Industry White Papers
The Major Differences Between Supercapacitors and Batteries
February 05, 2024 by EATON
Topics Covered
- Management systems: supercapacitors vs. batteries
- Series and parallel supercapacitor configurations
- Pairing supercapacitors with batteries in a hybrid energy storage system (HESS)
- Combining batteries and supercapacitor structures to create hybrid supercapacitors
White Paper Overview
Supercapacitors and batteries are storage technologies which have strengths for different applications. Supercapacitors are ideal where power bursts are required, long life backup power or a high number of charge/discharge cycles. The two technologies can complement each other in systems that require a combination of these as well as long discharge times requiring high energy. This whitepaper by Eaton Electronics outlines the key differences between supercapacitors and batteries in construction, specifications, capabilities, and applications.
Areas of comparison include:
- Calendar and cycle life
- Operating temperature
- Energy density
- Power density and charge rate/discharge time
- Efficiency