Custom Lithium Battery Packs for Off-Grid Solar Solutions

Lead-acid batteries require constant maintenance, often leak toxic chemicals as they age, and have relatively short lifespans. Meanwhile, lithium chemistries have evolved and come down in price, making it a more cost-effective option. 

>> Here’s why we use lithium batteries instead of lead-acid ones.

Lithium batteries are maintenance-free and generally have longer lifespans, but come with some fine print that most people learn the hard (and expensive) way.

When you buy commercially available lithium batteries, you get what you get, and you don’t get upset — you can’t change their behaviors to meet your needs. These packs are also programmed to discharge aggressively to hit specs out of the box at the expense of longevity and long-term performance.

When you talk to most battery industry veterans, you get more “no, can’t do” than “yes, sure!”:

  • Can you mix cells of different battery chemistries cos it’s such a waste to toss out my lead-acid ones, but I want to upgrade to lithium? “No, can’t do.”

  • Can you combine cells of different ages so that I can expand my capacity without replacing a slightly aged pack? “No, can’t do.”

  • Can you make a battery pack that lasts much longer than what’s typically available? “Theoretically, maybe. Practically, we don’t wanna do it.”

But did you know you can make a battery pack support different criteria and requirements with some battery wizardry?

Our proprietary software technology ends many battery “can’t dos,” turning them into possibilities and enabling our customers to save money with a simpler, more cost-effective solution for specific use cases.

>> Take a peek under the hood to see what’s possible

Have questions? Ready to discuss your unique requirements?

Custom off-grid lithium battery solutions

Cold temperature-tolerant custom battery pack

Lithium iron phosphate (LFP) is generally the best battery chemistry for off-grid solar in rural areas. However, the cells can’t charge when the temperature drops under 35 degrees Fahrenheit. If you put your equipment in a shed, you may have a problem on some winter days.

We make lithium cobalt oxide (LiCoO2) cells, which can charge in freezing conditions, play nice with LFP cells to get the best of both worlds. The pack’s modular design also means you can switch out the cobalt cells (which have a slightly shorter lifespan) without tossing the entire pack to minimize waste.

>> Read more about this custom solution

Surge-and-sustain custom battery pack

A big well pump or monster power tools require a lot of power to start. You’d need a ginormous battery pack (= $$$) to meet the demand. But it sits idle most of the time when there’s no surge load.

Our custom battery technology can save you a pretty penny. Instead of buying a super big-ass pack to accommodate the occasional surge requirement, you buy a relatively smaller one for less and get the same surge capacity while meeting sustained output needs. Also, it's ideal for a mobile workshop!

>> Learn more about high-surge power scenarios

High-endurance custom battery pack

This solution supports ultra-high longevity requirements. We source high-endurance cells, treat them like royalties during the custom-built process, and program the battery management system (BMS) to minimize wear.

This solution is ideal for clients who don’t want to worry about their battery pack for the next 15 years and prioritizes resiliency (e.g., you don’t have to worry if your battery pack is dead when SCE turns off power for days).

>> Read more about this custom solution

Got Questions? Ready to discuss your unique requirements?

  • We wonder about that, too! So we did a “per dollar per kWh per year” cost calculation to compare lead-acid with lithium iron phosphate batteries and proved the total cost of ownership (TCO) of LFP batteries is half that of lead-acid ones.

  • These products may cost less (and not even that much less!) on paper, but various landmines would make them more costly in the long run. This post examines the false economy of cheap lithium batteries.

  • Nope! Our software can make our battery solutions play nice with most battery packs. We can also connect our batteries to existing off-grid solar installations.