Hundreds of used EV battery packs are getting a second chance at a California building connected to the state’s power grid, thanks to a company pioneering technology that it claims will dramatically reduce the cost of storing carbon-free energy.
B2U Storage Solutions Inc, based in Los Angeles, claims to have a 25 megawatt-hours storage capacity of 1,300 former EV batteries linked to a solar energy facility in Lancaster, California.
Chief Executive Freeman Hall claims the project is assumed to be the first of its kind, selling power into a wholesale market, and earned $1 million last year.
An affordable way to dispatch batteries
The technology is still in its early stages, and grid-scale storage offers a valuable location for the millions of used battery packs generated by the shift to electrified transportation soon.
Reuters reported that it is also a less expensive way to dispatch the massive battery capacity required to store solar and wind energy when the sun isn’t shining, or the wind isn’t blowing.
B2U’s technology enables EV battery packs to be grouped without first being disassembled. The company was founded in 2019 and is backed by the Japanese trading company Marubeni Corp.
Project developers can save money and resources by extending the life of the batteries. According to Hall, a system like B2U’s could reduce grid-scale battery capital costs by 40%.
“Second life and re-use help the overall lifecycle be more energy efficient, given all the efforts that go into making that battery. So you’re getting maximum value out of it.”
Chief Executive Freeman Hall
More projects to come
Battery capacity degrades over time as they power vehicles. However, according to Hall, they are still valuable as stationary storage, which has lower demand.
The batteries in the B2U system are up to 8 years old and have previously powered Honda and Nissan vehicles.
As if that is not enough, the company is currently looking to construct new projects in California and Texas.
