Old EV Batteries as Solar Storage Solution

[kristopher]

Old EV Batteries as Solar Storage Solution

<snip>

...The potential of car batteries

One of the ways utilities are looking to store energy on their massive infrastructures is using old hybrid car batteries tied together to create community energy storage (CES). It’s a development being studied right now by a partnership of Nissan North America, the ABB power and technology company, the UK company 4R Energy and investment firm Sumitomo Corporation of America.

Even after the electric car’s battery has served its purpose, it typically can still operate at 70% of its capacity.

Most lithium-ion battery packs that power vehicles such as Nissan’s all-electric car, the LEAF, have an estimated life of about 10 years, just shy of the average age of an automobile these days. But even after the electric car’s battery has served its purpose, it typically can still operate at 70% of its capacity and when you tie a handful of them together, Nissan and ABB think the combined storage will supply a collection of homes with power.

ABB has already demonstrated a prototype modular CES unit using five used Chevrolet Volt batteries. That demonstration unit also used depleted batteries that had reached the end of their useful automotive life, which means only 30% of their life had been used.

“This leaves a tremendous amount of life that can be applied to other applications like powering a structure before the battery is recycled,” Pablo Valencia, GM senior manager of battery lifecycle management in stated in a press release....

ETA: Not sure how to turn off smilies. They are messing up the link at the /colon oh/ so I've broken it. If you want to read the article, put the two sections together.

http://www.solarnovus.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=6339: old-ev-batteries-as-solar-storage-solution&catid=38:application-tech-features&Itemid=246

[defacto7]

1. I already have this as a setup

when my 2003 Honda Civic Hybrid looses it's engine or trany. My solar panels will make them go quite a ways. I will read the article but this is already a done deal for me. I have 120 NiMH cells in rods of 6 each that will NOT be returning to the dealer. These are gold to me. I could go on about my hybrid and how I have extended the pack against the will of the company but I'll save that for a night I have a couple of hours to write.

[freshwest]

2. Kristopher, this is great. Do me a favor and post on some passive green systems, too.

They won't generate electricity but reduce dependence on fossil, wood and electric use and don't pollute or require a lot of money to create. I don't know of any centralized or corporate sellers, though. Thought it might be a good small community solution as well...

[eridani]

3. A possible answer to Germany's solar overload problems

--that were pointed out in the article on solar power in Germany.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

4. Years ago I lived beyond electric lines...

I set up a 12 volt lighting system powered by old car batteries in parallel.

They were charged from a windmill hooked to an old car generator. When that didn't do the job there was a backup consisting of a lawn mower engine pullied to another old generator. Fire it up until the little tank was empty and it was good for another two weeks of light.

These days with advances in LEDs one could easily build a 5 volt system.

BTW: Crystal Chandeliers were great because they are light multipliers. A single flame is reflected over and over upon itself. Computers could design some fantastic improvements using LEDs.

[defacto7]

5. It's a great article

I am glad there are ideas that cover both renewable sources and environment protection. I still have to add that people can do many of these things on their own without much effort. It does take a little research and elbow grease but not really that much. I think a community effort in individual neighbourhoods that help each home set up their own systems free of outside systems is best, but that's my take. I have solar panels that I made from used (discarded) cells that give me 10A @ 22VDC. I put in a 12V house system that runs LED lighting as well as air filtration units and it is still expanding. I am using nasty old lead acid batteries that I've refurbished or just reclaimed but I really hate these things. Thus the hybrid battery unit in my car will be very handy when the car is done with them. The dealership pronounced them dead and wanted $3000 to replace them. I just rewired them with a grid charger, did some rebalancing and they are holding 174VDC very well and they run like new. There's a longer version to the story but it's too long for this. I understand these used battery units are coveted by the dealership because they do what I did and resell them. It's a shame they get away with it because there are better ways to utilize our personal resources than accepting their gainful spiel.

Sorry if I talk about this too much. I get a little excited about it.

[quadrature]

6. better use... isolated areas of the world...

that have inadequate electric hookup.
Germany is already hooked up.

[FBaggins]

7. This could also help reduce the cost of EVs

You should be able to pre-sell the used battery upon purchasing the vehicle (with built-in insurance for accidents).

Maybe even set up an automatic battery replacement program (like a long-term warranty), since the cars should outlast the batteries' useful lives. I know that the expectation that I would need to replace my hybrid battery in a few years (long before I woudl expect a Honda to need expensive service) was a concern for me.

[Yo_Mama]

8. Yes, that is a great point

The cost of the battery is a huge part of the price of the car. If you had a relatively high resale value once it needed to be replaced, it would cut the effective cost of the car.

It's also a wonderful way to lessen the environmental impact - reusing these batteries.

Is there any data on how long a life they will have until they reach, say, 30% charging capacity?