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Nickel Metal Hydride . . .The Green Alternative


Anticipating the growing awareness for the need to care more for our environment, DC Emergency Systems Ltd have had an "alternative" battery development program in place since 1996. Whilst the nickel cadmium battery is still specified in the majority of our emergency lighting products, there is no doubt that it is becoming expensive to dispose of both financially and environmentally due to the heavy metals and other pollutants which form part of the chemistry of each cell.

DC have been working closely with both sealed recombination lead acid battery manufacturers and nickel metal hydride battery manufacturers to find the most economical and practical alternative to nickel cadmium. Our experience with nickel metal hydride battery packs used in self contained luminaires sited in locations with elevated temperatures is second to none and DC are confident that these batteries, used in the correct way, have many advantages.

  • NiMh batteries are kinder to the environment than NiCd and are cheaper to dispose of at the end of life.

  • NiMh batteries have a better power density than NiCd and lead acid batteries. They produce the same power from a smaller size cell, so an be used in products where space is limited.

  • NiMh batteries used by DC are particularly designed for emergency lighting applications which some alternative battery technologies cannot provide.

  • NiMh batteries have a lower cost and longer active life than Lithium batteries, which means being environmentally friendly is not too costly.

  • NiMh battery technology is advancing all the time and there is little doubt they will become increasingly popular, so designing battery and product layouts using NiMh can sizes is an investment in the future.
Whether the future of your next emergency lighting installation or the future of the World is your prime consideration, DC and NiMh batteries should feature high on your list of priorities.

For more information see Technical Details page.