LiFePO4 - SOK or Renogy.
Not looking for a big bank or high charge/discharge currents. Don't need charging below freezing. In Canada things become difficult/expensive. Narrowed down to these 2: 1)SOK, 100AH, $CAD 975 ...
Forum Discussion
pianotuna wrote:
Almot LiFePo4 are pretty much useless to me. The only decider is price.
I believe the major factor in LiFePo4 is the battery management system. They jump through all sorts of different hoops. Nailing down what they actually do may be difficult research. I'd want to know what the cut off is for temperatures both low and high, and whether they limit the discharge rate. Some do 100 amps demand, others are 150 amps per 100 amp-hours of storage.
I also don't appreciate LiFePo4 living longest at 50% state of charge when in storage. It would mean turning off the solar--then going over and turning it back on a week before a trip. It almost makes solar redundant, kinda, sorta?
We have recently started using ReLion batteries at work. We switched from lead acid to LiFePO for weight savings. We haven't been using them long enough to have any helpful input, but this company does offer a low temperature version.
Pianotuna, I have some of the same misgivings about them as you do, but I really like the weight savings. I have also wondered about the solar in the winter storage issues.
