As solar energy is increasing its usage in the US, the demand for solar batteries is also on the rise. The most common battery chemistry being used globally is ‘lithium-ion batteries. However, that term is very broad for classification wherein the lithium-nickel-manganese-cobalt-oxide, or NMC, that is used in electric vehicles, is categorized as such.

With the quest for storing as much energy as possible in such a tiny space raising the risk for unwanted chemical reaction due to heat, or also called ‘thermal runaway’, the need for an alternative is inevitable. One particular substitute that is growing popular is the lithium-iron-phosphate or LFP.

But a lot of studies by giant manufacturers pointed that the ratio between the number of batteries produced and the reported battery explosions are extremely low, approximately a one-in-tens-of-millions chance. This somehow calms the ongoing competition for the battery market and puts relative ease on homeowners.

Yet in recent years, there are incidents of fiery accidents on-grid batteries used by large companies in South Korea. This has renewed the interest in LFP usage and it turns out that China has been at the forefront of its development. For the next decade, LFP is seen to substitute NMC in the battery race, until another better alternative is discovered.