A ‘Second Life’ for Retired Electric Vehicle Batteries-Company Based in San Diego Emerges with New Technology
Many people are concerned about what will happen to the growing quantity of used electric vehicle batteries as the number of electric vehicles on the road increases. Local business Smartville Inc. introduced a gadget last week that gives old batteries a “second life.”
Battery packs are boxed up and installed on the side of a commercial building in Miramar so that any excess energy generated by the rooftop solar panels may be stored there until it is needed. The batteries can then power the building at night when no solar energy is being collected or during a brownout or blackout, decreasing the building’s reliance on the electric grid.
Smartville in search of new usages
Smartville Inc. COO Evan Bierman says. “This has been the goal from day one to employ second-life batteries better, cut emissions, and bring a cleaner future along with U.S. domestic manufacturing to the United States and San Diego. As the number of registered EVs continues to grow, Smartville is finding new uses for the batteries removed from Nissan and Tesla electric vehicles.”
California has more registered electric cars than any other, and if their batteries aren’t performing at top levels, it’s time to get new ones. However, those batteries still have some life left (often between 50% and 75% of their maximum capacity) before they should be recycled.
A new technology that utilizes the benefits of green solar energy
In spite of its age, that battery has a lot of life left in it. “Furthermore, Bierman stated. “Instead of wasting the battery through recycling or disposing of it, we put it to good use. We’re using green solar energy that’s been generated in excess to stabilize the grid and cut down on pollution.” The project received money from the California Energy Commission, and Cleantech San Diego, a local non-profit, helped the startup access even more funding and resources.
By putting two and two together, we see a massive influx of used batteries entering the recycling market, “Smartville’s CEO, Antoni Tong, recently spoke with CBS 8. “If you want an estimate, consider that by 2030, we will have a national supply of batteries equal to roughly 100-gigawatt hours per year. You may install them where they’ll do the best, like helping to stabilize the grid or giving companies access to the energy storage they need.
After a successful debut, Smartville plans to fully commercialize the process within the next year, first throughout the state and then throughout the country. In time, EV uptake spreads outside the Golden State, “Tong remarked. “We will establish collection points on both the East and West Coasts to receive used batteries in exchange for energy storage.
This method offers a superior choice for the batteries after their useful life has ended and before they are recycled. It helps relieve strain on the power grid and can be scaled up for use by other business structures in the area.
