How it works
Engineering at its finest
The ELVO battery is engineered for longevity, featuring a compact design and an integrated solar charger that allows for direct connection to solar panels.
It includes a fully integrated battery management and solar charging system.
Utilising advanced Lithium Ferric Phosphate (LiFePO4) cells, the battery prioritizes safety and peace of mind.
Enhanced by sophisticated internal software, the system is capable of delivering over 8,000 full charge-discharge cycles over the estimated 20-year life span of the battery.
To facilitate this long-life characteristic, we use a microprocessor-based system. This prevents over-discharge, overcharge, overheating, or freezing damage. It also ‘balances’ the cells when charging so the cells are all charged to the same stored energy.
We also limit the output from the battery specification to 4 amps max. This is to prevent overheating of the cells, a major contributor to lifespan shortening.
A straightforward “battery fuel gauge” with four LEDs provides a clear indication of the remaining charge.
A major design feature is the ultralow standby current draw. When not being used, the battery ‘sleeps’ with a typical current draw of 40 microamps. This is 500 to 1,000 times lower than many battery chargers. This means the battery can tolerate a much longer time not being charged.
If the battery experiences sub-zero temperatures, the battery will continue to provide output power with little loss of energy, it is quite capable of output power down to -30ºC.
BUT like many chemistries, it cannot be allowed to charge below freezing or the cells can be destroyed. So, our clever engineers have devised a way to manage this.
The cells are heated from solar energy until they are above freezing at which point they will safely start to recharge. This is a unique feature in this sized battery.
Battery Display and Label
The label on the side is also the user interface.
To preserve battery life, the battery fuel gauge will display when the test button is pressed for 4 to 6 second. Simple 25%, 50%, 75% and 100% state of charge display with 4 LEDs
Battery charging light comes on when solar charging
Additional Features
- Operating voltage is safe for DIY at a maximum of 22 volts DC
- All components are plug-in
- The battery can be mounted in any orientation using the 2 x mounting holes on the flanges
