Why bother with lithium when lead acid is cheaper?

Lithium Iron Phosphate is the battery of choice in powering homes and businesses, and the battery of choice for REVOV for stationary energy storage systems. These batteries are widely used in electric vehicles and so have a proven safety record. 2nd LiFe versions of Lithium Iron Phosphate batteries are comparable in price to lead acid packs that deliver the same output. Lithium Iron Phosphate batteries have a lifespan three times as long as lead acid batteries, have fewer safety risks and require negligible maintenance.

LiFe batteries tolerate considerable abuse and big variations in temperature and are significantly cheaper to keep charged up. Lithium batteries in poor DC systems tend to accommodate the system via the BMS (battery management system) and get “shaped” by the DC system to produce energy according to the operating parameters.

Lead acid requires maintenance to keep it working well and doesn’t last as long as the equivalent Lithium Iron Phosphate battery pack. The recharging of lead-acid batteries will be two to three times slower, drag over hours and hours rather than the quick one to two hour process with Lithium Iron Phosphate.

Lithium Iron Phosphate is a convenient and safer alternative to lead acid. It’s much more of an “install and forget” solution as you move off-grid and look to stop trying to depend on an unstable national grid power provider.

So then why 2nd LiFe?

REVOV believes fervently in 2nd LiFe batteries, which you probably know by now are repurposed from EV batteries. We have spent a great deal of time explaining that the 2nd LiFe batteries are built from the individual cells that come from EV batteries that are replaced every few years. They are replaced because in a mobile context, there comes a time where the weight of the battery becomes an issue. In stationary storage, weight is no issue.

However, perhaps the most exciting selling point for 2nd LiFe batteries, beyond their proven performance and lifespan, is the carbon footprint you are buying. If this doesn’t matter to you yet, it will sooner than later.

If one considers that a brand-new lithium battery comes at the carbon cost of mining, logistics, manufacturing and more, and that when the battery is removed from the vehicle there is no viable recycling process, the very fact that people – many of whom are investing in renewable energy solutions – can choose an option that does not come with this carbon baggage is a win in itself. It is the responsible option for anyone who cares about the environment. This is how REVOV fits into the circular economy, by providing the responsible option that competes and often supersedes the competition in performance.

This industry is poised to grow in leaps and bounds and as we grow with it, we remain committed to keeping EV battery lithium out of landfills and providing energy storage that is carbon conscious and more affordable than the equivalent performing in LiFePO4 batteries.