Renogy has built a strong reputation as one of the elite solar companies and with good reason. they have been able to design and manufacturer some of the most affordable and reliable products on the market. the best part is, these products are perfect for BEGINNERS that have very little solar EXPERIENCE and are looking to install their own solar system.
Renogy is a U.S.-based company that manufacture’s all the solar components needed to allow you to take your campervan, RV, boat, or home completely off-grid. In this review, I will be talking about why we chose to install two 100ah lithium batteries in our campervan, why we LOVE them, and how you can get a discount on your solar system! (HINT: use code MADETOTRAVEL for an additional 5% off your order with Renogy!)
Simple Solar System Design
Auto Balancing
The Renogy lithium battery has an Auto balancing feature that is extremely useful when you have multiple batteries connected in parallel (up to 4 in total). Instead of completely draining one battery, which can be damaging, the battery will start to auto-balance the other batteries that it’s connected to. This will help increase the lifespan and efficiency of all the batteries.
Battery Management System
The Renogy lithium battery also has an intelligent BMS (battery monitoring system) which is one of my favorite features in many lithium-ion batteries. This system protects the battery from many different scenarios including over-voltage, under-voltage, high and low temperature, charge and discharge over-current, and short circuit. This means that if you’re traveling down the road and an electrical component fails, your battery will be able to protect itself!
Lifespan
If properly maintained, these lithium batteries can last upwards of 4000 cycles. As you can see on the chart below, this is very impressive compared to other battery manufacturers.
Charge/Discharge Cycles
| Canbat | Renogy | Dakota | Battle Born | Relion | |
| Cycles | 2,500+ | 4,000+ | 2,000+ | 3,000+ | unknown |
Renogy Lithium Battery Monitoring
With Renogy being a one stop shop for solar systems, battery monitoring can be done easily via the RS485 port that is located on top of the battery. This data port connects directly to the BMS on the battery which can accurately measure the voltage, current, capacity, remaining time, warning codes, and total number of batteries connected in parallel. Instead of spending more money and having to install a ‘shunt’ to track current, this battery can be connected directly to a battery monitor or to a Renogy Bluetooth module. The Bluetooth module can allow wireless monitoring through the Renogy App.
Self Heating Model
Renogy lithium ion batteries come in 3 different sizes; 50ah, 100ah, and 170ah. These batteries can all be connected in parallel but do NOT mix and match different sizes. Renogy has recently released a model that has a self-heating function which is perfect for those cold winters! Usually, lithium batteries are not able to accept a charge when the cells are below 0 degrees Celsius or 32 degrees Fahrenheit. This self-heating feature allows charging when the temperature drops much lower.
Affordability
There’s no doubt about it, Renogy is one of the most affordable solar manufacturers on the market and consistently offer great sales to top it off. The 100ah lithium battery costs $1099 CAD at regular price, but they often have sales for under $1000 CAD. If you use the code MADETOTRAVEL at checkout you will save an additional 5% off your order!
100Ah Lithium Battery Comparison
| Canbat | Renogy | Dakota | Battle Born | Relion | |
| Price (CAD) | $1,000 | $1,099 | $1,240 | $1,250 | $1,320 |
| Shipping | Free (US & Canada) | Free (US & Canada) | Free only to Lower 48 | Free only to Lower 48 | Free only to Lower 48 |
| Warranty | 10 Year | 10 Year | 11 Year | 10 Year | 5 Year |
| Customer Review | 5/5 | 4.5/5 | 4.5/5 | 4.8/5 | 4/5 |
Installation
If you haven’t had any experience installing products made by Renogy, your in for a treat! Renogy products are very user friendly and easy to install. The batteries come with an easy to read manual for installation which includes a cable sizing chart. Renogy batteries are only designed to be installed in PARALLEL which means connecting positive to positive and negative to negative. Installing them as close together as possible will help maximize efficiency.
When connecting multiple batteries in parallel, always connect the positive leads first, and then the negative leads. Next, connect the positive to the system, and lastly connect the negative to the system.
Another feature that separates the Renogy lithium battery is the activation switch. This switch allows you to switch between shelf mode and active mode which is quite handy when it comes to storing your batteries for long periods of time.
This is easily done by connecting the activation switch to the UP communications port, located on top of the battery, and pressing the button. Holding the button for 3 seconds will switch it into shelf mode, and one quick press will switch it to active mode.
Warranty & Customer Support
Renogy backs its lithium batteries with a 10 year warranty. Although many other battery manufacturers that are new to the market also have a 10 year warranty, Renogy has been doing it for longer which proves that their batteries are built to last. Being in Canada, I have had trouble contacting Renogy customer support in the past, but recently they have informed me that they are working hard to develop a stronger international support system.
Simple Solar System Design
Simple Solar System Guide
We have developed a Simple Solar System Guide that is perfect for beginners that want to learn how to install a complete solar system in a campervan, RV, or boat. The guide is broken down into 3 sections: Component Overview, Electrical Schematic, and Price & Quantity Chart. This guide will teach you how every component functions, where to buy each component (with discount codes), and how to wire them (inc. wire and fuse sizes).
We hope you enjoyed reading our review of the Renogy Lithium Ion Battery! If you have any questions please comment below. We’d also love to know what you’re using your lithium batteries for!
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Idaho Eagle
Great article. Thank you. Can you link to their 10-year warranty? I can’t find a good warranty for their batteries at all.
David & Cayleigh
https://www.renogy.com/content/files/Manuals/Warranty.pdf
solar system malaysia
Keep on working, great job!
David & Cayleigh
Thank you!