Learning the price of various solar batteries on the market can actually be hard data to come by.
One reason for that could likely be due to the sheer about of battery types/sizes available to you.
Nevertheless, with their growing popularity, solar batteries are becoming more and more important for homeowners looking to take their home off-grid or for those simply looking to store any captured solar energy.
In this article we aim to breakdown the expected cost of various solar battery types and their sizes.
What Are Solar Batteries and How Do They Work?
Unlike regular batteries used in remote controls or other household appliances, solar batteries are designed to capture & store electricity generated by solar panels.
Because of this, solar batteries tend to be much bigger, not only in size, but also in their capacity to store electricity.
How solar batteries work all depends on their chemistry makeup. Today, the most popular type of solar battery tends to be the lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4) battery. This is also the type of battery chemistry Bluetti uses in their own portable power stations.
LiFePO4 technology works like this:
These type of batteries are made of these 8 essential components:
| Positive electrode (cathode) | Lithium metal oxide (LiFePo4) |
| Negative electrode (anode) | Graphite |
| Electrolyte | Lithium salt |
| Separator | Polymer membrane |
Please note that all lithium-ion batteries (LiCoO2, LiMn2O4, NMC…) share the same characteristics. However, they differ by the lithium oxide at the cathode.
Without going into too much detail, here is a basic illustration on how a LiFePO4 battery charges and discharges:
Factors that Affect Solar Battery Cost
Generally, the factor that impacts the cost of solar batteries the most is the following:
- Type of technology
- Size
- Application
Type of technology
One of the biggest price indicators is the type of battery you are dealing with. Different types of batteries require different chemistry makeups, some of the elements needed to create this chemistry are harder to source and thus cost more to produce.
Size
Size goes hand in hand with the technology type. Now that you know what type of technology you need, the more of it you require the higher the cost. Pretty much the same with most commercial products, the bigger they are, the more they cost.
Application
Lastly, the application. Batteries in their purest form (often individual cells) cost the cheapest. However, they will require more work in order to become useable. Bluetti battery packs for example are ready to use from the time you buy them and thus this reflects in their price.
How Much Do Solar Batteries Cost?
This is actually very hard data to come by, but thanks to climatebiz.com, we are able to supply you with some accurate data:
Average Cost Of Lithium-Iron Batteries (LiFePo4)
| Manufacturer | Battery Size (Ah) | Voltage | Average Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Renogy | 50 Ah | 12V | $529.99 |
| Battle Born | 50 Ah | 12V | $535.00 |
| Ampere Time | 50 Ah | 12V | $396.47 |
| AIMS Power | 50 Ah | 12V | $389.00 |
| Canbat | 50 Ah | 12V | $433,25 |
| Renogy | 100 Ah | 12V | $816.65 |
| Battle Born | 100 Ah | 12V | $1049.00 |
| Ampere Time | 100 Ah | 12V | $529.99 |
| AIMS Power | 100 Ah | 12V | $649.00 |
| Canbat | 100 Ah | 12V | $1052.21 |
| Renogy | 200 Ah | 12V | $1,299.99 |
| Relion | 200 Ah | 12V | $1,996.95 |
| Ampere Time | 200 Ah | 12V | $913.32 |
| AIMS Power | 200 Ah | 12V | $1270.00 |
| Canbat | 200 Ah | 12V | $1815.06 |
| Battle Born | 300 Ah | 12V | $2900.00 |
| Ampere Time | 300 Ah | 12V | $1139.95 |
| Relion | 300 Ah | 12V | $2914.95 |
| Kilovault | 300 Ah | 12V | $2600.00 |
| Canbat | 300 Ah | 12V | $2446.39 |
Average Cost Of AGM Batteries
| Manufacturer | Battery Size (Ah) | Voltage | Average Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Concorde Battery | 50 Ah | 12V | $230.00 |
| MK/Deka Batteries | 50 Ah | 12V | $262.50 |
| Canbat | 50 Ah | 12V | $145.99 |
| Renogy | 100 Ah | 12V | $285.32 |
| MK/Deka Batteries | 100 Ah | 12V | $385.00 |
| Concorde Battery | 100 Ah | 12V | $430.00 |
| Trojan | 100 Ah | 12V | $460.00 |
| Canbat | 100 Ah | 12V | $346.83 |
| Renogy | 200 Ah | 12V | $439.99 |
| Outback Power | 200 Ah | 12V | $832.50 |
| MK/Deka Batteries | 200 Ah | 12V | $845.00 |
| Trojan | 200 Ah | 12V | $855.00 |
| Concorde Battery | 200 Ah | 12V | $970.00 |
Average Cost Of GEL Batteries
| Manufacturer | Battery Size (Ah) | Voltage | Average Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Renogy | 100 Ah | 12V | $376.65 |
| MK/Deka Batteries | 100 Ah | 12V | $398.33 |
| Trojan | 100 Ah | 12V | $536.66 |
| Canbat | 100 Ah | 12V | $525,88 |
| MK/Deka Batteries | 200 Ah | 12V | $960.00 |
| Trojan | 200 Ah | 12V | $1,190.00 |
| Future Solar | 200 Ah | 12V | $1,400.00 |
Do I Need a Battery for My Solar Panels?
Batteries for solar panels are not 100% necessary, you can have a full blown solar system without any batteries.
The only time you need batteries is if you want to either store any excess electricity generated by your panels, or if you want to take your home completely off-grid and rely solely on your own generated electricity.
So solar battery implementation is on a case-by-case scenario, unique to your situation.
Another option for solar storage could be solar generators, these act as mobile energy storage units making "off-grid" camping trips more accessible.
Final Thoughts
We hope after reading this article you have a better indicator of what a solar battery will cost you.
Important points to consider is the type of battery you are interested in and the size, both these points will affect the price point quite drastically.
If you are interested in some of the solar batteries we supply, check out our B300 and B230.
