Recreational Vehicle Batteries

Peukert's losses & Voltage Sag

A fully charged lead acid battery starts off around 12.8 volts, as it is drained the voltage drops steadily. When the voltage drops below 12 volts the battery has about 25% of its usable capacity remaining, Some RV inverters and electronics may fail to operate with less than a full 12 volt supply.

Also – the faster that you discharge a lead acid battery of any type, the less energy you can get out of it. This effect can be calculated by applying Peukert’s Law, and in practice this means that high current loads like an air conditioner, a microwave or an induction cooktop can result in a lead acid battery bank only producing less than 60% of its normal capacity. This is a huge loss in capacity when you need it most!

A confluence of events is setting the stage for what may well be dramatic change in the battery industry that has not changed much in the past 40 years. Lithium Batteries are arriving at a good time, manufacturers are facing some difficult challenges with respect battery life in applications ranging from Marine and RV, to Aerospace and Defense. These challenges are driving the need for Lithium Batteries in that offer more flexibility when it comes to:

Reduced Footprint & Weight allowing a more effective use of space
Increased Battery Capacity
Ability to Predict Failures
Extended Life
Eliminate Maintenance and Overhead

Lithium batteries provide multiple times the energy density as compared to Lead Acid Batteries. As a result Lithium batteries take up much less space than lead batteries that deliver the same power. Lithium Batteries can also withstand a wider temperature range than lead batteries and are less sensitive to temperature fluctuations. Predicting end of life for lead batteries can be almost impossible and they can fail without warning. Lithium Batteries last for thousands of cycles so most applications may never know what it's like to see a lithium battery die. For those who may cycle batteries everyday It could be over 10 years before Lithium batteries would show signs of reduced capacity.

Lower Total Cost

Although the initial investment in lithium batteries tends to be higher compared to lead-acid alternatives, they offer significant cost advantages in the long run. Lead-acid batteries degrade more rapidly, necessitating frequent replacements over a short period. In contrast, lithium-ion batteries can endure the intense cycling required in bridge-to-backup scenarios without issue, leading to a lifespan several times longer than that of lead-acid options in most scenarios. The enduring reliability of lithium batteries makes them a robust choice for energy storage in bridge-to-backup setups. Consequently, this diminishes the total cost of ownership associated with procuring the solution. Thus, despite the slightly higher upfront expenditure, opting for lithium batteries results in substantial savings over time.

Deep Discharge without consequences

The ability to rapidly discharge energy is great, but lead-acid battery life may be compromised when used this way. Available lead-acid battery capacity decreases as their discharge rate increases, and product life rapidly degrades when they are deeply discharged (i.e. more than 30-50%). This means the nameplate capacity of the batteries must be 2-3x greater than the level of desired performance. Lithium ion batteries are designed specifically to withstand deep depth of discharge (DOD) making them capable of lasting much longer over time without having to be replaced.

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Technological Advantages of Lithium Batteries