Solorage X 12V 100Ah LiFePO4 Battery Teardown

An in-depth hands-on teardown and testing of the 100 amp hour lithium iron phosphate battery from Solorage. Key factors examined include capacity rating, build quality, low-temperature protection, and real-world performance. This article will take a hands-on look at the Solorage X 12V 100Ah LiFePO4 Battery.

Video Teardown

YouTuber @Brad Cagle made a video version of this review which gives an overview and teardown of Solorage X 12V 100Ah LiFePO4 Battery and walks through his testing. Check it out below and consider subscribing to @Brad Cagle’s YouTube channel if you like videos on lithium batteries and DIY solar projects!

Please take a look at the teardown of the image and text versions.

Unboxing and Specs

The Solorage battery arrives in a sturdy case resembling a Group 24 lead-acid battery but a bit taller. The test model weighed in at 22.8 lbs. Unique diagonally-placed terminals connect the power cables.

The manual states the battery can charge at 50A and discharge at a 100A continuous rate. This verifies the 100Ah capacity (amps = hours) and shows the battery’s ability to deliver substantial current.

Capacity Testing

To test the actual capacity, the battery was charged up fully and then discharged through an inverter and heater load at approximately 53A. It took 1 hour and 41 minutes to discharge the battery from 100% to 1%, delivering 101 Ah and 1,259 watthours.

This exceeds the advertised 100Ah capacity and verifies the high quality of LiFePO4 cells inside. While lead-acid batteries struggle to deliver their full rating, this lithium battery had no problem exceeding it.

Inside the Battery

Removing the lid revealed a BMS mounted on a thick fiberboard separator. Thick bolted nickel strips connect the cells rather than thin spot welds. The BMS temperature probe monitors cell temp. 7 gauge power cables attached to the terminals.

However, some users@orphaned1166 noticed in the original review video that the positive and negative bus bars run in close proximity to the metal casing sidewall. This raised concerns about potential shorts if the case was dented.

In response, @Brad Cagle confirmed there is a plastic insulator glued to the interior case surface to prevent contact. There is also an internal steel support beam for added protection. Still, the wiring layout could potentially be improved in future iterations. In all fairness to Solorage, no issues were reported. However, the discussion illustrates the rigorous scrutiny DIY battery enthusiasts apply.

Unfortunately, the video reviewer was unable to identify the actual lithium cell brand due to an obscured QR code label. But the construction quality is evident.

Testing the Low-Temperature Protection

One key safety test was freezing the battery during charging to verify low temperature protection. During charging at over 400A, the battery was frozen using a can of compressed air. Almost immediately after the battery temperature dropped, charging was halted by the BMS. This demonstrates the important low temperature protection circuitry functions properly in the Solorage battery. Restarting charging was simple once the battery warmed back up. Having this protection prevents damage from charging at freezing temperatures and shows the BMS safety mechanisms are active.

In summary, the real-world testing proves the Solorage 100Ah LiFePO4 battery achieves its rated performance along with well-built internals. Importantly, it passed the low-temperature charging protection test verifying this key safety feature is active. For those seeking a mid-sized lithium battery, this model delivers on its promises according to this hands-on evaluation.