Onboard LiFePO4 Lithium Battery Installation and Safety Course
This course teaches you to size, install and maintain lithium iron phosphate battery banks on leisure boats. You will work on BMS integration, charging profiles for alternators and chargers, and the overcurrent protection a safe installation requires.
Prior knowledge check
These are the skills this program gives you. Tick the ones you already master and we will tell you which part of the syllabus is for you.
You are starting from scratch in this subject. The program is designed precisely for that.
What is the Onboard LiFePO4 Lithium Battery Installation and Safety Course?
This short course teaches you to size, install and maintain lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4) battery banks on leisure boats. You will calculate capacity and usable discharge from the onboard energy balance, set BMS voltage, temperature and current thresholds with selective disconnection of loads and sources, adapt alternators, chargers and solar through external regulators and DC-DC chargers, select class T fuses, cable sizes and battery switches, and interpret BMS alarms and battery monitor data.
What sets this course apart: a practical approach, from calculating daily consumption to the final single-line diagram; safety first, with an analysis of thermal and short-circuit risks in LiFePO4; reference standards, with ABYC E-13, ISO 13297 and ISO 10133 studied as course content; hybrid systems, where lithium coexists with lead-acid and alternators; and an applied case based on refitting a real house bank.
Program highlights
- Practical approach: from the daily energy balance to the final single-line diagram.
- Safety first: thermal and short-circuit risk analysis for LiFePO4.
- Reference standards: ABYC E-13, ISO 13297 and ISO 10133 studied as course content.
- Hybrid systems: lithium alongside lead-acid batteries and alternators.
- BMS: cell protection, balancing and separate disconnection of loads and sources.
- Applied case: converting a 12 m sailing yacht from AGM to LiFePO4.
Syllabus of the Onboard LiFePO4 Lithium Battery Installation and Safety Course
5 modules. Select a module to see its content.
Fundamentals of LiFePO4 chemistry
- 1.1. Lithium iron phosphate chemistry compared with NMC and lead-acid: energy density, cycles and thermal stability
- 1.2. Cell parameters: 3.2 V nominal voltage, flat discharge curve and state of charge
- 1.3. Prismatic, cylindrical and pouch cell formats and how they are built into 12, 24 and 48 V modules
- 1.4. Effects of temperature on charging and discharging: sub-zero limits and heat-related degradation
- 1.5. Aging, depth of discharge and calculating service life in equivalent cycles
Bank sizing and energy balance
- 2.1. Drawing up the daily energy balance in Ah and Wh with consumption underway and at anchor
- 2.2. Calculating the usable capacity of the bank with 80% discharge and a safety reserve
- 2.3. Choosing a 12, 24 or 48 V system voltage according to inverter power and cable runs
- 2.4. Connecting batteries in series and parallel: balancing, circulating currents and recommended topologies
- 2.5. Criteria for choosing between drop-in batteries and modular banks with an external BMS
BMS, monitoring and cell protection
- 3.1. BMS functions: protection against cell overvoltage, undervoltage, overcurrent and temperature
- 3.2. Passive and active cell balancing and setting the balancing start thresholds
- 3.3. Separate disconnection of loads and sources through bistable relays and allow-to-charge signals
- 3.4. Shunts and battery monitors: state-of-charge calibration and synchronization with the BMS
- 3.5. BMS communication over CAN bus and NMEA 2000 with chargers, inverters and displays
Charging, wiring and electrical protection
- 4.1. CC/CV charging profiles for LiFePO4: absorption and float voltage and disabling equalization
- 4.2. Alternators with external regulators and temperature limiting, and DC-DC chargers between banks
- 4.3. Integrating MPPT solar controllers and mains chargers with programmable lithium profiles
- 4.4. Selecting cable sizes, permissible voltage drop and terminals in line with ISO 10133 and ISO 13297
- 4.5. Class T and ANL fuses, battery switches and the prospective short-circuit current of the bank
Safety, maintenance and practical case
- 5.1. Risk analysis based on ABYC E-13: location, ventilation, mechanical securing and protection from water
- 5.2. Commissioning procedures, checking cell voltages and testing BMS disconnections
- 5.3. Periodic maintenance, winter storage and management of BMS alarms and logs
- 5.4. Diagnosing common faults: imbalance, low-temperature disconnection and communication failures
- 5.5. Practical case: refit of a 12 m sailing yacht from AGM to LiFePO4 with a single-line diagram and bill of materials
Duration and format of the Onboard LiFePO4 Lithium Battery Installation and Safety Course
It is 300 hours. Tell us how many you can study each week and we will tell you when you will really finish.
This is the pace at which most students finish. It fits well with the installment plan.
Academic leadership and faculty
The Navalis teaching team: working professionals who teach and supervise the programs.
Dr. Marina AlcoverAcademic Director and Head of Quality Assurance
Eng. Diego CifuentesSenior Lecturer in Naval Welding and Non-Destructive Testing; Head of QA/QC for Welded Joints
Capt. Javier Abaroa (MCA)Senior Lecturer in Ship Handling, Electronic Navigation (ECDIS/Radar/ARPA) and GMDSS; STCW Compliance and Bridge Resource Management Coordinator
Dr. Pau FerrerSenior Lecturer in Naval Architecture and Simulation; Director of the Hydrodynamics and CFD Laboratory
Dr. Nuria LlobregatSenior Lecturer in Marine Meteorology, SAR and Operational Safety; Navigation Risk Management Coordinator
Eng. Javier BañulsSenior Lecturer in Electrical Engineering, Automation and ETO Engineering; Electronic Integration and Engine Alarms Coordinator
Eng. Sofía MarquinaSenior Lecturer in Materials, Composites and Corrosion Protection; Coordinator of the Advanced Paints and Coatings Line
Eng. Tomás RieraSenior Lecturer in Propulsion, Alternative Energy and Hybrid Systems; Energy Performance and Vibration CoordinatorObjectives of the Onboard LiFePO4 Lithium Battery Installation and Safety Course
Career opportunities after the Onboard LiFePO4 Lithium Battery Installation and Safety Course
Questions about the Onboard LiFePO4 Lithium Battery Installation and Safety Course
Not always. The course explains when a drop-in battery is viable and when the alternator, chargers and protection must be adapted, and shows you how to assess each charging source before making the change.
Yes. It covers external regulators with temperature sensing, DC-DC chargers and protection against sudden BMS disconnections, which can damage the alternator.
ABYC E-13 for lithium batteries, ABYC E-11, ISO 13297 and ISO 10133 for low-voltage DC and AC installations are studied as course content.
A grounding in direct current, Ohm's law and using a multimeter is helpful. The first module reviews the essential concepts needed to follow the rest of the program.
Yes, with the right design. The course explains how to separate the banks with DC-DC chargers and how to set charging profiles so that each chemistry is charged correctly.
The course is taught online and comprises 300 hours of study across 5 modules of about 60 hours each and ends with an applied practical case.
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Admission process
No waiting for a call back. If your documents are in order, you can enroll in the same session.
- Profile: aimed at electricians, marine mechanics, boatyard technicians and experienced boat owners who want to install or migrate to LiFePO4 batteries with sound safety criteria.
- Language: sufficient command of English to follow the classes and the technical documentation.
- Technical resources: a computer with a stable internet connection, an up-to-date browser and a camera for live sessions and project presentations.
- Admission: enrollment is open all year round; online application, review of your profile and a short interview with the academic team.
- 01ApplicationYour details, background and documents.
- 02Instant reviewWe check that everything is complete and in order.
- 03EnrollmentChoose full payment or instalments and reserve your place.
Admission is provisional until the committee validates the documents provided. If you do not meet the requirements, the full amount is refunded.
Ask us before you enroll
Leave your details and admissions will write to you to answer any questions. If you are already sure, you can apply and pay in the same session.