I currently own a LiTime 48V 100Ah battery that helps charge my F3800 7.68kWh system. On a daily basis, my LiTime stays at home charging with solar energy while my F3800 travels with me to work, where I deplete it. I bring the F3800 home each night to recharge it with the LiTime and AC power. I've been cycling my LiTime fully every day, and considering the current cost of batteries and that it only provides 5.12kWh, I'm wondering if it would be worth it to buy a second LiTime battery to help preserve the health of my current one. Or should I stick with just one battery and wait for potential price drops before needing a replacement?
3 Answers
This is definitely a tricky decision because you also need to consider what happens with your solar charging when the LiTime is fully charged. Plus, don't forget to factor in the costs for charging the F3800 via AC.
You might want to look into building a better battery yourself. The LiTime batteries are essentially Eve cells in series with a basic BMS. You could get Eve cells directly from 18650store and pair them with a cheaper or higher-quality BMS from Daly or Heltec. That way, you could save money while still getting a solid battery setup.
Good point! That sounds like a really viable option.
It might be wise to check how many cycles your LiTime 48V battery is rated for. If you charge it once a day, you should consider how many years that will last. Keep in mind that battery capacity can decrease over time just from calendar aging, which means buying another battery could double your aging costs without giving you extra lifespan. If you really need more capacity, getting another battery could make sense, but for cycling purposes, you might be fine with just one for now.
That's solid advice! I believe it’s rated for over 4,000 cycles, which should give you a long lifespan if you're only cycling once a day.
Right! I’m using solar power with net metering here in Southern California, so my off-peak charging costs are around 36-39 cents.