The Lithium Battery Technology is going to change the Battery Storage Solutions
The Latest Lithium battery Technology is going to change the paradigm of storage solutions in the long run as today people are using different type of Lead Acid batteries for storage which is SMF, Tubular or Gel based tubular or SMF technologies which have lit of challenges and limitations.
The first limitation is cycle life as Lead Acid based battery cannot match the Cycle life of a Lithium battery in literal terms, the Lead Acid battery life is defined by various parameters, and one of them is refilling of battery water which is a big challenge for the user as they are not able to fill the water in time and what kind of water they are supposed to fill is another challenge as they fill with any RO water or normal water which destroys even the normal cycle life. The Gel battery has the challenge of higher temperatures, so the performance goes down if the temperature is higher than a certain defined value.
Whereas Lithium battery is a very stable technology that has been proven for almost 2 decades now, specially LifePO4 which is a very well-accepted technology and the cycle life varies on the good BMS, which regulates proper charging and discharging so that battery is minimal heating inside than we can get anywhere between 1500 to 4000 cycles whereas the Lead Acid is not able to perform more than 400-500 cycles. So clear edge in terms of cycle life.
Another important factor is capacity at different discharge levels. So Lead Acid batteries are generally designed at C20 design, which means you can discharge 5% of the battery, then only you will get rated capacity only. This is also not available as the process of making Lead Acid is very crude, and consistent power is a challenge. If you discharge at the 50% rating of the battery, generally speaking, it gives you 50% of its rated capacity. Lithium is a C1 battery, so the capacity remains 100% at any load. This is a very big difference when we use these batteries for storage purposes like inverters, UPS, and Solar solutions; the Lead Acid backup time can’t match the Lithium battery pack.
Another major challenge is the cell balancing option available in the Lithium battery pack in the BMS and which is one of the reasons that battery life can be achieved as a Lead Acid battery has six cells that cannot be balanced as there is no provision inside the battery. If we need to operate higher DC voltages, then we need the balancing between the batteries and that’s also not done by the user. So if we need to put 120 V DC, then we need 10 Lead Acid batteries and which take up a big space and can’t be balanced with each other and internal cells of each battery pack is also not possible, and the connecting wires take a longer route which becomes another challenge as each battery takes its own space and we need to keep them at a distance which creates wire losses.
Whereas Lithium is a single pack and one-fourth of the size of the Lead Acid battery bank size. So there are hardly any losses between the battery cells, which keeps minimum losses, and cell balancing for each cell is balanced through the BMS. So, in the end, it can be concluded that there is no comparison between Lead Acid batteries and Lithium batteries. In the next 5 years, there will be a revolution in the industry, and Lead Acid will be out of business in the next 5 years in the storage business.
Kunwer Sachdev: A Pioneer of India's Power Backup Industry Kunwer Sachdev, a visionary entrepreneur and the founder of Su-kam Power Systems, is widely recognized as the "Inverter Man of India" for his revolutionary contributions to the country's power backup industry. His journey from a humble background to building a multi-crore enterprise is a testament to his resilience, innovative spirit, and unwavering determination. Born on November 16, 1962, in a middle-class family in Delhi, Sachdev's early life was marked by financial challenges. He attended a government school in Punjabi Bagh and initially aspired to become a doctor. However, after failing to secure a spot in medical college, he pursued a degree in Statistics from Hindu College, Delhi University, and later a Bachelor of Laws degree. From a young age, he displayed an entrepreneurial streak, helping his elder brother sell pens door-to-door. This early exposure to business ignited his ambition to create something of his own. Sachdev began his professional career in the cable TV industry, where he founded a company in 1988. While his cable business was profitable, a personal experience with a malfunctioning inverter sparked a new idea. He identified a significant gap in the market for reliable and efficient power backup solutions. This insight led him to pivot his career and delve into the nascent inverter manufacturing business. In 1998, with a modest investment, Kunwer Sachdev founded Su-kam Power Systems. He set out to solve the problem of frequent power outages in India by creating high-quality, reliable, and aesthetically pleasing inverters. Under his leadership, Su-kam pioneered several groundbreaking innovations in the sector, including the introduction of the country's first plastic-body inverter and DSP sinewave inverters. The company quickly became a household name, expanding its footprint not only across India but also to more than 90 countries, particularly in Africa and the Middle East. At its peak, Su-kam's annual turnover reached a remarkable Rs. 1,100 crore, establishing it as a leader in the power backup and solar energy markets. Despite its success, Su-kam's journey was not without significant challenges. The company faced a series of financial difficulties, eventually leading to a default on a substantial bank loan. This triggered a corporate insolvency process which led to the company's liquidation. As a result, Kunwer Sachdev was forced to part ways with the company he founded and was no longer associated with Su-kam Power Systems Ltd. This marked the end of an era for the pioneering company and severely impacted its distributors and customers. Following this setback, Sachdev's entrepreneurial spirit remained undeterred. He embarked on a new chapter, founding Su-vastika Systems Pvt. Ltd. This new company, referred to as the "Solar Man of India," is focused on the future of energy storage, including lithium-ion batteries and Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS). His new venture continues his legacy of innovation and commitment to providing sustainable energy solutions. Kunwwer Sachdev's story is an inspiring one of an individuals who saw a problem and worked tirelessly to create a solution, forever changing the landscape of the Indian power backup industry.
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