You’ve probably noticed it — your domácí systém skladování energie isn’t lasting through the night anymore. A system that used to power your home from sunset to sunrise now shuts down before dawn. You charge it fully from your solar panels, yet it drains faster than before.
Does this mean your LFP (LiFePO₄) battery is wearing out? Or could it be something you can actually fix? This is one of the most common questions we get from homeowners and solar installers alike. The truth is, not all “degradation” is real — sometimes, it’s just your battery management system (BMS) getting confused. Let’s break down what’s really happening inside your battery.
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Understanding LFP Battery Degradation: Permanent vs. Recoverable Loss
Not every drop in capacity means your battery is dying. In fact, there are two kinds of degradation:
- Permanent chemical aging, which can’t be reversed.
- Apparent degradation, which is often a simple calibration issue.
1. Irreversible Chemical Degradation
All lithium batteries naturally age. Each charge-discharge cycle causes small, permanent chemical changes:
- Some lithium ions get trapped and can no longer move.
- The active materials inside the cells slowly degrade.
Imagine your battery as a 100-gallon water tank. Over thousands of cycles, the tank physically shrinks to 85 gallons. That missing 15 gallons is gone for good — that’s real aging.
2. Recoverable “Apparent” Degradation
But here’s the good news: most sudden capacity drops in home energy systems are not chemical at all. They’re software problems — specifically, the BMS losing track of the real charge levels.
Because LFP batteries have a very flat voltage curve, the BMS can’t easily tell the difference between, say, 50% and 80% charge. Over hundreds of cycles, these small misreadings accumulate.
Eventually, the BMS thinks your “100% full” battery is only 95% full. The actual capacity hasn’t changed — the “fuel gauge” is just wrong. And like a car’s fuel gauge, it can be recalibrated.
How to Recalibrate Your LFP Home Battery
We’ve helped thousands of homeowners and installers fix this exact problem. The process doesn’t require opening the battery — just a controlled full-cycle recalibration.
Goal: Re-sync the BMS With the Real Battery Capacity
This process “re-educates” the BMS, forcing it to relearn what full and empty truly mean. Once recalibrated, your battery monitor will display an accurate state of charge (SoC) again.
The 3-Step Recalibration Procedure
- Step 1: Fully Charge and Hold (“Soak”) Charge your battery to 100%. Once full, keep it connected for another 2–8 hours. This allows the BMS to perform top balancing, ensuring all cells are equalized.
- Step 2: Controlled Discharge Use your home as usual. Run your appliances and let the system discharge continuously until the SoC drops below 20%.
- Step 3: Recharge in One Continuous Cycle Once the battery is nearly empty, recharge it all the way to 100% in a single uninterrupted session. This bottom-to-top sweep helps the BMS remap the real usable capacity.
Results and Expectations
After one or two recalibration cycles, you’ll usually notice a clear improvement. For example, your system might recover from 6 hours of nighttime runtime back to 7.5 hours. That extra 1.5 hours is your “lost” apparent capacity — now restored. Any remaining gap represents real, chemical aging from years of use.
Best Practices to Prevent Future Degradation
Once your BMS is calibrated, proper maintenance habits can help prevent both apparent and real degradation.
1. Regular Full Charges
Unlike NMC batteries, LFP cells prefer to reach full charge periodically. Make sure your home system hits 100% at least once a week to keep the BMS calibrated.
2. Temperature Control
LFP batteries are stable, but prolonged exposure to high temperatures (above 113°F / 45°C) accelerates real chemical aging. If your battery is installed in a garage or outdoor unit, ensure proper ventilation or shading to keep it within an ideal temperature range.
3. Shallow Cycles for Longer Life
While full cycles are useful for recalibration, daily shallow cycles are gentler on the battery. For instance, cycling between 30–80% is far less stressful than 0–100% every day — ideal for grid-tied solar storage systems.
4. Long-Term Storage Tips
If you’ll be away for months, store the system at 50–70% charge and disconnect from loads. This simple practice significantly extends long-term battery health.
Závěr
LFP battery degradation can be reversed—if it’s caused by BMS miscalibration rather than real chemical aging. While natural aging is irreversible, apparent capacity loss is often just a matter of recalibration. If your domácí systém skladování energie no longer lasts as long as it used to, running a full recalibration cycle may restore hours of usable energy and improve system accuracy. Taking this simple step helps homeowners, distributors, and installers maintain higher performance, longer battery life, and greater customer satisfaction.
Kontaktujte nás our technical team today to schedule a professional battery health check and ensure your LFP system continues to deliver reliable power for years to come.
ČASTO KLADENÉ DOTAZY
1. How do I know if my capacity loss is real or just BMS drift?
Run one full recalibration cycle. If runtime improves noticeably, it was a BMS issue. If not, it’s likely true chemical aging. Your installer can confirm by checking the State of Health (SoH) data.
2. Can recalibration damage my battery?
Not at all. It’s a safe, manufacturer-recommended maintenance procedure that helps your BMS stay accurate.
3. How often should I recalibrate?
Once every 3–6 months is ideal, or any time you notice a sudden drop in available capacity.
4. Is LFP still better than NMC for home energy storage?
Absolutely. LFP’s safety, long cycle life, and tolerance for full charge make it the preferred chemistry for home storage — even if it requires occasional BMS recalibration.