Exide Technology’s are a major battery producer, active in over 80 countries. They have provided lead acid batteries to MNOs and towercos for many years, and are now turning their expertise in lithium ion to the telecoms sector with their GNB Sonnenschein Lithium TEL48100 battery. Lightweight and capable of deep cycling, the battery is perfect for use in Africa.
TowerXchange: Who is Exide Technologies? How important is the telecom market for Exide Technologies?
Dr. Martin Sinz, Director Product Management & Application Engineering Network Power at Exide Technologies:
Exide Technologies is one of the world’s largest battery businesses, with operations in more than 80 countries around the world. The company’s next-generation energy storage solutions are used in a wide range of applications, including cars, trucks, transceiver stations, data centers, uninterruptable power supplies, forklifts and much more.
Exide’s GNB Industrial Power division specialises in energy storage solutions for stationary and motive power applications. ICT is an increasingly important sector to the GNB division, with strong global demand, accelerating growth in emerging markets, and an appetite for innovative products and services.
We are seeing strong interest coming from Africa and the wider EMEA region, with the telecom market being one of the key drivers of this.
TowerXchange: Traditionally you have supplied lead acid batteries, but you have now started using lithium-ion, why have you now introduced a lithium ion battery?
Dr. Martin Sinz, Director Product Management & Application Engineering Network Power at Exide Technologies:
GNB is already an established name in lithium-ion, and has vast experience in deployments around the world. In the motive power market, for example, GNB Sonnenschein Lithium is renowned for its performance, reliability and low total cost of ownership. GNB Sonnenschein Lithium is used in demanding environments that require the very best output, such as busy warehouses operating forklifts in multiple back-to-back shifts throughout the day.
We’re excited to make our lithium technology available in the Network Power market with the introduction of GNB Sonnenschein Lithium TEL48100. Customers will experience many benefits from the battery, such as better cycle life, reduced weight, higher energy efficiency and fast recharging.
GNB prides itself on being a technology-agnostic provider. We offer a wide range of technologies that are all designed to excel in particular use cases. We speak with our customers, understand their precise needs, and propose the best solution for their business. Sometimes the right technology will be Sonnenschein Lithium, and other times lead-acid. The key for us is having the know-how and expertise to guide our customers toward the best choice for them.
GNB Sonnenschein Lithium TEL48100
- Robust and reliable performance in the most challenging applications
- Ultra-lightweight with excellent space efficiency
- Advanced safety features
- Maintenance-free design makes it ideal for remote installations
TowerXchange: Lead acid batteries remain an important product for you, how does the lithium ion battery fit in alongside and complement your existing products?
Dr. Martin Sinz, Director Product Management & Application Engineering Network Power at Exide Technologies:
Lead-acid technology has an exciting future. It is reliable, cost-effective, and versatile. A great example is Sonnenschein PowerCycle, a VRLA battery from GNB that uses advanced gel technology. It is maintenance free, fast-charging and offers protection against deep discharge. The battery is ideal for extreme climates, operating from -40°C to +55°C.
Sonnenschein Lithium TEL48100 offers capabilities that make it the best choice for a wide array of applications. The lightweight design makes it great for transportation, and allows for improved energy density in constrained spaces. Fast recharging is an important factor in a range of deployments. The BMS provides advanced safety features and greater control, which can be used for optimised cooling, preventive maintenance and other cost-control measures.
We believe that both lithium-ion and lead-acid technologies have important roles to play. From our perspective, we want to provide our customers with the lowest total cost of ownership. That means recommending the technology from our suite of products that is best suited to the task at hand.
TowerXchange: How do you think the mix of battery chemistries will change? Will lithium become dominant or will lead and other chemistries retain an important role for years to come?
Dr. Martin Sinz, Director Product Management & Application Engineering Network Power at Exide Technologies:
Both technologies have an important role to play for the foreseeable future. In the long term the most dominant technology will be the one offering the best performance and lowest total cost of ownership across the broadest range of applications. Factors such as manufacturing costs, raw material availability, lifespan and reliability will all influence this.
Customers benefit from having a selection of battery chemistries to choose from. It ensures they get the best solution for their particular application.
Key Facts about Exide Technologies
- One of the world’s largest suppliers of lead-acid and lithium-ion battery technology
- 10,000 employees in more than 80 countries
- An OE supplier to leading vehicle and equipment manufacturers
- Has worked on a wide range of complex lithium-ion projects
TowerXchange: What grid conditions suit your new battery best, poor grid, good grid or off-grid?
Dr. Martin Sinz, Director Product Management & Application Engineering Network Power at Exide Technologies:
We see Sonnenschein Lithium TEL48100 as an attractive solution for all types of telecom applications. For poor-grid and off-grid applications, its long cycle life will be compelling for many operators. We also see Sonnenschein Lithium being used in 5G and other good-grid scenarios because of its space-saving and weight-saving benefits.
TowerXchange: What is the typical asset lifecycle of your solution, how do your solutions extend the lifecycle of other equipment on the site, and how can it be maximised?
Dr. Martin Sinz, Director Product Management & Application Engineering Network Power at Exide Technologies:
GNB Sonnenschein Lithium TEL48100 has been designed to offer exceptional lifespan, which varies according to factors such as usage and temperature. This long lifespan ensures that our customers achieve excellent total cost of ownership over a long time horizon.
Tower sites are often powered by diesel generators only, which run continuously 24/7 in operating mode. This is not very energy efficient and leads to rapid wear of the diesel generator. When you switch to a hybrid system with diesel generator and battery, the generator runs more efficiently, which leads to longer generator lifespan. Maintenance and refueling costs are also reduced.
The lifespan of lithium-ion batteries can be extended in several ways, such as cooling during operation, storage and transport, as well as storing and transporting at a lower state of charge.
TowerXchange: You operate in several markets, what makes your new product appropriate for conditions in Africa?
Dr. Martin Sinz, Director Product Management & Application Engineering Network Power at Exide Technologies:
Sonnenschein Lithium TEL48100 is well optimised for conditions in Africa. Excellent cycle ability makes it the right choice for poor-grid and off-grid applications, green telecom sites, and diesel-generator–battery hybrid applications. Reduced weight and space make transportation easier, which is particularly valuable for more remote locations.
Lithium-ion batteries have a maintenance-free design, and remote control is possible with the right rectifier controller. This means you avoid the need for costly engineer visits, reducing operating expenditure.
TowerXchange: Theft is a major problem for battery deployment in Africa, what can be done to protect against battery theft?
Dr. Martin Sinz, Director Product Management & Application Engineering Network Power at Exide Technologies:
High levels of battery theft are partially driven by the value of the raw materials. Direct reuse is also a major factor, with stolen lead-acid batteries often used for 12V and 24DC electrical equipment. One approach to prevent this is to use special anti-theft solutions. GNB, for example, offers proprietary nuts and connectors, which act as a strong preventive measure.
Lithium-ion batteries are less easily stolen and repurposed than lead-acid batteries due to their more complex system and battery monitoring features. As batteries become more sophisticated and remotely connected, they will become increasingly difficult to repurpose and easier to track.
TowerXchange: What is the next step for Exide Technologies?
Dr. Martin Sinz, Director Product Management & Application Engineering Network Power at Exide Technologies:
We see exciting growth prospects in Africa and the wider EMEA region. GNB’s Network Power products are designed in Europe and renowned for their reliability and low total cost of ownership, which are always key considerations for any customer operating in the telecoms sector.
We believe customers should have a choice of the most advanced technologies, and we’re excited to be adding to this with Sonnenschein Lithium TEL48100. The battery offers a wide range of benefits, such as fast recharging and advanced safety features, making it the best choice for many applications. We look forward to helping more and more businesses take full advantage of what lithium can do.
We believe lead-acid technology will continue to advance at the same time as lithium. Products such as Sonnenschein PowerCycle have gained a market-leading reputation and get better with every generation.
Exide Technologies will continue to invest in research & development. In addition to advanced battery technologies, our R&D team in Germany is working on battery management solutions as well as diagnostics and monitoring software.
Our focus will always be on helping our customers deliver on their business results. That means reducing total cost of ownership, advancing the performance of our technology, and delivering expertise and support wherever and whenever it is needed. Energy consulting from our experienced and dedicated sales and application experts around EMEA will be key.
