5 Reasons Why 48V is better than a 12V Battery

When setting up an off-grid solar power system, one of the key decisions you’ll need to make is choosing the right battery voltage.

Common voltages are: 12V, 24V, and 48V

48V system offers several advantages over a 12V or 24V system. In this article, we’ll explore why a 48V system is a better choice.

Advantages of using a 48V battery over a 12V battery

1. More Energy Efficient

One of the main benefits of a 48V system is its increased energy efficiency. Higher voltage systems experience lower energy losses in the form of heat due to reduced current flow.

With a 48V system, the current is one-fourth that of a 12V system, which significantly reduces energy loss. This means you’ll get more out of your solar panels and batteries, making your system more efficient overall.

• The voltage drop in your system will be reduced.
• The conversion from your solar panels to the battery is more efficient.
• The conversion from 48VDC to 110AC or 230VAC is more efficient.
• There will be less heat generated in the system due the lower current.

2. Smaller cable size and reduced wiring costs

A higher voltage system requires less current to deliver the same power. This means you can use smaller, less expensive cables for your 48V system than a 12V system.

1000W inverter / 12V = 83A

1000W inverter / 48V = 21A

Smaller cables are not only cheaper but also easier to install and maintain. By reducing the size and cost of the cables, you’ll save money on wiring and installation.

3. Greater system scalability

A 48V system offers better scalability, allowing you to expand your off-grid solar power system more easily. As your energy needs grow, you can add more solar panels and batteries to your 48V system without significant upgrades.

A 12V system, on the other hand, may require more substantial changes to accommodate increased power demands like large cables and larger batteries.

4. Improved battery life

Higher voltage systems are generally easier on batteries, as they draw less current. A lower current draw means that your batteries will discharge more slowly, which can help extend their lifespan.

In the long run, this can result in cost savings, as you’ll need to replace your batteries less often.

500W load on a 12V, 100Ah lithium battery: 41.6A

500W load on a 48V, 100Ah lithium battery: 10.4A

5. Cheaper Charge Controller

If the voltage increases, the current will decrease. Let’s explain this with an example.

If you have 500Watts of solar panels and a 12V battery:

500W/13V=38A

You need a 40A charge controller to charge your batteries. Now if we take a look at a 48V system and the same solar panels:

500W/52V=9.6A

We can see that we only need a 10A charge controller. Using a 48V battery system is going to be much cheaper. A lithium server rack battery will give you 5kw of energy. You can also stack these to have more power available.

Conclusion

A 48V battery offers several advantages over a 12V battery, including increased energy efficiency, reduced wiring costs, better scalability, improved battery life, and compatibility with modern appliances.

While a 12V system might be suitable for small-scale, basic applications, a 48V system is a smarter choice for most off-grid solar setups, providing better performance and adaptability for future expansion.

Read more: How many batteries do you need to go off-grid?

Nick Seghers

I’m an off-grid enthusiast. I created this website to give clear and straight-to-the-point advice about solar power. I’m also the author of the book ‘Off-grid solar power simplified‘. Read more about me on my about page, check out my Youtube channel, or send me a message.