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Around 10 years ago, I did a bunch of research into battery banks for an off-grid solar installation. I looked at probably a dozen very different battery types

Around 10 years ago, I did a bunch of research into battery banks for an off-grid solar installation. I looked at probably a dozen very different battery types (some of which were 'coming to market soon', boy were all those a dead end). The option that seemed to be the best choice overall was flooded lead acid, which surprised me. It's very interesting that even after all the improvements in battery tech since then, this still appears to be the case. I wonder how much longer it will hold true?

mikeytown2 6y ago
You can get Lifepo4 for roughly $100 per kWh of storage is you do a group buy on 272 ah cells. This is cheaper than lead and is a better chemistry from what I've seen.
dredmorbius 6y ago
Lithium's principle benefit is weight. For mobile applications (handheld devices, laptops, automobiles) that wins out. Lead is at the other end of the periodic table. It's heavy and dense. But the batteries last and last and last, and are well-proven. The lead itself is recyclable,a nd is the most-recycled material by mass in the US IIRC (the USGS reports on this). About 40% of lead production is from recycled lead.