The potential of Li-ion batteries in ECOWAS solar home systems

Lead-acid batteries commonly installed in solar home systems have a short lifespan. In rural areas of developing countries, this may leave systems non-functional because of the lack of service or financial limitations to acquire a new battery. Lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries present revolutionary attributes, as longer lifespan, higher energy and power densities, as well as better tolerance to external parameters. In this paper we present the potential of Li-ion batteries to be an ideal substitution of lead-acid batteries in off-grid rural solar home systems. We defend that the mass production of Li-ion cells, to respond to industrial demand, particularly from the electric automobile industry, will benefit renewable energy and especially small size solar home systems. The electric automobile is one of the driving forces of Li-ion industry. It will indirectly allow rural zones of developing countries to access electricity at a lower cost to replace inefficient and harmful candles and kerosene lamps. Through the prototypes, built and presented in this study, we show that Li-ion battery packs when assembled locally, in developing countries, could be more affordable and contribute to a form of technological emergence. We present the case study of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).