A full system example from Victron. It looks intimidating at first, but if we take our time and understand the basic concepts, it’s actually quite approachable—kudos to Victron. That said, it’s our responsibility to make sure that our installation is safe and conforms to the standards for the country our boat is flagged in. And further, I would modify this system to get rid of the engine start battery alternator and charge the start battery through a DC/DC charger.
The release of the new Victron NG Smart Lithium Battery, that I wrote about a few days ago, got me musing about where we have got to with lithium batteries generally. Here’s how I see the state of play through the lens of my own experience.
I’ll fully agree with you, John, about the advantages of mature, single-vendor, fully-integrated systems often justifying their additional expense. That opinion comes from decades of experience as a software engineer. I’m also now an Apple guy, not only for employer-supplied hardware, but also for my personal needs. That approach affords me more time to concentrate on things I should instead of on endless technical distractions.
I’m not entirely with you on the maturity of the batteries themselves, however. There are still significant changes in battery technology that are in process, driven largely by the electric vehicle market. That means that enticing new batteries will continue to come out for some time, but they often won’t be able to be integrated immediately into single-vendor systems without compromises or giving up some of the advantages of those fully-integrated systems. Right now, I am thinking about the enticement of lighter, safer solid state lithium batteries like those from Solid State Marine, but I am confident that there will be more examples in the future as battery technology continues to evolve.
One last note: There’s another reason to wait a bit on the Victron NG batteries. The current Victron data sheet shows that the UL and IEC safety certifications are still pending on half of the new battery models, so it may make sense to boaters and insurers to wait until those are completed.
I’ll fully agree with you, John, about the advantages of mature, single-vendor, fully-integrated systems often justifying their additional expense. That opinion comes from decades of experience as a software engineer. I’m also now an Apple guy, not only for employer-supplied hardware, but also for my personal needs. That approach affords me more time to concentrate on things I should instead of on endless technical distractions.
I’m not entirely with you on the maturity of the batteries themselves, however. There are still significant changes in battery technology that are in process, driven largely by the electric vehicle market. That means that enticing new batteries will continue to come out for some time, but they often won’t be able to be integrated immediately into single-vendor systems without compromises or giving up some of the advantages of those fully-integrated systems. Right now, I am thinking about the enticement of lighter, safer solid state lithium batteries like those from Solid State Marine, but I am confident that there will be more examples in the future as battery technology continues to evolve.
One last note: There’s another reason to wait a bit on the Victron NG batteries. The current Victron data sheet shows that the UL and IEC safety certifications are still pending on half of the new battery models, so it may make sense to boaters and insurers to wait until those are completed.