Choosing a battery for a 12v solar set up is big commitment if you plan on doing a lap of Australia. If you want to get 10x the amount of charge from the one battery, look no further than a lithium battery as they are quickly becoming the preferred choice for many campers and road trippers. Because of their long-term benefits and power output, companies have been putting more and more research into developing the technology which is why they are rapidly declining in price and are now more affordable than ever before.
So, we decided to test one of these out and really see if you get what you pay for with a lithium-ion battery. We popped a 100ah lifepo4 deep cycle lithium battery into a Hard Korr heavy duty battery box for a weekend trip up to Pebbly Beach. We also decided to bring some Hardkorr 150W Heavy Duty Solar Panels. With these connected it kept the battery topped up over the weekend. We were blown away by how little this battery dropped. By the end of the weekend, it had barely dropped below 99%. We were convinced that Hard Korr had accidentally given us a cursed battery with unlimited power. When comparing it to lead acid batteries that we were more familiar with and have used in the past, the difference was unbelievable. Unlike a lead acid battery that can discharge just by sitting on concrete, these lithium batteries are made up of four aluminium-encased prismatic cells wired in series, each with a nominal voltage of 3.2 volts. Whilst this is more expensive, prismatic cells are more stable and shock resistant. Using an advanced battery management system for an even energy balance between cells allows them to be wired up in parallel or in series. This lithium battery contains an intelligent protection circuit which prevents it from overcharging, over-discharging, short-circuits and over-heating.
So, in summary lithium-ion batteries are more superior because:
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They last up to 10x longer than cheaper option like Lead Acid batteries
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Use up to 70% of usable capacity and 99% when needing a jump start
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Half the weight of a normal SLA battery at just 14kg
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More environmentally friendly/non-toxic, meaning they contain no acid and can be fixed in any position
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