Why two small batteries are better than a single large one
Find out more about the advantages of multiple batteries in parallel operation vs. a single large battery in this blog post.
For example 2x 100Ah vs. 1x 200Ah
Cheaper initial investment and "first see if one battery is enough".
“Will the 100Ah or 150Ah be enough for me, should I buy a single large 200Ah or 300Ah battery and play it safe?”
Many of our customers ask themselves precisely this question.
One thing is clear: with a 100Ah LiFePO4 you have 100% more available capacity than with a 100Ah lead-acid battery.
In addition, many have no inverter installed at all and actually only need the battery for the TV, interior lighting and the occasional diesel heater.
Especially in combination with solar, a single 100Ah or 150Ah battery is sufficient in most cases.
You can therefore first test whether the 100Ah / 150Ah LiFePO4 battery is sufficient. If you later realize that the 100Ah or 150Ah lithium battery is not enough after all, you can easily add another 100Ah battery at a later date. For example, if the refrigerator is to be operated with the battery or the e-bike is to be charged.
And how long can I wait before connecting the second or third battery?
With up to a maximum of 300 cycles for the first battery, the second or third battery can easily be added.
More flexible in expansion / upgrading
A 100Ah lithium battery can easily be supplemented with another 100ah LiFePO4 to 200Ah, and with yet another to 300Ah and so on. A single large 200Ah battery is not only expensive, it can also only be supplemented with another large, expensive 200ah battery.
It is not possible to connect a 200Ah LiFePO4 and a 100Ah LiFePO4 together.
A 100Ah or 150Ah LiFePO4 is also more compact and lighter than a large 200Ah or 300Ah LiFePO4 pack and therefore much easier to install or transport.
Due to the smaller dimensions, up to 8 100Ah or 150Ah batteries can be connected in parallel in various areas of the motorhome, under the rear seat, under the driver’s seat, passenger seat or in the rear area of the van or motorhome with the appropriate cables.
Fail-safe with two or more batteries
A lithium battery is an electronic device due to the built-in BMS. Various circumstances (manufacturing defects, transport damage, voltage peaks) can lead to a defect in the BMS. The battery is then no longer usable and no longer emits any current.
It is also possible that one of the lithium cells installed can only deliver a very low capacity or none at all due to age or manufacturing errors.
This is extremely rare, but if a BMS or a cell were to fail while on vacation, a single large 200Ah or 300ah battery would quickly end the trip.
The entire battery would be unusable and would no longer emit or accept current.
The advantage of connecting two or three “small” 100ah or 150ah batteries in parallel is that all components are duplicated. A BMS is installed for each battery and the cells are also duplicated for each battery, so if the BMS or the cells of one battery fail on the road, the second battery continues to supply power as usual and the journey can continue.
The possible power consumption multiplies
By distributing the load or current flow over two batteries, charging and discharging can be carried out with twice the possible power.
The “weak point” or bottleneck is not the lithium cells, but the BMS. The electronics built into the BMS determine how much the battery can be discharged. In one of our batteries, the BMS is designed for a maximum constant discharge of 160A. If two batteries are connected in parallel, the load is distributed over two batteries or two BMS, which means that 160A can be discharged per battery. A total of 320A.
This is particularly practical if you want to operate a kettle, coffee machine or hairdryer from a large inverter. Provided the cables are thick enough!
The batteries are protected and their service life is extended
The more and deeper the batteries are discharged, the more they wear out. Both the cells and the electronics.
As the load is distributed over two batteries with two batteries connected in parallel, i.e. each battery is halved, the service life of the batteries is also longer.
How does this work with the Bluetooth app, do I have to connect and check each battery individually?
This is easier with our updated Supervolt Multi app. Up to 8 batteries can be connected simultaneously and their values can be read out. Read more about this in the following article, in which our app is presented:
Conclusion
As we have seen, it is advantageous to use several small batteries in parallel operation. The advantages of several small lithium batteries in parallel operation compared to a single large battery are summarized here:
- Cheaper initial investment, as you can first check whether a small battery is sufficient.
- You are more flexible in expanding the capacity. 2x100ah can be expanded to 3x100ah or 4x100ah, a single 200Ah LiFePO4 only to 400ah, 600Ah, etc.
- Fail-safe, as all components are duplicated. There is never a “total failure”.
- Higher possible current draw by distributing the load over several batteries.
- Longer battery life.
Because of these advantages, we offer our batteries at a discount in a double pack. Customers who want to buy one battery first and then a second later will receive a discount from us.
Supervolt® 12V 100Ah Lithium LiFePO4 battery
For motorhomes, vans, boats, allotments or as energy storage for photovoltaics
€
729
incl. VAT.
-
Incl. Smart BMS and Bluetooth
-
H7 DIN standard dimensions 318x175x187 mm
-
5 year guarantee
-
3000+ cycles
-
Plug and play - directly interchangeable with AGM or lead
Supervolt® 12V 150Ah Lithium LiFePO4 battery
For motorhomes, vans, boats, allotments or as energy storage for photovoltaics
€
1090
incl. VAT.
-
Incl. Smart BMS and Bluetooth
-
H8 DIN standard dimensions 355x175x187 mm
-
5 year guarantee
-
3000+ cycles
-
Plug and play - directly interchangeable with AGM or lead
Also available as a set of two for parallel operation.
At a special price!
Supervolt® 12V 200Ah 2x100Ah Lithium LiFePO4 batteries
€
1390
VAT included.
-
Double reliability, as one BMS is installed per battery
-
Double power output possible - Constant 4KW discharge
Supervolt® 12V 300Ah 2x150Ah Lithium LiFePO4 batteries
€
2090
VAT included.
-
Double reliability, as one BMS is installed per battery
-
Double power output possible - Constant 4KW discharge
