Nickel Iron Battery

What is a Nickel Iron Battery?

A Nickel-iron battery is a rechargeable battery used for storing electric power. A Nickel-Iron(NiFe) battery contains nickel hydroxide and iron plates. The nickel(III) plates have a positive charge, and the iron plates have a negative. Each cell of this battery gives about 1.2 V of nominal voltage.

These batteries have cell durability of more than 30 years with repeated deep discharges. The slow power discharge is because the solubility of the reactants in the electrolytic solution is significantly low.

What are the applications of a Nickel Iron Battery?

Nickel Iron batteries find their application in various fields for power storage. Some of them are,

Solar Applications: The robust nature of NiFe batteries makes them suitable for solar power production. In solar applications, these batteries can fully charge in 4 hours and take overcharges and deep discharges.

Car Headlights: Due to the low self-discharge rate of only 20% to 30%. NiFe batteries produce current in the car’s electrical system and run the air conditioning.

Electrical Engines: Metro train propulsion systems in the United Kingdom and North America use Nickel Iron batteries.

How does a Nickel Iron Battery work?

Charging: The charging of the batteries takes place in the potassium hydroxide solution. Oxygen gets transferred from one plate to another. The anode is super oxidized, while the cathode has less oxidation.

Discharging: In a closed circuit, the Nickel iron battery experiences deoxidation on the positive side. While the oxidation of Iron plates, the charge starts to flow through the electrical circuit. Oxygen naturally gets attracted to Iron, forming the iron oxide.

What are some big brands of Nickel Iron batteries?

Iron Edison is one of the largest Nickel Iron battery manufacturers and suppliers in the USA. Some of the other manufacturers of Nickel-iron batteries are:

• Battery Solutions, LLC
• HBL America, Inc.
• Digi-Key
• U.S. Materials Handling Corp.

Wholesalers

Solar Products Wholesalers 

Wholesaling refers to buying some products or goods directly from its manufacturer usually at a discount and then reselling it to the retailers for a comparatively higher cost than the original. Basically, wholesalers handle products and package them in small quantities and then sell them to retail customers, either for commercial or personal use. 

Many industries have wholesalers, and that will not skip the solar industries. Nowadays, many solar wholesale stores/firms are operating across the globe, making it much easier for retailers to go solar. Sometimes retailers find it hard to reach direct manufacturers of solar products because some companies do not have their solar stores/shops in public, with that they are not also offering solar products per piece. Through wholesale solar stores/shops, these individuals can easily buy the solar products that they need to replace or maintain their solar systems. 

If you are in need of solar product suppliers for an individual purpose, you may visit some solar outsourcing marketplace to get an updated list of solar wholesalers near your location. There are many solar platforms that provide enough information and data about the solar industry in your region, including all the reliable solar wholesalers in town.

Nigeria

Solar Market Outlook in Nigeria

With a population of 200 million and an economy that relies mostly on its oil reserves, the economy of Nigeria is highly volatile. Add to that Nigeria’s electricity woes. Many residents and business owners in the country rely on generators to power up their business and even then a huge percentage of the population has no access to electricity. 

Experts agree that this shouldn’t be the case as this is a tropical country. Geographically, its location close to the equator means that it has mostly sunny days throughout the year. The government is hoping that this renewable energy source could be the solution they’re seeking to combat the electricity woes that have haunted them for decades.

The National Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Policy in Nigeria was established in 2014. This policy details that Nigeria has a target of 20% electricity generation from renewable sources, mostly solar, in an effort to address the nationwide electricity shortage. They are also hoping to encourage more private investments in solar power plants.

There is notably a high solar potential in Nigeria, which gets up to 7 hours of sunlight daily. If this sunlight can be harnessed, it will produce 333,000 MW of solar power, which should be more than enough to bridge the electricity gap in the country. 

Solar Energy Equipment Supply Capacity in Nigeria

Just as solar power plant projects are limited, there is also limited availability in local manufacturers of solar equipment in Nigeria. For those looking to make solar installations, you can turn to online or global suppliers and distributors for that. 

Top Major Seaports & Logistics in Nigeria

Transporting and logistics handling of solar equipment into Nigeria should be easy since there are plenty of commercial ports available such as

• Lagos Port Complex,
• Calabar Port Complex,
• Delta Port,
• Rivers Port Complex,
• Tin Can Island Port, 
• the Onne Port.