Are Lithium Iron Phosphate Batteries Good for Solar Storage?

Solar batteries are highly sought after nowadays for home solar energy storage solution. The market today has changed considerably as the demand has titled towards lithium-based due to their uses. In this regard, two types of batteries shine above the rest- Lithium-ion batteries and Lithium Iron Phosphate batteries.

Since both are lithium-based, people often ask us about the differences between the two types.

Therefore, in this article, we will explore these batteries in detail and how they differ from each other.

What is Lithium Iron Phosphate Batteries and Lithium Ion Batteries?

Lithium Iron Phosphate batteries and Lithium Ion batteries are two types of rechargeable batteries that use lithium as the anode material, but differ in their cathode materials and performance.

Lithium Iron Phosphate Batteries

Lithium iron phosphate batteries use Lithium Iron Phosphate (LiFePO4) as cathode which also called as LiFePO4 Battery. A single cell of a lithium iron battery creates a voltage between 3.2V to 3.3 V. Therefore, three or four of these cells are connected in series to create a single LFP battery.

Lithium-ion Batteries

Lithium ion batteries use various metal oxides, such as lithium cobalt oxide (LiCoO2), lithium manganese oxide (LiMn2O4), or lithium nickel manganese cobalt oxide (LiNiMnCoO2), as the cathode.

A single battery cell of a lithium-ion battery typically generates a voltage of about 3.6V. To create usable electricity, three or more of these cells are used in series to create a single lithium-ion battery.

Are Lithium Iron Phosphate Batteries Good for Solar Storage?

While both of these are lithium batteries, there are significant differences in performance between the two. For Solar Storage, LiFePO4 battery is the better choice in all factors that matter. That are the reasons:

Lithium iron phosphate batteries have a higher power density than lithium ion batteries. That means LiFePO4 battery can deliver more power in a short time.

Lithium iron phosphate batteries have a longer cycle life than lithium ion batteries. Thus LiFePO4 battery can be charged and discharged more times before their capacity drops below a certain level. Also. LiFePO4 battery is more durable and cost-effective in the long run. That means Lithium iron phosphate batteries are good for the energy storage systems.

Lithium iron phosphate batteries are safer than lithium ion batteries. LiFePO4 batteries have a more stable chemical structure and a higher thermal stability than lithium ion batteries, which makes them less prone to thermal runaway, a dangerous condition where the battery temperature rises uncontrollably and causes a chain reaction.

LiFePO4 batteries also have a lower operating voltage and a higher tolerance to overcharge and overdischarge than lithium ion batteries, which reduces the chance of damage and failure.

However, lithium iron phosphate batteries have higher costs than lithium ion batteries. But for the long term, with lithium iron phosphate batteries  you get better performance, better value for money, and a considerably longer lifespan.

Top Lithium Iron Phosphate Batteries Manufacturer in China

SVC Power are a professional lithium-iron battery manufacturer with more than 20 years of R&D and OEM experience. Lithium batteries from SVC Power are idea used for solar energy storage solutions. We have three smart series LiFePO4 solar energy storage battery, click here and get the quotation now!