Introduction
Do you have a 48V battery connected to your solar setup and don’t know how long it can run with your devices?
Before you go for the calculation, you must evaluate the following factors:
- Which type of devices do you want to operate? Calculate their power.
- What is the power of the inverter associated with?
- Efficiency of the inverter
- Battery type and capacity
Do you have all these factors ready to explore? Then, it is time to go for the theoretical calculation of the batteries’ running time. Let’s discuss various factors that affect the running time.
What is a 48V battery?
A 48V battery is the voltage rating of a battery. It talks about the support for different devices. All appliances with a voltage rating of less than 48V can run on such devices.
Usually, a 48V battery is quite high voltage and supports almost all the devices in your home and powerhouses. Let’s discuss more.
Factors affecting a 48V battery
The running time of the 48V battery depends on several factors. These factors can range from the battery capacity to the power. However, you must keep a 20-50% additional safety margin for the batteries.
Do you want to know the factors affecting the battery running time? Well, we have made a list of top factors.
Load type
The crucial factor is the load type. Do you have a constant load or variable? Variable load is deadly if it spikes up and down violently.
Moreover, the load from the motors can reach a peak value that hurts the battery running. Therefore, it is better to know the load type before deciding on the battery’s running time.
Battery Chemistry
Which battery type are you using? There are different types:
- Lead-acid batteries. These traditional batteries have the lowest discharge rates and might have a lower efficiency.
- Lithium-ion batteries. These other types of batteries have high power and better discharging rates. Even the quality of the batteries is so good. They run longer due to deep discharge rates and longer run times.
Temperature
What is the current temperature at which you are operating your devices? A high temperature can cause fast discharges. Even a low temperature can affect the batteries negatively and decrease the discharging time.
You must know the temperature at which you are running. Avoid keeping it extremely high or low to ensure the safe charging and discharging of the batteries.
Age and cycle
What is the age of your batteries? If the batteries go on a longer lifespan, their capacities and efficiencies decrease due to repeated discharges.
If you compare a brand-new battery with an older one, it will have high efficiency and last for extended periods because of its high performance.
Inverter efficiency
Inverter efficiency is another significant factor in the decision. A high efficiency means more power usage. It leads to more energy generation and better usage.
Therefore, you should know the inverter’s efficiency before making quick decisions about the running time. Anything above 95% meets your needs and gives you a better energy touch.
How long does a 48V battery last?
No one can answer until you know the power of the devices being run. But before we have the direct answers, it is better to know the battery capacity and inverter.
Suppose you have a LuxPowerTek inverter of 5000 watts. The battery capacity is 100ah and 200ah. At the same time, the efficiency of the battery is 94%.
The power division will be accordingly since we have discussed the two different battery capacities.
Now, discuss the period of both capacities.
100Ah capacity
Suppose the battery capacity is 100Ah. What is battery efficiency? It is 94% while you have a LuxPowerTek inverter connected to your system.
The power of the inverter is 5000 watts. Since your battery has to discharge up to a limit. Consider the 80% discharge to be a fair value. Now, you can calculate the battery running time as:
Battery Runtime = 100Ah * 48V * 0.94 * 0.80 / 5000W
A 52-minute running time is good enough for you. A 94% efficient inverter can give a good running compared to the other inverters. Remember, the higher the efficiency, the better the running time.
200Ah capacity
We have another example having a 200ah battery capacity. Consider all the above cases of battery discharge, inverter, and efficiency.
The running time is often doubled as:
Battery Runtime = 200Ah * 48V * 0.94 * 0.80 / 5000W ≈ 1.44 hours
Instead of 52 hours, doubling the battery capacity can double your battery running time. So, decide on your batteries carefully.
However, it depends on the load.
Suppose we are taking the above example. The load of the power tools can affect the running time. A high-power tool would consume more power than a low-power inverter.
Tips to maximize the battery running time
You can maximize the running by opting for quality tools. We have added the tips.
- Get quality batteries. You can’t go for the low-quality batteries. Go for the next-level battery support.
- Efficiency should be high. An efficiency of 95% or more is a good idea. Even if the battery efficiency is 90%, it is not bad. Always purchase a highly efficient battery with a better output and long running time.
- Adjust temperature. Higher or lower temperatures are killer. A moderate value is the best option. First, select the usage conditions and use optimal temperature.
Conclusion
It is not only the 48V battery selection but also all the other factors that kill the running time. As a top choice, you must look into the quality solutions. Usually, a branded battery has more running time than a branded inverter.
Do you want the best quality inverters?
Look no further, as LuxPowerTek is home to quality inverters. Our inverter collections include only premium solutions. You’ll expect higher efficiency and enjoy flawless deals. Check out powerful solutions right away!