All about rechargeable batteries

November 2022

Why rechargeable batteries?

Consumers are using more and more batteries. On average, 22 batteries are bought per person per year and about 100 batteries or accumulators can be found in a household. For example, they are in smartphones, laptops and tablets, toys, electric toothbrushes, remote controls, the thermostat, bicycle lights and electric bicycles.

Especially for devices where the batteries have to be changed often, it is really interesting to switch to rechargeable batteries. Think of flashlights, game computers, game controllers, digital cameras or radio controlled toys. Also during the holidays, many batteries are used in Christmas lights or battery-operated candles.

Environmentally friendly

Environamentally friendlyDespite the fact that ordinary Alkaline batteries can be recycled well nowadays, it is still advisable to switch to rechargeable batteries. Rechargeable batteries have a much longer lifespan.

Because rechargeable batteries replace 1,000 to 12,000 Alkaline batteries, far fewer raw materials are used in production. The consumption of the number of batteries is also falling enormously, so that there is much less to recycle.

 

Money saving

Besides the fact that rechargeable batteries are better for the environment, they also save a lot of money. Power from a socket is still much cheaper than a disposable battery. But how do you know which battery is the best? That depends on the device, the operating time of the device and the capacity of the battery.

The higher the capacity (mAh) of the battery, the longer it will last in the device. If a device uses a lot of energy, a battery with a lower capacity will be empty faster. A remote control and clock have a low consumption. A wireless mouse or keyboard has an average consumption and a photo camera or flash uses a lot of energy.

How much does it cost to charge a rechargeable battery?

To calculate this, it is useful to have the price per kilowatt hour (kWh) at hand. In our calculation model we assume a price of 0.80 euros per kWh (November 2022). A normal GP battery charger takes 6 hours to charge 2x AA 2100 mAh batteries. The energy in watt-hours (Wh) is equal to the electrical charge in milliamp hours (mAh) times the voltage in Volts (V) divided by 1,000. So 2,100 x 1.2 = 2,520 / 1,000 = 2.52 Wh. 2.52 Wh equals 0.00252 kWh. So charging 2 AA batteries of 2100 mAh costs: 2x 0.00252 kWh = 0.00504 kWh. The charger takes 6 hours: 6x 0.00504 = 0.03024 kWh. And the consumption of 0.03024 kWh costs: 0.03024 x 0.80 = 0.024192 euros. With a fast charger (4 hours) this is 0.016128 euros.

GP ReCyko rechargeable batteries

ReCyko rechargeable batteries

The big advantage of GP ReCyko rechargeable NiMH batteries is that they are delivered fully charged. They are therefore immediately ready for use and do not need to be charged first after they come out of the packaging.

GP rechargeable batteries have a long service life. The official life of a rechargeable battery (NiMH or Li-Ion) is determined by the number of times the battery is charged and discharged. If the capacity falls below 80% of the original capacity after charging, the lifespan has 'expired'. Of course, the batteries can still be used, but they will run out faster and faster.

ReCyko Pro

For the more professional users (heavy users) GP has ReCyko Pro range. This new generation of AA and AAA batteries offers the perfect mix of a powerful battery and long life (rechargeable 1,500 times).

Low self-discharge

The ReCyko batteries also have a low self-discharge. This means that they hold the energy well and do not run out of energy. With the normal rechargeable GP ReCyko batteries, 80% is still charged after 1 year. With ReCyko Pro, this is still 70% charged after 5 years.

 Which GP Recyko battery in which device?

 

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