Lithium-ion battery life

Solar photovoltaic (PV) Energy Storage Systems (ESS)

What does battery life really mean?

There are two distinct, but inter-related ways that are used to
measure the life of lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries deployed in
ESS applications for solar photovoltaic (PV) installations
calendar life and cycle life. Both are important.

Cycle life is expressed in terms of the number of charge and

discharge cycles that can be achieved depending to what level
the battery is discharged its depth of discharge or DOD.
It is influenced by both the DOD and the charging rate.

Cycle life at + 25C/+ 77F

Calendar life is simply how long the battery might be expected

to last in terms of calendar years. It is independent of how
much the battery is charged and discharged. But it is influenced
by the state of charge (SOC), which reflects how much charge is
kept in the battery, and its operating temperature.
Expected life for VL Li-ion cells according to temperature
(EOL for capacity loss of 20%)

Number of cycles
10 000 000

1 000 000

100 000

10 000

Expected life (years)

20

1 000

18
16

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80
90
100
Depth of discharge (%)

Energy applications 70% capacity at EOL

14
12
10
8
6

When does a Li-ion battery reach

its end of life (EOL)?

4
2
0
20

30

SOC 100%

40

50

SOC 75%

60
70
Temperature (C)

SOC 50%

In contrast to other battery technologies, such as lead-acid

batteries, Li-ion batteries do not suffer from sudden-death
failure. Instead they exhibit a gradual decrease in performance
over their service life. So their end of life (EOL) is defined either
by a reduction in initial capacity (typically 20 to 30%) or increase
in impedance which is important for power applications. It is
important to remember that a Li-ion battery is not dead at its
EOL, it has simply reached a pre-defined measure of ageing.

Saft Li-ion batteries lifetime tests

in real-world PV applications

Saft VL Li-ion batteries outperform

the competition

The Sol-ion project saw Li-ion batteries deployed for energy

storage in PV systems on the largest scale in Europe to date.
This provided the opportunity for Safts Li-ion battery to be
tested by independent research institutes(1) in different charge
and discharge cycle profiles.
A key test focused on the realistic representation of the very
complex and random cycling experienced in a PV application, with
micro-cycles due to PV intermittency superimposed on macrocycles due to energy demand shifting between day and evening.

Tests carried out against other types of Li-ion battery show

that Safts VL Li-ion battery technology is superior in both
calendar life and cycle life.

Calendar life time

Residual capacity
110%
100%

90%

Cycle profile defined for testing

80%

SOC (%)

Combined cycles

100

End of life criteria

Further usable area

70%

90
80

60%
200

400

600

800

60

1.000
Times / Days

50

Saft Li-ion : 55C, 85% SOC

Li-ion type 1 : 50C, 50% SOC

40

Li-ion type 2 : 50C, 50% SOC

Li-ion type 3 : 50C, 50% SOC

30

Source: ISEA/RWTH/Bosch

20
10
0
0

60

120

180

240

300

360

420

420

420

420

420
720
Time (min)

Test Conditions:
Temperature = 40 C
Charging current: 0.5 C (20.5 A)
Discharge current: 1 C (41 A)

Calendar life testing is usually carried out at higher temperatures

in order to achieve meaningful results in a shorter time frame.
In this case, one year calendar life time at 50C corresponds
to approximately 5.6 years at 25C.

Cycling life time

Influence of the cycle depth on Safts battery system
Relative capacity

Combined cycles

Macrocycles

Residual capacity
110%
100%

1,05

90%

1,00
0,95

80%

0,90

70%

End of life criteria

Further usable area

0,85

60%
0

0,80

2.000

4.000

6.000
Equivalent full cycles

Saft Li-ion : 35C, 60% DOD

0,75
0

1000

2000

3000

4000

5000
6000
7000
Equivalent full cycle (#)

Li-ion type 1 : 40C, 100% DOD

Li-ion type 2 : 35C, 100% DOD

Source: ISEA/RWTH/Bosch
The tests showed that Safts battery had a capacity loss of only 20% after the equivalent
of 6000 full cycles (1 full cycle = 100% of battery energy charged and discharged)

(1) All tests conducted by Institut fr Stromrichtertechnik und Elektrische Antriebe

(ISEA) at RWTH Aachen, Germany.

There are considerable differences in the cycle life offered by

the various types of Li-ion cell commercially available for PV
applications. The Saft battery maintains its high capacity,
even after more than 6,000 charge/discharge cycles.

Battery life time predictions based on 20

years of practical and experimental evidence
Saft

12, rue Sadi Carnot

93170 Bagnolet - France
Tel. : +33 1 49 93 19 18
Fax : +33 1 49 93 19 64
www.saftbatteries.com

The battery life time information presented here draws on Safts

20 years broad experience in R&D, technology development
and industrialization of Li-ion chemistry. Combined with Safts
capabilities in long term lab-testing, characterization and
modeling, this ensures the complete accuracy and reliability
of the system life time and performance projections.

Saft Document N 21893-2-0514 Edition: May 2014 Data in this document is subject to change without notice and becomes contractual only after written confirmation. Photo credits: Fotolia R299/A

70