Battery

Why are UPS batteries lead-acid batteries?

There are several reasons why UPS (uninterruptible power supply) usually chooses lead-acid batteries instead of lithium batteries:

1.Cost effectiveness: Lead acid batteries are usually cheaper, making them more popular in cost sensitive situations. For UPS systems that require a large amount of energy storage, cost is a key consideration.

2.Technological maturity: Lead acid battery technology has been developed for over 100 years and is very mature. Its performance parameters, lifespan, and maintenance requirements are very clear, and it has extensive manufacturing and recycling infrastructure.

3.Reliability: Lead acid batteries have good reliability and provide stable power output under typical UPS usage conditions. They perform well during high load discharge in a short period of time.

4. Safety: Compared with lithium batteries, lead-acid batteries are more difficult to experience thermal runaway and fire during overcharging or overdischarging. This is crucial for UPS applications that require security measures.

5. Temperature adaptability: Lead acid batteries operate stably over a wide temperature range and have good adaptability; Lithium batteries may affect their performance and safety at extreme temperatures.

6. Easy maintenance: Traditional lead-acid batteries are relatively easy to maintain in addition to regular checks on liquid level and density; In contrast, lithium-ion systems (BMS) are more complex and require more advanced monitoring technology.

7. Convenient recycling and reuse: The copper based system recycling process is becoming increasingly mature and has a very high recovery rate; Although lithium ions can also be recycled, both the technology and cost are relatively high.     

However, in terms of energy density, weight, service life, and charging and discharging efficiency, lithium ions outperform copper based materials. With technological advancements and price reductions, lithium-ion batteries are gradually being widely used in UPS systems, especially in situations where space is limited or backup time is required. In the future, with the decrease in prices and the improvement of safety technology, lithium-ion may occupy a larger market share.