current: 175A Max Continuous Power: 2240W Max Discharge Peak Current: 350A (6 Seconds) Voltage Range: 9.8 – 14.6V Suggested Charge Voltage: 14.6V Max Charge Current : 175A Great all around battery! The latest version has been upgraded in quite a few ways, and this is the flagship battery for bigbattery.com for years to come. Choosing between the powerblock and the SOK battery is tough. I think more people will prefer the SOK due to the traditional terminals, but both of them are great batteries. Click here for a cheap price (Coupon code "diysolar" for 10% off) |
BigBattery Powerblock 24V 170Ah
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Same pack as above, but bigger! 8 cells in series for 24V.
This pack is ideal for stationary solar power systems such as cabins or residential. You could use them in a large RV system too. Chemistry: LiFePO4 (New) Configuration: 8S6P Voltage: 24V Ah Capacity: 92.8Ah kWh Capacity: 3kWh Wh Capacity: 3000Wh Max Continuous Discharge Current: 130A Max Continuous Power: 3328W Max Discharge Peak Current: 350A (6 Seconds) Voltage Range: 20 – 28.8V Suggested Charge Voltage: 28.8V Max Charge Current : 100A Click Here to Purchase Now (Coupon code "diysolar" for 10% off) |
Cold Temperature 12V 150/300Ah
LiFePO4 Battery: KiloVault
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This battery is impressive! In my testing, I pulled full capacity at -20 degrees Celsius. I was not expecting it to work that well!
It has built in electric heaters that will activate when the temperature is below 0 degrees C. So if you try to charge in the cold, this battery will divert power to the heaters 100% until the pack reaches a safe charging temperature. This feature will usually be used during charging, because LiFePO4 can discharge at pretty low temperatures. The internal build is impressive and it can be connected in parallel or series to 48V. If you plan to build a solar power system in a frigid cold environment, this is the battery for you. These cost more than an SOK, but less than a Battleborn. So pretty good considering the features! Click Here to purchase 100Ah Cold Rated KLV Click Here to purchase 150Ah Cold Rated KLV Click Here to purchase 300Ah Cold Rated KLV |
Marine Grade 12V LiFePO4 Batteries:
Battle Born
$950 for 100Ah 12V |
Battle Born 12 volt 100 amp hour
Lithium Iron Phosphate Battery Good battery, but pretty expensive. If you want something that works great for years (or decades), buy this battery. I have not heard of a dissatisfied battle born battery buyer. It just works. I would go with the SOK battery above unless I needed a sealed battery, for marine application. The battleborn has the best case and terminals around, and can handle high moisture environments. It is also ideal for high vibration systems, such as RV's and vans.
These are safe to parallel connect in chains (to increase capacity of your system) with standard battery cables. If you plan to power large loads, you will need multiple batteries (for each 1000 watts required, use 1 battery. Example: 4500 watt load will require 5 batteries wired in parallel). Click Here to buy it directly from Battle Born Click Here to buy it on Amazon.com If you plan to use the battle born in freezing temperatures, there is an optional 12v heater pad. Click here |
Battle Born GC2
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Same stats as the model above, but this battery can be connected in parallel with bus bars. If you have a large bank and plan to use solid copper bus bars to attach everything, use this one.
Click here to buy the GC2 |
24 volt Battleborn Batteries
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Battle Born 24 volt 50 amp hour
Lithium Iron Phosphate Battery
Click Here to buy it directly from Battle Born |
Other LiFePO4 Lithium Battery options
The packs below are awesome, but many people have choosen to go with the batteries above.
- I personally love the A123 packs (first battery below). High quality and top performing lifepo4 variant at a great price. It has a pecuilar shape, but it is a solid pack.
- If you need something lightweight, checkout the tesla pack below. For the weight, it cannot be beat.
- BYD packs are a bit outdated in my opinion, and extremely heavy. If you have a stationary system and the BYD packs are on sale, go for it.
Brand New A123 2.45 KWh LFP 24V 8S Pack
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Best bang for your buck. Hook it up like any normal battery. Also has built-in circuit breaker AND over current protection in the BMS. Fool proof design.
Electrical Specifications Nominal Voltage: 26.4V Voltage Range: 20V – 28.8V Nominal Capacity: 2.45kWh (92.8Ah) Configuration: 8S5P Energy – 100% DOD, Nominal: 2.6 kWh EV Energy – 80% DOD, Nominal: 2.1 kWh Chemistry: LiFePO4 (LFP) Click Here to purchase from Bigbattery.com (Coupon code "diysolar" for 10% off) $899.99 |
Tesla Model 3 Cell 2.3kWh Battery Pack
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This pack is surprisingly impressive! For the price/size/weight, it is hard to beat. I actually like these a lot. I actually use this pack daily in my golf cart and I love it.
Voltage Range: 21V – 29.4V Capacity: 95Ah (2.3kWh) Power (Amp): 100A Continuous, 200A Peak Configuration: 7S 20P Battery Type: Model 3 2170 cylindrical cells (4800mAh/cell) Connector: Anderson SB175 Quick Connect (not included) Length: 10.5 Width: 7 Height: 10.5 Weight: 35lbs The biggest downside is that it is not LiFePO4. This pack is a NMC variant which means that it is lighter in weight, but does not last as long. But many people argue that the Tesla Model 3 battery cell is the best NMC around. They have added aluminum to the anode to increase safety and rated cycle life. I would expect 1000-2000 cycles to 80% capacity. You can still use any of these batteries after that many cycles, but you will not get the 10+ year performance you see with LiFePO4. The best application of this battery is for mobile systems where size and weight matter a lot. If you need to build a RV or van system, I would go with this. For stationary use, I would use the other batteries on this page. Click here for a cheap price (Coupon code "diysolar" for 10% off) $949.99 |
24/48V 3kWh LiFePO4 Rebuilt Battery
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These are used BYD packs that have been tested to deliver at least 3 kWh. Each pack comes with a built-in BMS, circuit breaker and voltage meter.
I have run mine for a few months in my shed system and I have not had a single issue. If price is a concern, this is hard to beat. Much cheaper than a batteborn. These packs have a nominal voltage of 24V each, and can be connect in series for 48V. Or you can put them in parallel if you wish. Features: 126A Main Circuit Breaker 130A BMS Can support a 3000W Inverter/Charger Can be connected in parallel or series Due to high demand, these are out of stock intermittently. But the distributor will have a few thousand available in a week or so. Click Here to purchase now (Coupon code "diysolar" for 10% off) |