I also appreciate Mastervolt’s deep lithium battery experience - as in the around-the-world racing fleet Panbo covered in 2015 - and the reduced financial pain resulting from their nice trade/test discount. It’s darn compelling to get an advanced power system under the single warranty and guidance of a company with deep marine roots.īut Victron and Mastervolt have different strengths, and I like how the latter can even supply their own alternators. And while there were many ways I could have solved all that, Mastervolt and Victron stand out because both have developed extensive marine power product lines that include their own network protocols for deeply integrating the various components. Installing lithium batteries isn’t as simple as a move from flooded lead-acid to AGM or gel on an existing boat, their use often requires modification of charging sources, circuit protections, monitoring abilities, and more. While a subsequent entry will dive deeper into this subject, I can tell you now that a lot of research has led me to this conclusion: LiFePo4 is the safest of the lithium battery chemistries and it rivals or exceeds FLA safety, especially with the safety systems built into Mastervolt’s batteries and overall power system. Although that still makes the new technology five times as expensive as FLA, the investment will work out in the long run if they really do last ten times as long (and you don’t kill them prematurely).īut as you likely know, some lithium battery features are also safety concerns. But because only half the FLA amps are usable, so it’s more like $2 per usable amp hour, while LiFePo4 usable amp hours cost about $10 due to its 80% depth of discharge. In contrast, the least expensive reputable 100 Ah lithium I could find costs $800.Īt first glance that suggest the FLA battery storage costs $1.00 per amp hour versus $8 for LiFePo4. An 80 amp hour, deep cycle, group 27, flooded lead-acid (FLA) battery can be purchased for as little as $80. But lead-acid outperforms lithium in some ways, the most obvious being the upfront cost. LiFePo4 batteries have other benefits: they are maintenance-free, can be installed in multiple orientations, and self-discharge at a lower rate. (And that may be longer given that many lead-acid banks die from an event like getting discharged too far.) Longevity - manufacturers claim that lithium batteries can be used ten times more than lead-acid types, and thus last ten times longer.Constant power delivery - these batteries deliver a very steady voltage until they’re nearly completely discharged, even under large loads.Depth of discharge - LiFePo4 batteries can be safely discharged to 80% of their capacity while lead-acid batteries are typically discharged a maximum of 50% to protect their longevity.Lighter weight - they weigh less than half of a comparable lead-acid battery.Higher energy density - they generally store double the energy in the same physical space.High current charging - low internal resistance mean that lithium batteries can be charged quickly, and they’re often rated to accept their entire capacity in an hour.So far I’ve replaced her original inverter and installed one of the lithium iron phosphate (LiFePo4) batteries, but I’m already seeing the fruits of my labor and investment. The new component list is a CombiMaster inverter/charger, two 400 Ah MLi series LiFePo4 batteries, an EasyView 5 display, a 200 amp Alpha Compact alternator, and an Alpha Pro III external regulator - all from Mastervolt. This is part one of a series detailing the reasons for that decision, the installation, and how well it performs.Īctually the install isn’t finished, but when done, I’ll have upgraded or changed all of the sources and storage on Have Another Day‘s 20-year-old house power system. ![]() So the high energy density and fast charging abilities of lithium batteries got me interested, and eventually led to an all-Mastervolt system that should also improve my 12-volt DC house power system in many other ways. Like many boaters, I treasure the peace of a serene anchorage, but not the sound and smell of a generator. A high level diagram of the final configuration for Have Another Day
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