What are the disadvantages of lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4) batteries?

[Lucas Mill]

In addition to the price, what are the disadvantages of lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4) batteries?

If the price of lifepo4 comes down, will no one buy the lead-acid battery?

[Bobster.]

Lead-acid is false economy if you ask me. Sure, you pay a lot less up front, but you will replace them much more often. There's also the issue of storage because potentially they can leak or give off nasty fumes, and they will take up more space than Lithium.

[___]

1 hour ago, Lucas Mill said:

In addition to the price, what are the disadvantages of lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4) batteries?

Recycling.

A lead battery is 99.3% recyclable. So far there is no overall (or cheap) plan for the recycling of lithium batteries. But let me be clear, this is not a problem specific to LFP batteries, nor are LFP batteries even the largest sinners. This is a problem for ALL lithium batteries, the bulk of which actually comes from mobile phones, and it's a part of the larger electronic waste problem, of which old PV modules itself makes up a small amount (but again, the bulk is other stuff).

[___]

If you think about it, the problem is actually that lead acid batteries are too expensive. If their per cycle cost can be pushed down, then because of the advantage in recycling, they'd make a compelling option. Yeah you'd swap them more often... but so what.

[Solarphile]

2 hours ago, Lucas Mill said:

what are the disadvantages of lithium iron phosphate

Special charge parameters need to be programmed and you cannot just use “any lead acid” charge controller. Depending on your controller you might need to send it to the manufacturer to specially load a lithium charge profile. 

[Gerlach]

Got my Lifepo4 batteries today. Keep a eye for my diy build. 

[Richard Mackay]

12 hours ago, Gerlach said:

Got my Lifepo4 batteries today. Keep a eye for my diy build. 

 

Do you know what cells are used in these batts?

[Lucas Mill]

14 hours ago, Gerlach said:

Got my Lifepo4 batteries today. Keep a eye for my diy build. 

HI, what application is your DIY battery intended for?

[PJJ]

17 hours ago, Gerlach said:

Got my Lifepo4 batteries today. Keep a eye for my diy build. 

Their website has only ever said the 3.2V cells are on pre-order, how long did you wait after placing your order for them to be delivered?

[Gerlach]

7 hours ago, Richard Mackay said:

Do you know what cells are used in these batts?

@Richard Mackay You can speak to the seller, his got a web site and his name is there. Really nice chap.

[Gerlach]

5 hours ago, Lucas Mill said:

HI, what application is your DIY battery intended for?

I'm going to build a power wall for my off grid inverter setup at my house. If everything works really good then i will order some more to build a second wall or a third wall unit.  

[Gerlach]

@PJJ It actually went really fast because he was waiting for his shipment to arrive. This cargo must come via ship. All 272 batteries went really fast. There some guys on the forum that ordered and there was on guy up in JHB that order 110 of them to put 90 of them in to T2 Combi. 

His planning to order 700 now because there some guys that want to use them in golfcart's and his planning to test in a forklift.

Give him a call. He is really nice and i think it's a good time to support someone like this, because there is a gap in south africa market for this sort of stuff for DIY. 

Edited December 5, 2019 by Gerlach

[Solarphile]

On 2019/12/04 at 6:58 PM, Gerlach said:

Got my Lifepo4 batteries today. Keep a eye for my diy build. 

Lithium batteries have a beauty about them that only a DIY battery builder will ever understand ...