Battery wear refers to the gradual loss of a battery's capacity to hold a charge over time. As a battery goes through repeated cycles of charging and discharging, its ability to store energy diminishes, resulting in a decrease in the overall battery capacity.
This process is influenced by various factors, including the number of charge cycles, charging habits, temperature exposure, and the age of the battery. Battery wear is inevitable, leading to shorter periods of use between charges and, eventually, the need for battery replacement.
Most office workers may not notice battery wear until it significantly affects their device's performance. However, for salespeople and workers who are frequently on the move, battery wear can have a substantial impact, disrupting their mobility and productivity. The reliance on laptops for presentations, client meetings, and remote work makes battery health crucial for these individuals.
Investigate faulty manufacturing
It’s not too uncommon for batteries in new devices to show symptoms of wear and swelling early on. Pay close attention to this, as most batteries come with a limited one-year warranty even if the endpoint has a longer warranty.
The typical battery wear ranges anywhere from 1 % to 10 % during the first year. If you are seeing drastically higher numbers during the first year, create a service request to the manufacturer to get a replacement battery.
Train proper charging habits
Charging habits play a crucial role in determining the lifespan of a laptop battery. Consistently charging the battery to its full capacity (100 %) and then allowing it to completely discharge to 0 % can accelerate the wear process. This cycle puts a strain on the battery by pushing it through extreme states of charge and discharge, which can lead to increased chemical stress and degradation of the battery's internal components over time.
Instruct your end-users to keep the battery levels between approximately 20% and 80% wherever possible to prolong the battery life significantly.
Some manufacturers, like Lenovo, Dell, and HP to name a few allow you to set the maximum threshold for your battery to enforce the setting.
Avoid extreme temperatures
Environmental conditions, particularly extreme temperatures, play a significant role in accelerating battery wear in laptops. Exposing a laptop to very hot or cold environments can cause the battery to degrade faster than it would under normal conditions.
High temperatures can lead to swelling and increased chemical activity within the battery, causing it to lose its charge capacity more quickly. Conversely, cold temperatures can reduce the battery's ability to deliver power, although this effect is usually reversible once the battery warms up. To minimize the impact of temperature on battery lifespan, it's essential to use and store the devices within the manufacturer's recommended temperature ranges.
Additionally, ensuring that the laptop's cooling systems, such as fans and heat sinks, are clean and functioning correctly can help maintain optimal operating temperatures and prevent overheating, further protecting the battery from premature wear.
Exercise proper storage
When a laptop is stored for extended periods with its battery either fully charged or completely drained, it subjects the battery to extreme states that can cause irreversible chemical changes within its cells. A fully charged battery, when kept in storage, may experience increased internal pressure and heat, leading to the breakdown of the battery's chemical structure. This breakdown reduces the battery's capacity to hold a charge over time and cause the battery to swell.
On the other hand, storing a laptop with a completely drained battery can lead to a deep discharge state, potentially causing the battery to enter a state where it can no longer accept a charge, effectively making it unusable.
To prevent such outcomes, it's recommended to store laptops with their batteries charged to about 40 % to 60 % of their total capacity.
Tune power settings
Using a laptop on high performance settings consistently increases its power consumption because these settings optimize the device for maximum efficiency and performance at the expense of higher energy use. This results in the battery draining faster, necessitating more frequent recharges to maintain the device's operation throughout the day. Each charge cycle slightly degrades the battery's capacity, so the more often the battery is charged, the faster it wears out.
The best way to combat this is to set the default power plan centrally using any modern endpoint management solution or Group Policy Objects.
For instructions on how to set the power plan with Group Policy Objects, visit https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/ask-the-directory-services-team/managing-power-with-group-policy-part-1-of-3/ba-p/395121.
For Microsoft Intune, visit the Microsoft Most Valuable Professional (MVP) Prajwal Desai’s tips and instructions https://www.prajwaldesai.com/how-to-configure-power-options-using-intune/.
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