battery life

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Plucka
Plucka Registered Users Posts: 130 ✭✭
in Solar Beginners Corner #1
Trying to find out how long will my lithium batteries last at full capacity. What does capacity mean -amp hours or voltage ?.Daily discharge is to 13 volts and average recharge is 13.5 to 13.6 recharge and sometimes up to 14.4  volts
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  • Photowhit
    Photowhit Solar Expert Posts: 6,003 ✭✭✭✭✭
    #2
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    You can think of capacity as amps at the batteries voltage, of as watt hour by multiplying the amps x the voltage.

    So a 6 volt lead acid battery has a capacity of 220 amps, or 6x220= 1320 watt hours. We often qualify the capacity by saying 50% usable. and if pushed you could use 80% but not very often. 

    With lithium you can do the same thing, most will say 80-90% usable capacity. Some will suggest reducing the max charge to preserve longer life.
    Home system 4000 watt (Evergreen) array standing, with 2 Midnite Classic Lites,  Midnite E-panel, Magnum MS4024, Prosine 1800(now backup) and Exeltech 1100(former backup...lol), 660 ah 24v Forklift battery(now 10 years old). Off grid for 20 years (if I include 8 months on a bicycle).
    - Assorted other systems, pieces and to many panels in the closet to not do more projects.
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  • Plucka
    Plucka Registered Users Posts: 130 ✭✭
    #3
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    Thanks -I now understand capacity.
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