Cheap Batteries are Coming, Cheap Batteries are Coming, Cheap Lithium Batteries ...

[Dennis1]

Sounds great, your about where’s I want to be. How much solar do you have?

[Grandesigner]

Related to the above post, what is a good match of battery to 400W of solar?

[Scramjet]

Sounds great, your about where’s I want to be. How much solar do you have?

I’m not sure who you are quoting. If you use the quote response we know who you are referring to with your questions.

I will relate my experience.

I am using 800w of solar. It was a gradual evolution from 400w to 800w adding 200 at a time based on my experience camping across the country from Ohio to Montana and Ohio to Arizona. My energy audit said I needed 400w to replenish my batteries daily. What I didn’t count on was the low winter sun angle in AZ in the winter, partly cloudy days, partial shading in MT in the summer and the limitations of flat mounted panels. As an example, right now mid February in AZ with full blue sky all day my 800w panels produce about 400-500w at best due to the winter sun angle. Now I tell people to at least double your expected solar needs. Panels are very inexpensive these days. I would advise you to get as much as you can fit comfortably on your roof. If you plan on starting small and gradually adding then plan for it.

Brian

[Scramjet]

Related to the above post, what is a good match of battery to 400W of solar?

Again, I’m not sure who you are quoting. If you use the quote response we know who you are referring to with your questions.

200ah to about 400ah. More if you plan on adding solar in the future. The max output of 400w would be about 33 amps. That’s about a .17c charge rate for 200ah of battery and half that for 400ah. If you have a big AC charger then size the battery to your AC charger. To be safe and for long life no more than a 50% charge rate is okay for almost all lithium batteries. You can go to a 1c charge rate on some batteries so check the battery specifications if you do that.

Side note, always size your wires correctly and fuse for your wire size.

Brian

[Petrovsky]

When it comes to replacing your Lead Acid Batteries with Lithium Batteries, Battle Born is the "Gold Standard" brand to install, unfortunately, the brand also carries a premium price. Lithium batteries (LiFePo4 chemistry) have been around for quite some time and it is about time prices start to become more reasonable. Have you ever said to yourself; I would love to have Lithium batteries in my RV, but, the price is just too steep, I'll wait till the price comes down.

Well...

For those who are more price conscious (frugal) the prices have come down for Lithium Batteries (LiFePo4 Batteries). To be specific, you can now power your RV for ~ 70% less than the price of installing Battle Born Batteries.

I spent the day researching LiFePo4 (Lithium Iron Phosphate) batteries and I have found batteries as low as $271 for a 100ah (equivalent) Lithium Battery. Compared to a Battle Born Battery at $949 that is quite a deal !!!!!

Now these batteries are not covered by a 10 warranty, nor are they supported by a dealer network, but they are cheap and they cost less than AGM Batteries.

I realize not everyone is willing to go with the cheapest battery on the market, but I have also created a Spreadsheet with several options priced between these two extremes.

I will attach the Spreadsheet below.

The lowest price is based on a 12v, 200ah, LiFePo4 battery sourced from AliBaba in China and shipped direct. The pricing is based on ordering a single battery and paying shipping charges from China, if you were to order more than a single battery, the pricing might be lower due to lower shipping charges per battery.

I realize that not everyone is adventurous enough to order your LiFePo4 Batteries direct from China (where most LiFePo4 batteries are made), but for those who are daring enough, your wallet will thank you (to be honest, if this were an option available to me a few years ago, I would have purchased these batteries direct from China).

If you are considering installing a Robust Solar and Lithium Battery System, I would strongly suggest you consider installing a 24 volt system instead of sticking with a 12 volt system there are many advantages to a 24v system. If you do consider a 24v system, you should search for 24v LiFePo4 batteries (all the batteries on my Spreadsheet are 12 volts).

I have also included several batteries available from Amazon with free shipping (I love those magic words) and some even have Warranties that compare favorably with Battle Born Batteries.

I have sorted my list by $ per Amp Hour to allow for better comparison between the different Amp Hour offerings shown. Additionally, I have included the web link to the page where I found the batteries and pricing. Please note that these links may not be accurate for more than a few days after I post this.

If anybody decides to purchase any of the batteries listed, please post a note about your experience and how you like your new (cheap) battery or batteries.

FYI there are 3 types of lithium battery cells: cylindrical, prismatic, and pouch cells. Each with a different manufacturing cost. However...that being said, the real cost of the battery is in the BMS. You can get a cheap BMS with few options and protection circuits under $20.00 US. They can go into the 100's.

That one of the main differences between the cost of the batteries. https://www.nuvationenergy.com/resou...agement-system

You get what you pay for. When it comes to electricity....I stick with the better rated components.