Flow batteries are ideal energy storage solutions for large-scale applications, as they can discharge for up to 10 hours at a time. This is quite a large discharge time, especially when compared to other battery types that can only discharge up to two hours at a time. The main difference that. Lithium ion batteries is a leading rechargeable battery storage technology with a relatively short lifespan (when compared to flow batteries). Their design involves only one. To expand on the differences between the battery technologies discussed above, we have outlined the five key differences between the two below. The differences between flow. Are you interested in installing a battery energy storage system? Whether it be a flow or lithium ion system, EnergyLink's team of experts will.