Can lithium batteries be used in an outdoor telecom or roadside cabinet in Australia?
es, and lithium is often the better choice, but the cabinet’s thermal design, not the battery’s datasheet, decides whether it works.
VRLA loses roughly half its life expectancy for every 10 °C of sustained temperature above 20 °C, which is why a long-design-life VRLA becomes a short-lived consumable in a sun-loaded enclosure. LiFePOâ‚„ does not degrade on that curve. In a 40 °C-plus cabinet, lithium’s whole-of-life cost advantage is at its largest, and it is the reason Australian road authorities have increasingly specified LiFePOâ‚„ for roadside critical infrastructure.
Three things must be right:
- A maximum internal temperature. Industry standards require cabinets to hold internal temperature no higher than 50 °C, achieved with double-skinned construction, ventilation slots, thermostatically controlled fans, and white heat-reflective paint. SOLiCORE’s discharge range extends to 60 °C, but charging stops at 55 °C.
- A minimum internal temperature. Standards also require a minimum of 0 °C with a thermostatically controlled heater. This prevents charge inhibition at sub-zero temperatures and maintains battery responsiveness in alpine and high-altitude regions.
- A charge regime the BMS accepts, and coordination between the BMS cut-off and any plant-level low-voltage disconnect.
For any lithium installation inside an occupied structure, assume the fire engineering will be examined. Plan accordingly.