The new Elite ELC lead-carbon AGM VRLA battery range is specifically designed for use in solar cyclic applications.
The ELC is classified as a very long life product in accordance with Eurobatt standards and able to achieve over 3000 discharge cycles to 70% depth of discharge. This is almost 1000 cycles more than an equivalent lithium-based battery solution.
The unique pasted plate active material in the negative plate greatly increases the risk of plate sulfation and the resultant loss of capacity due to a partial state of charge-discharge, which is a common cause of capacity loss and premature failure in lead-acid technology products used in cycling applications such as solar.
This strength, along with a much more cost-effective solution than Lithium based products (about half the price), offers the user a highly cost-effective cyclic discharge solution in particular under rolling blackout conditions as is so often experienced in South Africa.
The lead-carbon battery does not require any electronic battery management. It can easily be recharged in 8 hours after a discharge, making it quite comparable to lithium technologies without the negatives and dangers of overheating and catching fire.
The ELC battery is a lead-acid product and thus fully recyclable in South Africa, making it 100% green, further reducing the total cost of ownership over the usage service life compared with Lithium-based products. Lithium-based products are not recyclable in South Africa and have to be shipped overseas for disposal at the end of life at a huge cost to the user. Most often, this cost is not taken into account when initially purchasing a backup power solution.