How Lithium Iron Phosphate Batteries are Easier on the Environment

Posted April 20, 2018

Lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4) batteries have many features that make them superior to other battery technologies – they are lightweight and versatile, they have a long lifespan and a fast-charging rate, and they can withstand cold, heat, collision, and mishandling during charging and discharging without risk of combustion.

But are lithium iron phosphate batteries environmentally friendly?

Manufacturing batteries of any kind requires energy and resources, but lithium iron phosphate batteries have several advantages over other technologies in terms of resource consumption and safety, and they have great potential to help reduce carbon emissions when used in wind and solar power systems. Let’s take a look at a few of the environmental benefits of using LiFePO4 battery technology.

Enabling Electricity Storage in Renewable Energy Systems

When it comes to generating electricity with minimal carbon emissions, it’s hard to beat wind and solar power. Solar power has especially taken off as the cost of solar panel installation has dropped more than 70% since 2010. But the wind doesn’t always blow and the sun doesn’t always shine, which means practical off-grid or partially off-grid solar systems rely on batteries as a steady source of electrical power. LiFePO4 batteries are ideal for energy storage in solar photovoltaic systems, and they have several practical and economic advantages over lead-acid batteries or other lithium battery technologies, including:

· Maintenance-free operation, with no need to monitor or top up water levels

· Partial state of charge (PSOC) tolerant, which means if operated in PSOC there is no damage (this is one of the leading causes of early failure of lead-acid batteries)

· Life span up to 10x longer compared to lead-acid batteries and a lower overall cost of ownership

· 25%-50% higher capacity than lead-acid batteries, with full power available throughout discharge

· Fast recharge times and a 99% efficient recharge process, which means less wasted electricity

· Low rate of self-discharge, which means a long shelf life (up to a year between charges)

And perhaps most importantly, LiFePO4 batteries are inherently stable and non-combustible, and they are free from dangerous and messy outgassing, fumes, and leaks.

A Recyclable Alternative to Lead-Acid Batteries

The disposal or recycling of batteries remains a key environmental issue. More than 3 million tons of lead-acid batteries are discarded every year. While some are safely recycled to recover lead and other materials, many end up in landfills, especially in developing countries, and toxins can cause fires and explosions and poison food and water supplies for generations.

With electrodes made of non-toxic materials, LiFePO4 batteries pose far less risk to the environment than lead-acid batteries. They can also be recycled to recover the materials used in their electrodes, wiring, and casings to be used in new lithium batteries. Even now, buyers can choose to buy LiFePO4 batteries made from recycled materials.

The long lifetimes of lithium batteries used for energy storage and transportation mean that many of these batteries are still in use, so recycling processes are still in their infancy. As more lithium batteries reach their end of life, recycling will become more efficient and recycled batteries will become more widely accessible as engineers improve processes to recover key materials.

Inherently Stable and Non-Toxic Chemistry

There are big environmental advantages to using lithium iron phosphate batteries over lead-acid batteries. But how do LiFePO4 batteries stack up against other types of lithium batteries in terms of environmental friendliness?

Quite well, it turns out.

Lithium itself is not toxic and it does not bioaccumulate like lead or other heavy metals. But most lithium battery chemistries use oxides of nickel, cobalt, or manganese in their electrodes. Estimates suggest it takes 50% more energy to produce these materials compared to the electrodes in lithium iron phosphate batteries. A 2013 report by the EPA revealed lithium-based batteries using nickel or cobalt have the highest environmental impact including resource depletion, ecological toxicity, and human health impacts, almost entirely due to the production and processing of nickel and cobalt.

LiFePO4 batteries, by contrast, have big advantages over other lithium chemistries:

· They use no rare earths or toxic metals and employ commonly available materials including copper, iron, and graphite

· Less energy is consumed in mining and processing of materials

· Phosphate salts are also less soluble than metal oxides, so they are less likely to leach into the environment if the battery is improperly discarded.

· And of course, LiFePO4 batteries are chemically stable against combustion and rupture under nearly all operating and storage conditions.

Once again, lithium iron phosphate batteries come out ahead.

An Environmentally Friendly Battery Technology

While it does take resources to produce practical and efficient batteries, not all battery technologies are created equal. Lithium iron phosphate batteries not only have superior operating characteristics compared to lead-acid batteries, they’re also far less toxic to produce and recycle.

Compared to other lithium battery technologies, LiFePO4 batteries use more abundant and non-toxic materials that can be produced with less energy. The performance and safety of LiFePO4 batteries also make them a superior choice for electricity storage in zero-emission renewable electricity, wind, and solar power systems.

We’re all concerned about protecting the environment, and we strive to do our part to reduce pollution and resource consumption. When it comes to choosing a battery technology, lithium iron phosphate batteries are an excellent choice for enabling renewable energy like wind and solar and for minimizing the consequences of resource extraction. As lithium iron phosphate batteries become more widely adopted, the benefits of this technology for the environment will continue to grow.

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COMMENTS

  • Sergio

    Very concise and informative article. I look forward to learning more. Thank you.

  • Roland Youngs

    Loving the 1980's lead acid battery comparison. What happens when you try to compare it to some new 2020 AGM batteries with 4500 cycles? How about the poor 20-80% usage of lithium so you don't damage them compared to some 100% usage AGM Victron batteries? If you wind the clock back further you could recall lead batteries that weighed as much as a small cow! How about some modern day comparisons please?