Nickel-metal hydride batteries

Hamburg, 23rd July 2018 Solar-powered applications require rechargeable batteries that will function reliably even under harsh ambient conditions. Nickel-metal hydride (Ni-MH) batteries from Panasonic provide reliable energy even at high temperatures and extended periods without sunlight; in addition to a long life, they also have a low self-discharge rate.

Panasonic’s rechargeable Ni-MH batteries are the ideal choice for solar-powered street lights, window blinds, advertising displays, buoys, parking lot lighting, and numerous other applications. Panasonic is among the market leaders in the development and production of photovoltaic modules. “Building on this experience we have continued developing our rechargeable nickel-metal hydride batteries, which are ideal for use in harsh operating conditions, since they are designed for reliable charging and discharging even at temperatures below 0°C and above 60°C”, explains Ikuo Katsumata, chief engineer at Panasonic Industry.

The U series from Panasonic comprises Ni-MH batteries that are especially suitable for use in solar-powered applications: The five models BK60AAAHU, BK120AAHU, BK1100FHU, BK220SCHU and BK310CHU have capacities from 550 - 12,000 mAh and can be used in a broad temperature range from -20 to as high as 85°C. Even at a temperature of 75°C the new Ni-MH batteries from Panasonic consistently demonstrate excellent charge characteristics. In addition, they have a low self-discharge rate. Compared to standard battery types, the life has been nearly doubled to 6-10 years. The batteries are IEC62133-certified and contain no hazardous substances such as cadmium or lead – this means they are safe, environmentally friendly and are not subject to IATA restrictions during transport.

A current example for the use of Panasonic nickel-metal hydride batteries is in GPS buoys for locating sharks off the coast of Australia. Under normal conditions the GPS buoys are powered by solar cells, and excess energy is stored in the Ni-MH batteries. Solutions from Panasonic meet the stringent requirements for reliability and long-term use so that they play a major role in the success of this life-saving application.

For more technical information, please use this email: battery-solutions@eu.panasonic.com