In one of our previous posts, we reviewed the Winock Solar generator. In this guide, we are going to look into a similar topic, which is the Winock battery review.
If you have heard about the Winock battery but don’t know much about it, well, you have come to the right place, and we are going to put you through shortly. Keep tabs.
Winock is a popular producer of solar products, including solar generators, batteries, panels, etc. They pride themselves on producing durable solar products for low- and middle-income earners across Africa. According to them, their goal is to provide reliable electricity to Africans at no extra cost.
Winock has a tubular solar battery with 200 AH and 12 V capacity. These batteries have a 5-year warranty and can withstand high temperatures. We are going to review the Winock battery in detail as we continue with our discussion in the subsequent sections.
Winock Battery Review
Winock has a 12V 220AH (or similar) tall tubular battery that is primarily designed for inverter users.
Apart from this tubular battery, Winock also has Sure Power 1000 (1 kWh battery) and Sure Power 2000 (2 kWh) battery units with lithium-iron-phosphate (LiFePO₄) composition.
In the real world, a 1 kWh battery unit can power a 200 W load capacity for up to 5 hours, while the 2 kWh/1000 W battery unit, with a rated capacity of 2000 Wh and a load of 1000 W, can power heavy appliances like TVs, fridges/freezers, and fans for up to 8 hours on full load.
Although Winock, in their official website, claims that their battery is affordable, this information is not yet verified; hence, it is best to conduct independent due diligence about their pricing before patronizing them.
Capacity of Winock Battery in Real Life
A 220 Ah/12 V Winock battery gives approximately 2.64 kWh of theoretical energy (12 V × 220 Ah = 2,640 Wh) in ideal conditions.
However, the inverter/discharge efficiency, depth of discharge (DoD) and system losses mean you will get less usable energy. So if your fridge, TV, and lights draw, say, 300-400 W, you might expect maybe 4-6 hours of run time with a 2.6 kWh battery (depending on conditions).
Meanwhile, the solar-generator units (1 kWh, 2 kWh) are smaller than a full house backup battery bank but could handle essential loads or be used as a supplemental power source.
On the other hand, the LiFePO₄ chemistry (for the generator units) is generally considered safer and longer-lasting than older lead-acid types.
Concerns About Winock Battery
From our review so far, the Winock battery seems befitting for modest energy users. However, there are still concerns about the battery, which Winock refuses to make to bring to the public domain. The major concerns about the Winock battery are
- How many years does the battery warranty cover?
- What is the DoD (depth of discharge) recommended for the Winock battery?
- What is the expected life cycle of this battery?
- If used with solar, what size of solar panel/charge controller is recommended?
- How will the battery system be installed/supported locally in case of issues?
- What happens if the grid returns power? Is there automatic switching?
- What is the cost of replacement parts (cells, if required) after warranty?
These and a few other questions are what our readers are concerned about.
So, if you want to get a Winock battery for your residential or industrial use, it makes sense to take into consideration the concerns above to enable you to make an informed decision.
Conclusion
From our discussion so far, we have seen that the Winock battery comes in different forms, especially tubular with lithium-iron-phosphate (LiFePO₄) composition. Although the battery seems to be durable, there are also concerns about its warranty, depth of discharge, etc. Hence, it is best for individuals to conduct independent due diligence about the Winock battery before purchasing it.