Why Choose Lithium ion batteries for emergency products?

When choosing an emergency light fitting for a commercial and retail application, you may have come across emergency lighting using lithium batteries.

What are lithium batteries?

Lithium batteries are primary batteries that have metallic lithium as an anode. These types of batteries can also be referred to as lithium-metal batteries. They stand apart from other batteries in their high charge density (long life) and high cost per unit. Depending on the design and chemical compounds used, lithium cells can produce voltages from 1.5 V (comparable to a zinc–carbon or alkaline battery) to about 3.7 V.

With the choice of different batteries in emergency products, we look at some of the main reasons you would choose a lithium battery product over an alternative.

• Lithium batteries have a high energy density – Products which need to operate longer between charges while still consuming more power, require the higher density lithium batteries. This makes them ideal for emergency products which can go for long periods without needing to be re-charged, thus reducing the amount of maintenance required.
• The self-discharge rate of lithium batteries compared with rechargeable batteries – Compared with rechargeable batteries, lithium ion cells have a much lower discharge rate compared with cells such as Ni-Cad and NiMH forms. This means that they hold their charge longer compared to other alternatives on the market.
• The load characteristics – Lithium ion batteries provide a reasonably consistent battery output and only falls off as the last charge is used. There is no output tail off at the end of the capacity. This means that a lithium battery output doesn’t gradually reduce over time, compared to other batteries, meaning that it will provide a consistent charge right up until the end.
• The battery size and weight –  They can store up to three or four times the electrical energy of conventional batteries meaning you get far more power for the same size of battery making them ideal for smaller emergency fittings or for installation into shallow ceiling voids.

Ansell provides a range of different emergency products using lithium-ion batteries, from the Monarch bulkhead, EndLED exit sign, Signal emergency downlight to the Raven downlight, you can find the suitable emergency product for your setting and requirements. All our lithium ion emergency products come with a 5-year warranty as standard on the batteries, giving you piece of mind.