LEARN
ABOUT RECHARGEABLE BATTERIES for SOLAR
LIGHTING
Currently
Firefly Magic® Firefly Lights supply
only Nickel Cadmium (Ni-Cd) batteries
in Solar Powered lighting products
rather than the newer Nickel Metal
Hydride (NiMH) rechargeable batteries,
and here's why . . .
We receive
questions about this as NI-Cd batteries
are becoming more difficult to source,
and they are considered less "environmentally
friendly" due to a very small amount
of Cadmium sealed inside.
Because of
this, Ni-Cd batteries should always be
recycled, or disposed of at special waste
centers that accept products like fluorescent
lights, computer monitors, and old cell
phones.
 So
why are we still using them? Simply put,
Ni-Cd batteries are far more reliable
than NiMH batteries in the harsh outdoor
environments where Solar Lighting is
typically installed.
Whether its
in an Arizona desert landscape where
battery temperatures can reach 140°F
in the summer, or below 0°F in the
Canadian winter, Ni-Cd batteries have
proven to work consistently better than
NiMH batteries, and they typically can
last for two years or longer.
On the other
hand, NiMH batteries have developed a
very bad reputation for reliability in
outdoor lighting products. NiMH rechargeable
batteries sometimes last only a month
or two in hot and cold weather conditions.
In addition, NiMH batteries are not designed
for the very low trickle charging that
outdoor lighting solar panels typically
provide.
We're always
concerned about our customers and the
environment and we know that if recycled
correctly, Ni-Cd batteries do not pose
a threat to either.
To further
explain the differences between the two
battery types, please review the chart
below:
| |
Nickel
Cadmium
(Ni-Cd)
(Used
in Firefly Magic® products)
|
Nickel
Metal Hydride
(NiMH)
|
PROS
|
- Reliable
and Stable
- Resists abuse
- Can have high discharge rates
- Can be used over wide temperature range of -20C to
+60C reliably
- Excellent for 'trickle charge' from low voltage solar
cells
|
- Higher energy
density than Ni-Cd
|
CONS
|
- Cadmium
that's sealed inside the battery
is not considered 'environmentally
friendly requiring batteries to be
recycled
|
-
Poor low temperature performance & can
be damaged if charged in sub-zero
temperatures
- Poor high temperatures performance as charging efficiency
drops to 25% when hot
- Low cycle life
- Can require new charger or upgrade
- Higher internal resistance causing more rapid voltage
drop
- Higg self discharge rate (while stored)
- Poor 'trickle charge' characteristics
|
Four
(4) AA - Ni-Cd Solar Rechargeable Batteries
- 600mah
-----------------------------------------------
For
pricing and purchase information, Click
Here.
|
