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Battery bank for 14 kWh a day with 4 days of autonomy, 24 V LiFePO₄

Battery bank
73.68kWh nominal
3,070 Ah at 24 V — LiFePO₄, 4 days of autonomy
Usable energy needed14 kWh a day × 4 days56kWh
Nominal capacity to buyusable ÷ (80% DoD × 95% round-trip)73.68kWh
Capacity at 24 V3,070Ah
100 Ah blocks2 in series makes one 24 V string31blocks
Charge current0.2C — the charger and the array both have to deliver this614A
Depth of discharge usedmanufacturer figure for rated cycle life, not the physical limit80%
Round-trip efficiencyenergy lost on the way in and out again95%
Rated cycle lifeat 80% DoD3.000–6.000 cycles
Daily load
14 kWh
Days of autonomy
4
System voltage
24 V
Chemistry
LiFePO₄

Two derates, not one

Pulling 14 kWh a day for 4 days means 56 kWh has to come out of the bank. That is not the number you buy.

Two things stand between nameplate capacity and delivered energy. Depth of discharge caps how much of the pack you are allowed to use if you want the rated cycle life — 80% here. Round-trip efficiency takes another 95% off, lost as heat on the way in and out.

Divide by both and the bank you actually buy is 73.68 kWh, or 3,070 Ah at 24 V.

Dividing by depth of discharge alone is the common mistake, and it is why so many banks fall short in their first winter.

What that looks like on a shelf

About 31 × 100 Ah blocks. The charger and the array both have to be able to push 614 A into it, which is the constraint people find after the batteries arrive rather than before.

Voltage is the cheap lever

3,070 Ah at 24 V is the same energy as a much larger amp-hour figure at 12 V, and current is what makes cable expensive. Every doubling of system voltage halves the current for the same power and quarters the loss in the wire.

Notes

  • Two derates, not one. Dividing by depth of discharge alone is the usual mistake — the pack also loses 5% round-trip on LiFePO₄, and that comes off the top of every cycle.
  • LiFePO₄ tolerates deeper discharge than lead, which is why a 73.68 kWh lithium bank replaces roughly 131.76 kWh of AGM for the same job. The upfront price gap narrows a long way once you size both honestly.
  • 24 V is the practical floor for this size. Higher system voltage means proportionally lower current for the same power — 3,070 Ah at 24 V would be 6,140 Ah at 12 V, and the cable to carry it gets expensive fast.
  • 4 days of autonomy covers 4× a normal day's use. Grid-tied backup normally carries one day; off-grid with no generator normally carries three to five, because that is what a run of overcast weather costs you.

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