Energy storage systems giant B2U Storage Solutions has officially launched operations on its second “grid-connected hybrid storage facility” in Santa Barbara County, California.
What’s more interesting about the new facility is its utilization of second-life electric vehicle batteries, significantly addressing the world’s issue of recycling enormous battery packs.
About the SEPV Cuyama facility
According to the press release, the SEPV Cuyama hybrid facility integrates hundreds of repurposed Honda Clarity electric vehicle batteries with 12 MWh storage capacity through B2U’s patented EPS technology.
“B2U’s EPS technology is able to deploy EV batteries in their original pack casing utilizing the pack’s native battery management system (BMS) software, which eliminates repurposing costs. In the case of the battery cabinets at the Cuyama project, we deploy 24 Honda Clarity EV batteries per cabinet.”
Freeman Hall, B2U Storage Solution CEO and co-founder, told CleanTechnica
This ground-breaking battery energy storage system (BESS) taps into 1.5 MW of solar power and the electrical grid.
Notably, it registered under the Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) distribution system to supply power to the California Independent System Operator (CAISO) market.
B2U Storage Solution CEO and co-founder Freeman Hall also shared with the news website that the system will initially reach a storage capacity of 6 MWh and eventually grow to 12 MWh by the end of 2023.
B2U’s other hybrid storage sites
B2U noted that the Cuyama facility is already its second project of this kind after the launch of the SEPV Sierra Facility in Lancaster in February 2023.
It reportedly features more than 1,300 EV battery packs with a storage capacity of 28 MWh, marking the company’s biggest active BESS facility using retired EV batteries.
Meanwhile, its five-year-old One Ten Partners facility only uses solar PV with a storage capacity of 2.7 MW, unlike the other two that are hybrids. B2U disclosed plans to transform the facility to become a hybrid solar + second-life EV storage facility in 2024.
“Our team has made incredible progress this year, bringing the Cuyama site online following the completion of our Sierra Facility earlier in the year.
As our second operational hybrid second-life storage facility, Cuyama further cements B2U’s position as the leader in the reuse of EV batteries in large-scale storage applications. Sierra and Cuyama demonstrate how our EPS solution enables the reuse of EV battery packs in large-scale storage applications in a plug-and-play fashion, eliminating repurposing costs. These solutions will only become more valuable as the industry grapples with the challenges of EV battery reuse and recycling in coming years.”
Freeman Hall, B2U Storage Solution CEO, and co-founder, stated in the press release
Market forecast
IDTechEx projects that the second-life electric vehicle battery industry can potentially hit a market valuation of $7 billion by 2033.
It indicated that repurposing retired EV batteries is crucial for various reasons, including the following:
- adds value to future energy infrastructure
- establishes a circular economy for EV batteries
- provides a lower storage levelized cost than new batteries
All that said, it is no wonder that companies like B2U Storage Solution continue to launch major projects to advance in this market. Such BESS initiatives significantly aid the global shift to sustainable and renewable energy. It also helps the EV industry counter the common narrative that power batteries adversely affect the environment as they are hard to recycle.
