Rechargeable vs Disposable Batteries

What you need to know

This article is about the basic difference between rechargeable and disposable batteries. To keep things simple, I am not going to dive deep into the different types of rechargeable batteries or different chargers. There will be follow up articles about them. I am also not going into detail about the different types of disposable batteries. This article is about the AA and AAA batteries and the basic differences between the household uses of these batteries. There are a few things to keep in mind when you are looking at the two types of batteries.

• Cost
• Usage – high drain devices
• Convenience
• Unused Battery Discharge
• Environmental Impact

Cost

The average household will consume approximately 120 disposable AA batteries in a year. If you buy a 10 pack of the Duracell Copper Top AA Alkaline Batteries on Amazon they cost $9.49. The yearly cost for the batteries would be $108.00. For rechargeable batteries, the startup cost is higher. I would recommend the Panasonic eneloop AA 2100 16AA batteries from Amazon which come in a 16 pack. The price for the batteries is $34.17. The yearly cost would depend on how many you would require at one time. If you keep with the 16 batteries and recharge as you need to, then the cost would be just be the initial $34.17. Next, for the rechargeable batteries, you will need a battery charger. I recommend the Basen BO4 Pro Battery Charger which is available on Amazon for $16.99. This charger will take cylindrical batteries, has four independent channels for charging, as well as charge and discharge management circuits. There will be a review and article of battery chargers soon. Most chargers take .05 kilowatt hours or less per AA battery. At an average cost of 12 cents per kilowatt hour, the cost would be $0.72 to charge 120 AA batteries. The total startup cost would be $51.88 for the first year. The Panasonic eneloop AA batteries will take approximately 2100 charges per battery before you need to replace them. I chose the eneloop battery because they are commonly used in office environments for items like portable mice, small devices and remotes. The price for the batteries is an important consideration in these choices.

Usage

The alkaline battery starts with 1.5 V and rechargeable batteries have a 1.2 V charge. Some devices require the higher output, but most do not require a full 1.5 V. This means that the devices that use a high load will discharge the battery quicker. During use, alkaline batteries will decrease the amount of energy produced while the rechargeable ones keep a steadier output. For high demand devices, the rechargeable batteries are the better choice. A rechargeable battery will have a higher and more even draw of energy. To say this in another way, this means that mechanical devices or other high demand devices will draw energy until the capacity is reached, and solid state devices will last longer. An alkaline battery produces a higher initial charge, but output decreases with usage. This translates to the fact that mechanical devices will slow down with usage and solid state devices would stop.

Convenience

It seems that everywhere you go there are alkaline batteries available. Almost all electronic stores, grocery stores and convenience stores carry several lines of alkaline batteries. If you travel quite a bit or need to rely on batteries on the move, it is much more convenient to purchase alkaline. One issue with rechargeable batteries and travel is that not every type of rechargeable battery is not allowed in checked luggage. Lithium ion batteries are not allowed in checked luggage due to possible fire hazards caused by changes in temperature and air pressure. If the batteries are for home or office use, then rechargeable batteries are more convenient as you can have fully charged batteries stored and ready to use without having to go to the store as often.

Unused Battery Discharge

Both types of battery will lose their charge if left unused for months. The rechargeable batteries will lose their charge quicker, but at a rate that is not much higher than the alkaline. As the number of charge cycles for the rechargeable batteries increases, the discharge rate will increase. This is one of the reasons that rechargeable batteries need to be replaced.

Environmental Impact

Rechargeable batteries are much friendlier to the environment than alkaline batteries. The number of disposed batteries is decreased. Alkaline batteries can be thrown in the trash while rechargeable batteries need to be recycled. Alkaline batteries do take up space in a landfill and can end up in garbage incinerators causing the release of toxic gases. As alkaline batteries breakdown, they will release potassium hydroxide. Potassium hydroxide causes irritation to the skin, eyes and lungs. There are now many places that will take rechargeable batteries for recycling. Recycling of rechargeable batteries include the ones containing cadmium – NiCad batteries – and lithium – Li Ion batteries. The European Union passed the Battery Directive. The intent of the Battery Directive is to “contribute to the protection, preservation and improvement of the quality of the environment by minimizing the negative impact of batteries and accumulators and waste batteries and accumulators.” This now includes the recycling and restriction of the sale of NiCad and Lithium batteries.

Conclusion

If you are willing to pay out the initial startup cost for the batteries and the charger, then the rechargeable batteries make the most sense when considering the cost and the use for higher drain devices. The alkaline batteries came to $108.00 and the rechargeable batteries came to $51.88 for the yearly cost. The next year, if you replaced all 16 batteries, the cost would decrease to just $34.71 for the year and the alkaline would remain at $108.00. The rechargeable battery is also the one best suited for devices that require the longer high energy draw. If convenience and initial cost are the most important, then the alkaline battery is the one to buy. The alkaline battery also offers the easiest replacement when traveling and when using devices that do not require longer high energy output. If you are taking the environment into consideration and will properly recycle batteries, the rechargeable battery is the one you want. Just remember to take the cost, usage, lifetime, battery drain, and environment in to consideration when making a decision on what type of battery you want to get.