I know from a cost perspective that it's cheaper to put together your own LiFePO4 battery than buy one ready made, but I'm wonering which is more reliable? Assuming that I purchase Grade a cells and good quality BMS.
I've looked at Battle Born, SOK, LiTime, Lion Energy and others. All of which have some sort warranty, some have 10 year, some 5 year, some less. I haven't read all of the warranty documents, but I have read a few. So far everyone I've read says that they will fix or replace the battery at their descretion. Which means that they get to decide if they want to honor their warranty or not. I guess this makes sense because a perfectly good battery can be ruined if connected wrong or treated improperly. What surprised me however was that none of the warrantees covered shipping costs or any of thee damage done in shipping. So it is possible that you could spend more on shipping than the battery is worth, except possibly with a Battle Born. They are still crazy expensive and frankly not in consideration, even though they come with a 10 year warranty. For instance a 12V LiTime 100AH with low temp protection is now selling for $279.99. I can't imagine with it would cost to ship it back and forth to China for repair, but its got to more than $279.99. So in my opinion, the LiTime warranty is basically worthless.
So how reliable are these batteries? Is a DIY LiFePO4 (using grade A cells and good BMS) more reliable than store bought?
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About: The Green Energy Harvester, loves to make things related to Arduino, Solar Energy, and Crafts from used stuff.
In the past few years, the cost of solar panels are decreasing drastically but the overall cost of the Off-Grid solar system is still significant. The cost of the traditionally used Lead-Acid battery and their limited lifespan compared to solar modules (25+ years) increases the total cost of the whole system. So, If you are planning to install new solar panels for your home or office, it is very important to select the right battery for your system. You need battery solutions that have greater capacity, a high power potential, a longer lifespan, are sustainable, safe, and fit into your needs.
Lithium-ion batteries have become a go-to option for energy storage in solar systems, but technology has advanced, a new winner in the race for energy storage solutions has emerged: lithium iron phosphate batteries (LiFePO4). There are many advantages of the LiFePo4 battery over traditional Lead-acid batteries which are described in detail in the next step.
In this Instructable, I will show you, how to make a LiFePO4 Battery Pack for applications like Off-Grid Solar System, Solar Generator, Electric Vehicle, Power wall, etc. The fundamental is very simple: Just to combined the number of LiFePo4 cells in series and parallel to make a bigger pack and finally to ensure safety by adding a BMS to it. The LiFePo4 cells come in a variety of sizes, but here I have used the 32650 type.
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Disclaimer:
I cannot be held responsible for any loss of property, damage, or loss of life if it comes to that. This tutorial was written for those who have knowledge of rechargeable lithium battery technology. Please do not attempt this if you are a novice. Stay Safe.
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