Battle of the Batteries for Solar Lighting – Inbuilt Lithium Ion Battery Vs Lead Acid Battery

Lithium Ion Battery VS Lead Acid Battery

The Lead Acid based battery has been the ultimate choice for traditional outdoor solar lighting for as long as solar lights have been in use. It affords its users a long list of benefits such as zero cabling costs, zero electricity bills, immunity from load shedding/power cuts and independence from the traditional power grid. However, is there another contender out there that can outpower the mighty lead acid battery and take its throne? With great progress in tech in the 21st century, even the highly beneficial Lead Acid battery can seem backward in comparison with newer options in the market.

The Challenger

The number one contender to replace lead acid batteries in outdoor solar lighting is the (drum roll please) Lithium Ion Battery. What makes this young and upcoming technology challenge the traditional choice for solar lights? For one, the lithium ion batteries can be directly built into the lighting system to cut loss of power due to longer cables. This simple trick alone has the potential to increase the system’s efficiency and surpass its lead acid counterpart. The lithium ion battery pack empowers the lighting system to be ‘self-autonomous’ and highly optimized. Once you’ve installed it, you do not have to worry about it for years to come.

The Devil in the Details

A one-time investment in a single lithium ion battery based lighting unit gives you years of service with almost zero maintenance. One of the most important traits of a lithium ion battery is that it is modestly sized. The in-built battery pack allows the system to be installed on lighter poles or even mounted on walls. This simplifies installation efforts by making the system versatile. Unlike the lead acid battery, the lifetime of a lithium ion battery is not ambiguous or inconsistent. Lead acid batteries require a ‘water topping’ after every 1000 cycles in their lifetime. It will cost you Rs. 500 per visit every three months (Rs. 2000 per year). With the lithium ion batteries, this issue is completely eliminated. A white paper by the founder of Intelizon Energy and a pioneer in the global solar energy industry, Dr. Kushant Uppal, can throw much light on these details. There are many reasons why the lithium ion battery outperforms the traditional external lead acid batteries. The total cost of ownership of a lithium ion battery based system can be 15 to 25% lower than the traditional battery based lights. Being in-built also eliminates the fear of theft or weather damage increasing the outdoor lighting system’s lifetime and reducing its maintenance costs.

King of Outdoor Lighting

The lithium ion battery comes out on top as the most efficient and reliable technology for outdoor solar lighting. It is the official king of solar based systems around the world. Besides the technical aspects of the technology, it even has the power to bring down the costs of owning and maintaining solar lights. This can also make more people nurture faith in solar technology and create a green world with more clean energy.