Lithium energy for the home: a guide to making the right choice

More and more households are turning to lithium batteries to reduce their energy costs. But how do you choose the right solution for your needs? To make the right choice, it’s essential to ask yourself the right questions.

Is your goaltotal autonomy, or simply lower electricity bills? The cost of the installation will depend on how often you use the system (daily or occasionally), and on the appliances you wish to power.

A garden shed, garden cottage or chalet can be powered by a lithium battery. To determine the size of the battery, you first need to list your equipment and its use.

• Identify your needs. Separate appliances that use electricity all the time (such as a water pump or outdoor lighting) from those that are used only occasionally (cordless drill, electric lawnmower).
• Calculate your consumption.
  • For permanent consumption: estimate the daily consumption in watts (W) or kilowatts (kW) of appliances that remain plugged in. The electricity supplied (by solar panels, for example) should at least cover this daily consumption.
  • For occasional use: the calculation is based on time of use. For example, for a drill, consumption is estimated on the basis of its usage time (short) and charging time (around 4 hours).
• Adjust your equipment. To reduce your battery consumption, choose appliances that consume less energy. For example, opt for a water pump with the right wattage for your needs, and low-energy LED lighting.

To sum up: Isolate the most power-hungry items and size your battery according to the monthly consumption of the equipment you use most often.

A house needs much more energy than a garden shed. Before choosing your batteries, the first step is to reduce your consumption. This is the simplest and most effective way of reducing the cost of installation.

• Reduce your energy consumption. A household’s biggest energy expenses are heating and water heating. Consider more economical solutions such as a fireplace, a heat pump or a solar water heater.
• Define your needs. Once you’ve solved the question of heating and hot water, you can concentrate on other appliances. List the equipment you use on a daily basis (refrigerator, TV, lighting) and those that consume occasionally but heavily (oven, hairdryer, vacuum cleaner).

In short: By solving the consumption problems associated with heating and hot water first, the choice and cost of a lithium battery installation becomes more affordable and more relevant to your home.

Equipping your home with lithium batteries to recharge your electric or hybrid vehicle can be an excellent way to save on energy costs.

• Define your needs.
  • First, identify the type of vehicle: a plug-in hybrid requires less power than a 100% electric vehicle.
  • Calculate the number of kilometers you ride daily or weekly. This data is essential for determining the battery capacity you need.
• Adjust your installation. To reduce the initial cost, opt for a battery system tailored to your real needs, and recharge as soon as your batteries are full.

In a nutshell: Recharging your vehicle with a battery system and renewable energy allows you to achieve energy autonomy. Calculate your needs precisely to get the best return on your investment.

To help you estimate your needs, here are some indicative figures:

• 5 kWh: the minimum required for a home.
• 10 to 20 kWh: ideal for total autonomy.
• 3 kWh: sufficient for an electric car.
• 5 kWh: suitable for an autonomous garden.

At Pro Lithium, we help you assess your needs with our estimating tool. Our team of enthusiasts is on hand to help you with your project.