The short answer: every Rich Solar ALPHA battery in a size class has the same capacity and the same case. What changes from LITE to standard to PRO is the cycle rating, Bluetooth, internal heating and the warranty. Buy the LITE if the battery never sees freezing nights and you don't need an app. Buy the standard ALPHA if you camp in the cold. Buy the PRO if you want the longest cycle rating and a 10-year warranty. One catch surprises people: on the 200Ah size, the LITE is rated for more continuous current than the standard ALPHA 2 or the ALPHA 2 PRO.
The three tiers in one line each
- LITE: 4,000+ cycles, no Bluetooth, no internal heater. It protects itself by stopping charging below 32°F. 5-year warranty.
- ALPHA (standard): 5,000+ cycles, Bluetooth monitoring in the RICH SOLAR app, and a built-in heater so it can warm itself up to charge in the cold. 5-year warranty.
- PRO: 7,000+ cycles (8,000+ on the ALPHA 3 PRO), Bluetooth and heater, UL 1973 certified (Rich Solar also lists UL 1973 for the standard ALPHA 2), 10-year warranty.
All of them are 12.8V LiFePO4 (the ALPHA 4 is 25.6V), charge at 14.4V (28.8V for 24V), charge between 32 and 131°F, discharge between -4 and 140°F, and can be wired up to four in parallel. Those figures are Rich Solar's own, from the product pages we list.
Every 12V and 24V ALPHA compared
| Model | Capacity | Cycles | Bluetooth | Heater | Max continuous | IP | Warranty | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ALPHA 1 LITE | 12V 100Ah | 4,000+ | No | No | 100A | IP65 | 5 yr | 24.0 lb |
| ALPHA 1 | 12V 100Ah | 5,000+ | Yes | Yes (100W) | 100A | IP65 | 5 yr | 24.0 lb |
| ALPHA 1 PRO | 12V 100Ah | 7,000+ | Yes | Yes (100W) | 100A | IP65 | 10 yr | 24.0 lb |
| ALPHA 2 LITE | 12V 200Ah | 4,000+ | No | No | 200A | IP65 | 5 yr | 52.9 lb |
| ALPHA 2 | 12V 200Ah | 5,000+ | Yes | Yes | 100A | IP55 | 5 yr | 52.9 lb |
| ALPHA 2 PRO | 12V 200Ah | 7,000+ | Yes | Yes | 100A | IP55 | 10 yr | 52.9 lb |
| ALPHA 3 LITE | 12V 300Ah | 4,000+ | No | No | 300A | IP65 | 5 yr | 71.3 lb |
| ALPHA 3 | 12V 300Ah | 5,000+ | Yes | Yes | 300A | IP65 | 5 yr | 71.7 lb |
| ALPHA 3 PRO | 12V 314Ah | 8,000+ | Yes | Yes | 200A | IP65 | 10 yr | 71.7 lb |
| ALPHA 4 LITE | 24V 100Ah | 4,000+ | No | No | 100A | IP65 | 5 yr | 52.9 lb |
| ALPHA 4 | 24V 100Ah | 5,000+ | Yes | Yes (200W) | 100A | IP65 | 5 yr | 48.5 lb |
Sizes: the 100Ah models measure 10.2 x 6.6 x 8.3 in, the 200Ah models and the ALPHA 4 measure 20.9 x 8.1 x 8.5 in, and the 300Ah and 314Ah models measure about 20.6 x 10.6 x 8.7 in. Weights and sizes are as Rich Solar lists them; check your battery box before you order.
How much energy you actually get
Rated energy is volts times amp-hours: 1,280Wh for a 100Ah, 2,560Wh for a 200Ah, 3,840Wh for a 300Ah and 4,019Wh for the 314Ah ALPHA 3 PRO. To plan conservatively we use 90% of that as usable energy:
- 100Ah (ALPHA 1 family): about 1,150Wh usable
- 200Ah (ALPHA 2 family) or 24V 100Ah (ALPHA 4 family): about 2,300Wh usable
- 300Ah (ALPHA 3, ALPHA 3 LITE): about 3,450Wh usable
- 314Ah (ALPHA 3 PRO): about 3,600Wh usable
The 90% figure is our planning assumption, not a Rich Solar rating. A weekend camper running lights, a water pump, a fan and phones is well served by 100Ah. A 12V compressor fridge plus a laptop or Starlink usually pushes you to 200Ah or more. If you are still working out your daily number, our battery size guide walks through it.
Which tier should you buy?
Buy a LITE if
You camp from spring to fall, the battery lives inside the heated coach, and you are happy reading state of charge from a battery monitor or your controller instead of a phone. The LITE models are also the high-current choice at 200Ah: the ALPHA 2 LITE is rated for 200A continuous, twice the ALPHA 2 and ALPHA 2 PRO. That matters if one battery will feed a 2,000W inverter.
Buy the standard ALPHA if
You camp where nights drop below freezing. LiFePO4 must not be charged below 32°F. A LITE simply waits until it warms up, which can mean your solar does nothing on a cold morning. The standard ALPHA's internal heater warms the cells so charging can start. You also get Bluetooth monitoring, so you can see state of charge, voltage and temperature on your phone.
Buy a PRO if
You live in the rig, cycle the battery every day, or want the longer warranty. The PRO rating of 7,000+ cycles (8,000+ for the ALPHA 3 PRO) against 5,000+ for the standard battery, and the 10-year warranty against 5, are the reasons to pay more. Note that the ALPHA 3 PRO is 314Ah but is rated for 200A continuous, while the 300Ah ALPHA 3 and ALPHA 3 LITE are rated for 300A.
Check the current rating against your inverter
An inverter pulls far more amps from a 12V battery than most people expect. A rough rule is AC watts divided by 12, then divided by 0.9 for inverter losses. So 1,000W of AC load pulls about 93A, and 2,000W pulls about 185A. Against Rich Solar's ratings:
- An ALPHA 1, ALPHA 2 or ALPHA 2 PRO (100A) comfortably supports about 1,000W of continuous AC load.
- An ALPHA 2 LITE, ALPHA 3 PRO or ALPHA 3 MINI (200A) supports about 2,000W.
- An ALPHA 3 or ALPHA 3 LITE (300A) supports about 3,000W.
Two batteries in parallel share the load, so two 100A batteries give you about 200A between them. Size the inverter cable and fuse for the inverter, not for the battery. See Rich Solar NOVA inverters: PURE, SWITCH or SUPERCHARGER? for matching an inverter to the battery.
12V or 24V?
The ALPHA 4 and ALPHA 4 LITE are 24V batteries. Use them only if your whole DC system is 24V: inverter, charge controller and charger. Most RVs and vans are 12V because the lights, pump and fans are. A 24V bank halves the current for the same inverter power, which is why Rich Solar's 1200W and 1600W complete kits pair two ALPHA 4 batteries with a 24V inverter. For a 48V home or cabin bank, Rich Solar's ALPHA 5 PRO is a 51.2V 100Ah server rack battery.
Short on space?
If the battery has to fit under a bench or a dinette seat, look at the compact MINI batteries before buying two ALPHA 2s. Rich Solar says the 460Ah ALPHA 6 MINI takes 42% less space than two ALPHA 2 200Ah batteries. Our ALPHA 3 MINI vs ALPHA 3 vs ALPHA 6 MINI comparison has the sizes.
FAQ
Does the ALPHA 1 have Bluetooth and a heater?
Yes. Rich Solar lists the ALPHA 1 with Bluetooth and a 100W internal heater. The ALPHA 1 LITE has neither.
Can I mix a LITE and a PRO in parallel?
Rich Solar's listings give a 4P parallel limit but don't cover mixing models. Lithium banks work best with identical batteries of the same age, so we recommend matching models. Ask us before you mix.
Will my RV converter charge an ALPHA battery?
Rich Solar specifies a 14.4V charging voltage. A converter or charger with a lithium (LiFePO4) profile is the right match; an older lead-acid converter may not fully charge it. See our converter upgrade guide.
Where do these ship from?
Every Rich Solar battery ships from our warehouse in Upland, California, to the lower 48 states only. Browse the full Rich Solar range.