Cold climate
Energy storage for severe winters
Most sites in Russia, Kazakhstan and northern Uzbekistan see -30 °C and below. We show the operating range of each system and cycle life by temperature, not only the datasheet at +25 °C.
Risks
What happens to a battery in frost
Lithium does not charge below 0 °C
Charging LFP in frost without heating damages the cells, so outdoor LFP cabinets are equipped with battery compartment heating.
Available capacity drops
In the cold a battery delivers less energy. Lead-acid batteries lose most of their capacity at -20 °C.
Heating consumes energy
Part of the energy goes to maintaining temperature, which must be taken into account in backup time and economics calculations.
Cycle life depends on temperature
The colder it is, the fewer cycles a cell can withstand. Cycle life for a cold site must be calculated at the actual temperature.
Solution
How we prepare a system for winter
| Measure | What it gives | Where we use it |
|---|---|---|
| NFPP sodium chemistry | cell-level discharge down to -40 °C, capacity retained in frost | outdoor cabinets, telecom, backup |
| Battery compartment heating | LFP charging at sub-zero air temperature | outdoor LFP cabinets |
| Liquid cooling with heating | uniform cell temperature in summer and winter | 261 kWh cabinets, containers |
| Insulated enclosure | lower heat losses and less energy for heating | containers and cabinets for cold regions |
| EMS algorithm | charging during warmer hours, current limiting in the cold | all systems |
Cycle life
Cycle life of a 160 Ah sodium cell by temperature
Sodium cell manufacturer data. For a cold site calculation we use the lower bound of the range. A separate manufacturer test at -20 °C and 1C showed at least 8,000 cycles with remaining capacity above 80%.
| Temperature | Cycle life, cycles |
|---|---|
| 0...-10 °C | 8,000-12,000 |
| -10...-20 °C | 5,000-8,000 |
| -20...-30 °C | 3,000-5,000 |
| -30...-40 °C | 1,500-3,000 without preheating |
Limitations
What you need to know
- The operating range of a system is determined not only by the chemistry but also by the cabinet or container design: it is stated on each model card.
- The 2.4 MWh sodium container charges from 0 °C and discharges from -20 °C: for a cold site it is installed with heating or in an insulated version.
- Cycle life in frost is lower than the datasheet value at +25 °C; the calculation uses the site temperature by month.
- Performance at -40 °C is confirmed for each delivery by a manufacturer test report.
Manufacturer data as of 10.2026. These are published specifications, not a test report for a specific delivery; for tenders we provide the product passport and test report.
Products for this application
Full catalog
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Tell us about your site
Peak and average load, hourly load profile for a year (if available), tariff and price category, site climate and the task: lower electricity costs, backup, grid connection or on-site generation. We will reply with a configuration, an indicative payback and a lead time.