Editing House Batteries

There’s one main specification you’re looking for in house batteries: amp hours. A single amp hour represents, you guessed it, one amp of power, for one hour.

Amp hours are always given in terms of full capacity. But it’s important to note that different ways of storing power — different chemistries — carry different *usable* amp hour capacity. Good old reliable lead-acid has been with us since the 1800s … and its age shows … lead acid batteries lose capacity if they’re completely discharged, and aren’t happy when they’re fully charged either. A lead acid battery has a *usable* capacity of 50 or 60 percent of its rated capacity.

The undisputed king of battery tech in 2021 is lithium; specifically LifePo4. With a competent battery management system, LP4 is good for thousands of charge/discharge cycles, and the batteries store much more power in the same amount of space as lead acid, and are lighter weight to boot. If you’re patient and have moderate mechanical skills, a LifePo4 battery bank can be acquired for less than the cost of lead acid.