Mastervolt, the Dutch-based pioneer and manufacturer of off-grid electrical systems, is delighted to announce that a new 12 Volt, 2.5kWh model is now available as part of the roll-out of the Ultra series of hugely successful Lithium Ion batteries.
At only half the length of its 24V big sister, the new 12V 12/2500 model weighs in at just 29kg. This is a huge weight saving compared with lead acid equivalents of 140kg for gel and 125kg for AGM. As with the rest of the improved second generation Ultra range, the 12/2500 carries the very latest developments in Mastervolt battery management systems/BMS, making the already highly efficient, deep-cycle battery vastly superior to any lead-acid alternatives.
Mastervolt was the first company to bring a full-size 24V Lithium Ion battery to market, a product
that not only made full use of the remarkable lightweight and deep-cycle properties of Lithium Ion, but also carried advanced Mastervolt electronics BMS to further enhance the battery’s efficiency and lifespan.
In 2012, after the success of the first generation, Mastervolt took the concept a stage further and added a redesigned case and new electronics to create a second generation, the Ultra series, with even greater performance. The technology is now so well proven that the Ultra 24/5000 model has been selected to power the cutting edge DC systems aboard each of the new Volvo Ocean Race yachts.
The new, compact 12/2500 will share all the attributes of the larger 5kWh versions, particularly the improvements in cell balancing. Keeping all the cells at the same level of charge is vital to extend the life of the battery, but rival products use a process called passive balancing, where overcharged cells shed their surplus energy as heat, whilst lesser-charged cells have to continue to draw from the charger. Mastervolt’s revolutionary active-cell balancing system shuttles energy from higher charged cells into lesser charged ones instead, resulting in very quick charge times and a battery life in excess of 2,000 recharge cycles at 80% depth of discharge.
Another advantage of the Ultra series is that each battery can be repeatedly discharged by 80% of its total capacity with complete impunity, compared with just 50% for lead-acid, and because of the very low mass of Lithium Ion phosphate, the power-to-weight density is just 30% of an equivalent bank of lead-acid cells.
In the past, replacing a conventional battery installation with a Lithium Ion system required additional external components, but the second generation has neatly incorporated nearly all of these into the battery itself. This has led to a simpler, safer installation that greatly reduces costs. Batteries can also be linked in series and parallel with the management systems automatically adapting.
“The 12/2500 is ideal for the owners of smaller applications who want all the advantages of a deep-cycle Lithium Ion, but with a more compact footprint, and on a 12V system,” said Daan Hobbelen, Product Manager Power Conversion & Storage. “We have distilled years of practical experience in the field to develop the Ultra range, and this new battery is a great performer. When compared with equivalent lead-acid versions, especially Li-Ion’s incredible light weight, deep-cycle ability and long service life, plus the savings in installation costs thanks to newly integrated electronics, the Ultra series represents a very cost-effective and dependable alternative.”
