Vertiv™ HPL Lithium-ion

Lithium-ion Energy Storage Systems (ESS) have numerous advantages over a lead acid VRLA alternative. With the higher energy density of the lithium solution comes less weight and less space advantages. The lithium system will have an increased service life over lead acid which means that the lithium installation will most likely last ten to fifteen years and will not have to be replaced every three to five years like a lead acid solution. In addition a typical lithium system will be able to operate at a higher ambient temperature than a VRLA system which can result in OPEX savings by reducing cooling costs of the facility. At today’s price levels lithium is still a slightly higher first cost choice but the above listed advantages yield a TCO over a ten year period that easily favors lithium.

Yes. A lithium ESS that has attained UL 1973 certification has been tested to have a Battery Management System (BMS) capable of detecting over voltage, over current, over temperature and under voltage conditions. The BMS will constantly monitor at a cell level for faults. Each cell is also designed with fusing and thermal vents to help reduce the possibility of a thermal runaway condition.

Unlike other types of battery chemistries lithium batteries do not contain toxic elements such as lead, cadmium or mercury. While deemed safe for disposal in landfills by the US Government, it is recommended that they be recycled so as not to have an environmental impact. Given the long life of the batteries and their relatively recent deployments many have not yet reached their end of life. Therefore the recycling market for lithium ESS and EV batteries has yet to mature.