1.Longer cycle lifeWhen you discharge a battery (use it to power your appliances), then charge it back up with your panels, that is referred to as one charge cycle. Lithium ion batteries have more cycle life than lead- acid and gel batteries . The lifespan of lithium type last longer , lithium battery can keep about 3000 times cycle , but the lead-acid is only about 300times (generally for 1years home using for a family) .
2. Deeper Discharge
Discharge depth refers to how much overall capacity is used before recharging the battery. They have a recommended depth of discharge: how much can be used before they should be refilled.Gel batteries or lead acid should only be run to 50% depth of discharge. Beyond that point, you risk negatively affecting their lifespan.In contrast, lithium batteries can handle deep discharges of 80% or more. This essentially means they feature a higher usable capacity.
3.Higher Efficiency
Lithium batteries are more efficient. This means that more of your solar power is stored and used.As an example, lead acid batteries are only 80-85% efficient depending on the model and condition. That means if you have 1,000 watts of solar coming into the batteries, there are only 800-850 watts available after the charging and discharging process.Lithium batteries are more than 95% efficient. In the same example, you’d have over 950 watts of power available.Higher efficiency means your batteries charge faster. Depending on the configuration of your system, it could also mean you buying fewer solar panels, less battery capacity and a smaller backup generator.
4. Higher Energy Density
The energy density of lithium batteries is much higher than lead-acid, meaning they fit more storage capacity into less space.For example, it may take two lithium batteries to power a 5 kW system, but you’d need 8 lead-acid batteries to do the same job. When you take the size of the entire battery bank into account, lithium weighs less than half as much.This can be a real benefit if you need to get creative with how you mount your battery bank. If you are hanging an enclosure on the wall or hiding it in a closet, the improved energy density helps your lithium battery bank fit into tighter spaces.