The parents at Redodo, a battery producer, not too long ago reached out to us as a result of they wished us to check their 12V 100Ah Mini LiFePO4 battery. After testing it and seeing the place it could match, I’m not solely going to suggest it to readers seeking to change a lead-acid deep-cycle battery, but in addition to anyone who wants to avoid wasting house and weight for his or her 12-volt power storage wants.

The Drawback This Battery Solves

Like most automotive and RV lovers, I’ve been utilizing 12-volt batteries for a very long time. When you’ve ever had a automotive’s battery exit, you in all probability know the battle. When you’re the “decide issues up and put them down” form of one who spends lots of time on the health club (significantly in case you’re a man), it won’t look like a giant battle to carry a battery out of a automotive’s engine bay, however in case you’re a not-so-muscular lady, it’s a harder job to get that factor out and take it into AutoBone (Good —Ed.) or Sam’s Membership to check and/or change it.

This problem is a fair larger trouble in case you’re working with deep-cycle batteries, such as you’d use for a trolling motor or an RV. They’ve acquired extra storage and you may deplete them to decrease ranges, however they’re even larger and heavier. Even worse are issues like golf carts, telecom batteries, and different large hunks of lead that aid you get some juice.

Worse, lead-acid deep cycles typically solely final a couple of years at finest. In vehicles, non-deep cycle batteries are likely to final 2–5 years (and typically much less time), whereas an RV battery would possibly have to be changed yearly or two as a consequence of disuse between tenting journeys and holidays. Plus, all of those batteries have to be maintained and stored in a ventilated house to keep away from hydrogen fuel explosions and acid getting all over the place if issues go terribly mistaken.

As EV and cleantech lovers ought to know by now, battery expertise has improved quite a bit in any grownup lifetime. Heck, even since 2000, the scale, weight, and value of power storage have all dropped drastically, whereas sturdiness and ease of upkeep are all up. On prime of what we’ve seen in EVs for the final decade or so, barely much less dense however way more sturdy LiFePO4 batteries (aka “LFP”) are additionally now on the scene.

Most firms providing a substitute for a deep-cycle battery use some great benefits of newer battery expertise to supply us with extra power storage and longer lifespans, and within the case of LiFePO batteries, higher security. However, till I acquired this assessment unit in, I hadn’t seen a producer attempt to give us larger flexibility and smaller battery sizes.

Specs & Options

You may discover full specs and options on Redodo’s web site, so I’ll simply talk about a number of the highlights of what you’ll get on your $349 (as of this writing) in case you order one.

The most important factor is that this smaller battery from Redodo, which is a bit smaller than a six pack of power drinks, offers you 100 amp-hours of storage (1.2 kWh). This is similar power storage {that a} typical lead-acid deep-cycle battery offers you, but it surely’s solely round half the scale of an RV battery. That is fairly spectacular, particularly for the worth.

The 12V 100Ah Mini LiFePO4 battery can also be fairly mild, has a foldable and detachable carrying strap/deal with, and has detachable posts. This makes not just for flexibility, however simple portability, and quite a bit much less battle for individuals who aren’t health club rats.

The final large factor is that it likes working with others. You may hook as much as 4 batteries in parallel and in collection, for a most of 48 volts and 400 amp-hours (@48 volts), or a 20 kWh battery system. Not all customers will wish to do that, however the possibility is there if you wish to construct one thing actually cool, both at residence or on the street.

My Testing

I don’t presently have an RV useful to check the battery with, so I made a decision to place the battery to a fair harder take a look at: hooking it as much as an influence inverter and pulling as much as 1000 watts from it. I had no downside drawing almost the complete 1,000 watts to energy a window air conditioner with it. So, clearly, it really works effectively and gained’t allow you to down with deep-cycle wants (which often aren’t as powerful).

As a result of some yard work, I wasn’t capable of get nice images, however I had no downside utilizing it with a 60-watt folding photo voltaic panel and Renogy cost controller. Simply remember to get a cost controller that’s suitable with LiFePO batteries if you wish to cost one (or extra) with solar energy. The consumer guide has full particulars on what settings to make use of with a suitable cost controller.

Vital word! One of the best half: Redodo is providing a reduction to CleanTechnica readers if you use the code [CT4] for 4% OFF!

How It Can Double or Quadruple Your Power Storage

Having labored with deep-cycle batteries in RVs, what immediately got here to thoughts for me was simply how a lot power storage you possibly can get away with right here. Not solely is the unit half the scale of a typical deep-cycle, however you possibly can safely run it down low as a substitute of getting to maintain it above 50% such as you would with a lead-acid battery.

Because of this simply one in all these batteries may give you twice as a lot usable storage as a lead-acid deep-cycle battery, however you have got room for 2 of those for each regular deep-cycle, so you possibly can quadruple your storage in the identical house and with much less weight. Many RV home battery banks use two or three deep-cycle batteries, and this Redodo Mini battery can serve in that capability simply as effectively. You may put as much as 4 of them in parallel to get a 400 amp-hour system at 12 volts, and if you should use 24 or 48 volts, you possibly can go for much more storage in case you’re good about battery placement.

The Handbook Makes It Simple

Lastly, one of many issues that I appreciated most concerning the 12V 100Ah Mini LiFePO4 battery is that it comes with first rate documentation. Not like what you would possibly get at a giant field retail retailer, they don’t assume you’re a battery knowledgeable if you purchase one in all these. The guide offers you the entire particulars on charging, discharging, connecting, and organising a bigger battery system. They assume you don’t know a lot, so anyone can work with these (assuming you are taking cheap precautions with electrical energy).

Even higher, the guide and fast begin information are available in a waterproof zipper pouch to be able to maintain the guide useful after set up in an RV or different harsh surroundings. So, they actually did suppose this product by, from begin to end. Don’t neglect: Redodo is providing a reduction to CleanTechnica readers if you use the code [CT4] for 4% OFF!

Pictures courtesy Jennifer Sensiba / CleanTechnica.

This text is sponsored by Redodo. A 12V 100Ah Mini LiFePO4 battery was offered to the creator freed from cost for the needs of this assessment.

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