Low-voltage or high-voltage battery, how to choose wisely?

In the year 2021, AlphaESS released a new SMILE HV series in Australia. These brand-new energy storage systems use high-voltage batteries.

Why do we choose high-voltage batteries for new products? What are the differences between high-voltage and low-voltage batteries?

Firstly, the so-called low-voltage battery normally means the voltage is lower than 100V, and the high-voltage battery is higher than 100V accordingly. Considering that the DC bus voltage on PV side for residential system is normally around 300-500V, commission with a high-voltage battery is able to increase the efficiency of the entire system. For low-voltage batteries, the inverter needs to reduce the input voltage of 300-500V or even higher to below 100V. As for high-voltage batteries, certainly, the loss of the voltage conversion process will be reduced. As per the AlphaCloud data, the conversion efficiency of the Alpha SMILE series has been increased from 90% to 93%.

Moreover, the high-voltage battery stores more energy with faster charging and discharging rates comparing to the lower one. So, as you can see, the high-voltage battery with the same capacity needs less space.  

Therefore, the SMILE HV series was born. We have not only the single-phase 6kW system SMILE-HV-S6 but also the three-phase 10kW system SMILE-HV-T10. The single-phase one is also for off-grid.

Isn't there any merit in low-voltage batteries? Surely the low-voltage battery has its advantages, such as easy installation and expansion, lower prices, and more mature and stable BMS technology. That’s why AlphaESS still provides low-voltage batteries. Customers can choose whatever fit-for-purpose solutions they wish.

For more information, please visit the AlphaESS website https://www.alpha-ess.com/  or contact us via email info@alpha-ess.com.