Gone are those days when batteries were just mere devices for storing electrical energy. Over the past years, batteries have actually become increasingly intelligent to boost efficiency and give people the performance they deserve. In this post, we introduce smart batteries and why they keep getting more widespread in various sectors and applications.
You'll also understand how smart batteries optimize energy consumption and help owners cut spending on electrical bills.
Understanding The Concept of Smart Batteries
There are some key features defining smart battery technology. These include small and compact design, high energy density, internet connectivity, inbuilt Battery Management Systems (BMSs), software integration, self-regulation, and automation, among others.
6 Primary Drivers of Smart Battery Popularity
There's no doubt that smart batteries are taking over most roles that were initially held by their conventional counterparts. Those who have tried using them swear not to ever go back to the traditional options, and they have a point. The following are the 6 critical reasons why smart batteries are winning.
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A Very High Energy Efficiency
The manufacturers of smart batteries employ more advanced methods in bringing the batteries to life. They use special materials that champion efficiency and ensure high levels of safety. A good number of smart batteries use Lithium Phosphate(LiFePO4/LP) technology to achieve the needed efficiency and reliability.
The LP material boasts incredible energy density, allowing smart batteries to pack more energy in small spaces. Smart batteries are, therefore, much smaller in size yet still very powerful and reliable in various operations. This is the reason you find these batteries in small devices such as modern-day smartphones, computers, energy storage systems, and Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) systems, just to mention a few.
So, now you shouldn't be surprised to see smartphones and laptops getting slimmer with newer models. Other vital electrical devices, such as handheld torches, have also gotten pretty smaller in size, and all these are possible due to smart batteries’ high energy density and performance.
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Flexible Design
The design flexibility is another major winning point of smart batteries, as it's what most users are looking for today. Imagine using a battery pack that does not let you do any modifications to suit your specific needs. You can't add or remove anything but just struggle with it the way it is, simply because the manufacturer did not figure that out in the design process.
Smart batteries address the flexibility issue quite differently, in that you can use the battery the way you want. For instance, a smart battery pack allows users to add more cells seamlessly in case they require more power and storage. Similarly, you can scale down a smart battery at will should such a need arise, and this is something impossible with conventional batteries.
Apart from operational flexibility, smart batteries also boast a remarkable physical flexibility. The modular design makes it seamless to arrange the cells in a way that's optimal as per the available space. So, smart batteries let you forget about things like limited or irregularly shaped spaces because everything is feasible, and this is why you see them becoming the new normal in most applications.
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Software Integration
Everything in the world today is shifting from analogue to digital technology, and the battery manufacturers aren't taking anything for granted. For decades, it hasn’t been easy to know what happens with your battery unless you’re next to it. Unfortunately, even if you’re near, you still can’t figure out what is going on unless you are an expert and have the necessary tools to do so.
On the contrary, things have rapidly changed lately with the emergence of batteries using smart technology. Smart batteries support software integration, which allows remote monitoring and control. This means you can check and assess the health of your smart battery remotely via your smartphone. Most importantly, the software simplifies the task, making the need for expertise or tools unnecessary.
Through the smart battery's onboard software, you can control things like energy consumption, monitor the state of charge or depth of discharge, and then take any desired actions from wherever you are with just a few clicks of a button. This is another valid reason as to why smart battery adoption is continuously on the rise in the highly computerized and modern business ecosystem.
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Automation
Automation is a key defining factor of smart battery technology, and its benefits are unparalleled. In the past and even today, conventional battery packs do not have built-in Battery Management Systems. One has to buy a separate BMS unit, and that approach calls for more resources and paves the way for a complex and costly installation. While some modern renewable energy components, such as inverters, come integrated with a BMS, you still have to spend more to acquire them, and that's where smart batteries kick in.
Businesses and organizations in various sectors are quickly adopting smart batteries to take advantage of their automation. This, in turn, prevents costly damages and finally minimizes potential losses. But how do these batteries achieve all these? Well, it's all about software integration.
BMI Mechanisms And AI Models
Smart battery units come with advanced BMS mechanisms that automatically monitor critical battery parameters such as the State of Charge(SoC), Depth of Discharge(DoD), charging current & voltage, battery temperature, and then take appropriate corrective measures. This means that things like overcharging or excess discharge are no longer a threat to your energy systems as long as you're using a smart battery.
Some battery manufacturers go the extra mile to integrate their smart batteries with AI models. With the models in action, smart battery units can do even the unthinkable things, such as predicting potential errors early enough to avoid damage and inconveniences. But that's not all, smart batteries can assess your energy consumption and implement measures that minimize wastage and encourage overall efficiency.
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Environmental Conservation
The need to conserve our environment and nature is no longer a choice but a goal the whole world is looking forward to achieving. Most of the technologies around smart batteries strive to address the problems of environmental degradation, and this adequately explains the constant, speedy growth in their adoption.
One way smart batteries help in conserving the environment is by lowering a user's carbon footprint, particularly in hybrid integrations with the main grid. This implies that a smart battery provides you with only the amount of energy your home requires, and supplies the excess to the grid, curbing wastage and earning you income in return.
The other thing to look at is the nature of the materials used in manufacturing smart batteries. Well, as we've already stated at the beginning of this post, Lithium Phosphate (LP) technology dominates smart battery manufacturing. LP is environmentally friendly as it degrades quickly in case it finds its way into our natural systems.
Lithium Phosphate also possesses stable physical and chemical properties, thus giving smart batteries extended lifespans and reducing their chances of being dumped into our natural surroundings.
What's the Best Smart Battery?
Like any other battery, smart batteries are available in various designs with different specifications. You should also note that each design is optimized to perform desired functions. Therefore, the best smart battery is the one that perfectly meets your demands.
Here are the key considerations when selecting a smart battery.
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The Intended Purpose - You can't go wrong when picking a smart battery if you assess the intended purpose upfront. As a good buyer, you want to know whether you'll be using your smart battery for indoor or outdoor activities. You also want to know whether your operations are going to be mobile or stationed at one spot.
Experience has revealed that relatively smaller battery packs are ideal for mobile use because they're portable. On the other hand, there aren't so many size restrictions if you intend to use your smart battery indoors because portability doesn't matter so much.
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The Expected Maximum Load - The total load of your appliances is another crucial consideration when choosing a smart battery. If you pick a smart battery whose capacity is less than your total load, then your operations won't last because the battery pack will quickly run out of energy.
So, we recommend you first identify all the appliances you plan to operate and then sum up their power ratings (watts) to get the total expected load. Once with this information at hand, you can proceed to pick the smart battery that matches your requirements.
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Existing Energy Infrastructure - The existing energy infrastructure can cause compatibility issues unless you examine it before selecting a smart battery. For example, the voltage and current parameters of the battery you intend to purchase should match those of the available charging source. Don't be that person who first brings a new component home only to realize that it cannot integrate successfully with the existing energy infrastructure.
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Scalability - It's better to remember that you may need more energy in the future, therefore, the smart battery design you're going for should be one that's modular. This means you can always add more cells, depending on your power demands, or remove some when you no longer need them. A modular design is ideal because it can address scalability much better than any other smart battery options available.
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The Underlying Battery Chemistry - While most smart batteries are based on the lithium-iron or lithium-phosphate technology, it's vital to note that some are running on other, relatively less efficient battery chemistries. So, to succeed, you want to ensure that your ideal smart battery uses lithium phosphate or lithium iron for excellent and sustainable performance.
The Bottom Line
The use of smart batteries is one of the fastest emerging trends globally, and there are many reasons behind it. People in most sectors are transitioning from the traditional solutions to the smart ones because they prefer automation. They want a battery that can regulate itself and integrate easily with other platforms.
The other interesting thing about smart batteries is their modular configuration, which makes them more scalable and suitable for various uses. Additionally, smart batteries are safer, more durable, and environmentally friendlier than their conventional counterparts. Now, it makes sense that smart batteries are more dominant than ever.
