In case of a power outage, an emergency light turns on automatically and keeps the place illuminated allowing people to see clearly and move properly by avoiding obstacles. It’s a built-in battery that allows emergency light with battery backup to operate a light.
Usually, large buildings have Emergency Backup Lighting in place as it has become a standard in commercial residential buildings.
But having a lighting system isn’t enough, you need to understand the battery used in the system and your requirement. Whether the battery used in the system serves well to your need or not.
There are many emergency lighting battery packs to choose for emergency lighting system so, here is some information on commonly used battery type which will help you make a good investment on better battery.
Nickel-Cadmium Batteries
Nickel-cadmium batteries can withstand high discharge rates with minimal damage or loss of capacity which makes them great for demanding uses.
As there is always a good and bad side of anything, likewise Nickel-cadmium batteries can’t perform well in term of storage as lead-acid batteries. It self-discharge at a faster rate in storage and if it reaches to deep discharge it will damage the battery shortening its life. so, you need to semi-regularly charge the batteries to avoid deep discharge.
But again, if you follow the instructions written on the packaging and take proper care nickel-cadmium battery will last for 10 to 15 years or 500 to 1000 charge cycles.
Nickel-Metal Hydride Batteries
Similar to nickel-cadmium batteries, Nickel-metal hydride batteries energy density approaches that of a lithium-ion cell battery which makes them great for high current drain applications.
Like nickel-cadmium batteries, its lifespan is around 500 to 1000 charge cycles and also don’t do well in case of storage. They can lose up to 4% of their charge per day and needs to be recharged periodically.
Fortunately, you can get LSD nickel-metal hydride to deal with its self-discharge. The LSD version also helps to store your battery for long periods
Here is some tip for you, whether it’s nickel-cadmium batteries or nickel-metal hydride batteries, they should never be charged in freezing temperatures always try to avoid temperature extremes while charging.
Lithium-ion (Li-Ion) battery
Lithium-ion (Li-Ion) batteries, one of the popular sources of power which are commonly seen in electronic devices. These batteries are very lightweight and also has a high energy density which makes them a good choice for portable electronics.
The lithium-ion emergency battery pack can be the best choice for you, unlike other battery it does not require to be completely discharged before recharging and also can handle more charge/discharge cycles.
But with all the advantage, there is still some disadvantage, it has a very short life i.e. around 2 years. And if you mistakenly fully discharged them, it will damage them completely.
To improve their life, you should always be careful of higher temperatures. Make sure the temperature of the battery is not high that it degrades quickly
So, here are the pro and cons of the batteries. Now it’s your call which battery can best suit your need. I hope this article was helpful for you to make your decision on battery for an emergency lighting system.
