What are the Types of Batteries?

A Battery is a chemical device that stores electrical energy in the form of chemicals and by means of electrochemical reaction, it converts the stored chemical energy into direct current (DC) electric energy.

Batteries power much of our lives. They’re behind our personal electronics—phones, laptops, and hearing aids—our cars, and our power tools. But they’re also essential for the large-scale storage of electricity to support the grid, and for storing the power generated by renewable sources.

There are three primary battery types available are-

Lead-acid batteries

Lithium-ion batteries

Lithium Iron Phosphate Battery (LiFePO4 battery)

Lead-acid batteries
As the name implies, these batteries have some lead in them. In fact, both electrodes (the conductors through which electricity enters or leaves the battery) contain some lead—the anode (positively charged electrode) is made of lead metal (Pb) and the cathode (the negatively charged electrode) is lead dioxide (PbO2).

It consists of lead acid which is very cheap and seen primarily on cars and vehicles to power the lighting systems in it. These are preferable in the products where the size/space and weight don’t matter. These come with the nominal voltage starting from 2V to24V.

Applications: Used in cars, UPS (uninterrupted Power Supply), robotics, heavy machinery, Solar Street Light, etc...

Its types are –

Gel Batteries: Gels are the king of sealed deep cycle batteries. They are ideal in applications where a constant current is required, i.e.: caravans, RVs, boats, and solar systems.

Sealed Batteries: Commonly known as VRLA (Valve Regulated Lead Acid) or SLA (Sealed Lead Acid) batteries are flat plate batteries that do not require topping-up and normally do not emit any fumes or gases on a continuous basis.

Tubular Battery- A tubular battery is a lead-acid battery that is generally big in size when compared to a flat plate battery. These best inverter batteries are suited for areas with long and fewer power cuts like a tier 2 or tier 3 city or city outskirts.

Lithium-ion batteries ( Li-ion batteries)

These are made up of Lithium metal and are the latest in rechargeable technology. As these are compact in size they can be used in most portable applications which need high power specifications. It has the best rechargeable batteries available. These batteries have a nominal voltage of 3.7V (most commonly we have 3.6V and 7.2V) and have various ranges of power capacity (starting from 100s of mAh to 1000s of mAh). 

Applications: Mobile phones, laptop computers, and digital cameras

Lithium Iron Phosphate Battery (LiFePO4 battery)
The Lithium Iron Phosphate Battery (LiFePO4 battery) or LFP battery (lithium Ferro phosphate), is a type of lithium-ion battery using LiFePO4 as the cathode material, and a graphitic carbon electrode with a metallic backing as the anode. Because of the low cost, low toxicity, well-defined performance, long-term stability, etc. LiFePO4 battery is finding a number of roles in-vehicle use, utility-scale stationary applications, and backup power.

It is a huge improvement over lead acid in weight, capacity, and shelf life. The LiFePO4 batteries are the safest type of Lithium batteries as they will not overheat, and even if punctured they will not catch on fire.



Flat Battery- These are some of the best inverter batteries with a faster rate of charging and need lesser time to charge. The All in one solar street light has an in-built LiFePO4 battery, and can even work in cloudy weather as well. 

Brick Battery- A brick battery is generally big in size when compared to a flat plate battery. These best inverter batteries are suited for areas with long and fewer power cuts like a tier 2 or tier 3 city or city outskirts.

Applications: Flashlights, radio-controlled models, portable motor-driven equipment, amateur radio equipment, industrial sensor systems, and emergency lighting.

Features of LiFePO4 battery, Li-ion battery, Lead-acid battery

The Standalone and Two In One solar street lights use lead-acid batteries, and the integrated solar street lamps use lithium batteries. Lithium battery charge and discharge times are 3 times of lead-acid batteries so that the lithium battery has a longer life span.