Lithium-Ion vs. Lead Acid Batteries: Which is More Environmentally Friendly?

Several ways can be used in determining whether a product is eco-friendly or not. Li-ion batteries do not have dangerous materials, whereas lead-acid batteries contain such dangerous substances like lead. The two types of cells can be recycled though as of now it is the lead-acid batteries that are being recycled on a larger scale globally. However, considering the effect of these batteries on the environment and the amount of carbon produced should be essential than their lifespan. The frequent use of carbon materials leads to its accumulation; hence the following factors should always be put into consideration:

• The extraction of raw materials
• Its ability to be recycled and the impact on the environment when disposed
• The working energy to keep the batteries cool and charged
• The power to be produced and transported

Comparison between the Lead-acid batteries and Lithium-ion batteries

The functional losses inherent in keeping the batteries charged are the dominant factors keeping the carbon footprint of the battery UPS and its battery system more than 10-year lifespan. However, there isn’t any large gap in dealing with the losses between the two battery systems, it will depend on the actual usage.

Lithium-ion batteries need less energy to be charged as compared to Lead-acid batteries. The charging cycle for lithium batteries is 90% efficient to that of lead-acid battery which is between 80-85%. Furthermore, lead-acid batteries undergo self-discharge at higher rates as compared to the Lithium-ion. However, the lithium-ion batteries need to have the battery management systems to protect them from overcharging and short circuits. The monitoring system consumes a lot of energy, making the total operating cost (in terms of the energy consumed) of the two batteries to be the same.

Besides looking at the dominant factor which determines a 15-year carbon footprint, other factors must also be put into consideration. For instance, lithium-ion batteries contain landfill-safe components that are also recyclable and have a longer lifespan of 3 times that of lead-acid batteries. It can, therefore, be concluded that the lithium-ion batteries are environmentally friendlier than lead-acid batteries.

It should also be noted that the rate at which lead is recycled from lead-acid batteries is 99%. Much of these batteries being collected in Europe, Japan and North America regions are accounting for 90% of cells being obtained. The recycling of lithium-ion batteries is much lower, especially the bigger ones like those used in data center UPS systems and electric vehicles.

Since nearly all electric vehicle (“EV”) makers are using Li-Ion batteries in their vehicles, it is reasonable to expect that companies like Nikola Corporation (NASDAQ: NKLA) are working with their partners to make EV batteries even more eco-friendly.

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