As the first rounds of electric vehicle batteries that hit the market in about 2010 begin to go into retirement, many users are finding unique ways to re-purpose electric vehicle batteries. Lithium-ion batteries, which are used in most electric vehicles, are still viable after they’ve been replaced with new batteries. The used batteries often have at least another seven to ten years of useful electricity discharge available once they’ve been stripped from the electric vehicles. It is not enough power for the vehicle to continue using, but it can be useful for many other applications. Without finding a way to re-purpose these batteries, the impact on landfills would be tremendous, in excess of about 3.4 million battery packs by the year 2025 according to a Bloomberg forecast. Gervais Electric, a certified Tesla and BMW vehicle-charger installer, has several useful tips to help users re-purpose electric vehicle batteries.
As electric vehicles become more and more popular, it is suggested that the world’s energy may become more dependent upon the retired electric vehicle batteries in ways which currently use traditional power grids. In China, where nearly half of the world’s electric vehicles are currently driven, they’ve already begun using recovered batteries to power less demanding electronics by using solar and wind turbines to recharge the batteries efficiently. In Japan, for example, used Nissan Leaf batteries are storing power with solar panels and being used to power various appliances at 7-Eleven stores like food warmers and drink coolers. This makes used electric vehicle batteries retain a certain amount of value. When it comes time to replace the batteries on your electric vehicle, not only can you find ways to use them for a power resource, but you can also find buyers who would like to use them in various ways as well!
Use with Solar Panels
For some homeowners who employ solar power, using the retired batteries as a means of electricity storage has been a great way to save money and supplement solar power. Whether you experience regular power outages or you’re running completely off the grid on a solar system, using a re-purposed electric vehicle battery as storage can help you get through overcast days and nights when you may otherwise be without electricity. The batteries are charged when conditions are good and feed into the home when the power is needed.
EV Batteries as a Backup Power Source
The average home uses around 30 kilowatt-hours per day. Although consumption does range depending on the time of day, temperature, and other variables, most households use the most electricity in the mornings getting ready for their days and at night preparing dinner, watching tv, doing laundry, etc. When considering backup power options for your home, it is important to understand your family’s peak electricity consumption times so you’ll be prepared during a power outage. It’s also important to focus on using less electricity during a power outage so that your backup power source can provide enough energy to your home during a blackout. Typically, especially in urban areas, power outages only last for a few hours so having enough stored power in place for a few hours would likely be ten kilowatt-hours or less. For example, a spent Chevy Volt battery can serve as a backup power resource with storage capacity up to 16 kilowatt-hours.
If you have a need for configuring a backup power source using retired electric vehicle batteries or ideas to re-purpose electric vehicle batteries, please contact Gervais Electric. We would be happy to help you devise a plan that works to meet your power needs.
