We’ve entered a new era in terms of energy storage, where solar batteries for homes and offices are more viable for South Africans to rely on sustainable solar power.

The basics: what solar batteries let consumers do

In 2015, Elon Musk’s Tesla launched a lithium-ion battery for home and small business use, the Powerwall 1, announcing that it could “easily take a home off the power grid”.

As Tesla moved into home energy storage, the company stated that this type of system is the “missing piece” in the move to a more sustainable world and could “prove far more valuable… than anything the company is doing with automobiles”.

Since then, companies like REVOV have succeeded in making affordable lithium solar batteries available to South Africans. Lithium solar batteries are a rechargeable energy storage solution that can be paired with a solar energy system(solar panels) to effectively store energy from sunlight.

This stored power can be used when the sun isn’t shining or at other times, such as during load shedding and during peak hours to avoid high electricity charges.

Advantages of lithium-ion batteries for solar applications

Lithium-ion technology is currently the best choice for solar batteries. Compared to lead-acid batteries, lithium-ion batteries have a longer lifespan, higher efficiency, can handle extreme temperatures and have high energy density.

1. Affordability

The price of lithium, as well as other metals in lithium-ion batteries, is currently going up. However, lithium-ion batteries are still 97% cheaper than they were 30 years ago. 

REVOV’s 2nd LiFe batteries are an affordable and environmentally friendly option. These cost-effective lithium-iron phosphate (LiFePO4) batteries spend their first life charging electrical vehicles.

The “2nd life” of the battery is as an static energy storage solution powering homes and businesses. It’s during this ‘2nd life’ that a lithium-ion battery serves much of its life.

2. Solar battery safety

Lithium batteries in solar applications in homes and businesses are more stable and safer, especially compared to lead-acid batteries.

The chemistry of lithium batteries are significantly more stable at high temperatures. Lithium-iron phosphate batteries like REVOV’s 2nd LiFe are more robust.

3. Battery life

A lithium-iron solar battery can last up to 10 years, considerably longer than a lead-acid battery, which typically lasts three to five years. Lithium-iron batteries deliver more cycles in their lifetime when compared to lead-acid batteries.

This longer lifecycle helps in solar power systems, where initial installation is costly. REVOV’s 2nd LiFe batteries have a warranty of 10 years or 3,500 cycles.

4. Depth of discharge and discharge rate

The depth of discharge is how much of a battery’s capacity can be used before it must be recharged. Lithium-ion batteries can handle deep discharges of 80% or more.

Generally, lead-acid batteries shouldn’t be run to a depth of discharge any higher than 50% or the battery’s lifespan is negatively affected.

Lithium-iron phosphate batteries can be discharged more than 95% without affecting the delivered capacity. This deep discharge capacity protects them from damage due to depleting the energy in the battery too far.

LiFePO4 batteries are ideal for solar installations, because multiple batteries can be connected to increase storage capacity. The batteries can be discharged at different rates without any damage.

5. Maintenance

Lithium-ion solar batteries require no ventilation and almost no maintenance.

Lead-acid batteries require regular maintenance and have a shorter lifespan.

6. Environmental impact

Increasingly, “stored sunlight” is being used in South Africa to meet people’s energy needs. Environmentally responsible solar batteries allow homes and offices to escape South Africa’s unreliable and damaging coal-based power system and move away from fossil fuels.

As REVOV’s 2nd LiFe batteries are repurposed after use in electric vehicles, they reduce electronic waste and reuse important raw materials. Lithium-iron phosphate batteries are built with non-toxic materials, such as iron, graphite and copper.

Lead-acid batteries, in comparison, require significantly higher amounts of raw materials to provide a similar level of solar energy storage capacity. More raw materials mean a bigger carbon footprint.

Solar battery prices

REVOV offers LiFe and 2nd LiFe lithium solar batteries. They are the ideal solar batteries for homes and offices due to their high efficiency, compact design and long lifespan.

Our LiFe and 2nd LiFe batteries are lithium-iron phosphate batteries (LiFePO4) – the best lithium batteries for solar systems. 2nd LiFe are significantly cheaper than traditional lithium batteries, are safer and less toxic, offer exceptional performance and durability, and come with 10-year warranties.

We currently have offers on many top battery storage solutions. Here are just some of the batteries available and their current, recommended prices:

  • REVOV 2ndLiFe 12V 200Ah R10 392 (incl. VAT)
  • REVOV Cube 5.1kWh R60 539 (incl. VAT)
  • REVOV Cube 10.2kWh R87 574 (incl. VAT)
  • REVOV 2ndLiFe R100 5.12kWh 100Ah R28 797 (incl. VAT)

If you are an installer looking for solar batteries for homes and offices, or a home or business owner, contact us to discuss your battery storage needs and to find out more about our LiFe and 2ndLiFe batteries. We’ll be happy to help.