Jaguar Land Rover (JRL) and Wykes Engineering are teaming up to create mass energy storage systems all made from old electric car batteries. Their hope for these systems is to decarbonize the UK's National Grid by harnessing solar and wind power using the stated second-life EV batteries.
About 30 second-life Jaguar I-PACE batteries can harness enough energy to power 250 homes for a day. These batteries have been collected from test and prototype vehicles, a full stock that was never going to see the market, so why not utilize their capabilities. JRL’s aim is to collect enough batteries to hold 7.5MWh (megawatt hour) of energy, that’s enough energy to power roughly 750 homes daily till the end of 2023!
“Working together with industry-leading partners, we are developing a complete EV ecosystem, from batteries to charging, supporting our net-zero transformation,” stated Executive Director of Strategy and Sustainability at JRL, François Dossa.
The Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) is set to support JRL’s drive to become net-zero by 2039 across its supply chain, products, and operations. Each individual BESS has been linked to an inverter, a device that collects energy and converts it over to another currency. This allows for maximum efficiency and energy management, and it will send energy straight to the National Grid during peak hours. The BESS has also been programmed to harness any excess solar energy during off peak hours and store it for future utilization. These battery systems are a great way to reduce the Grid’s carbon intake, and maximize the storage and usage capability of solar and wind power.
Also, helping to bring the project to its top sustainability potential, there is not a third party or production step in between the battery’s retrieval and system implementation. The battery is simply taken out of the vehicle and placed in a slotted rack in on-site containers. JRL’s batteries have a significant life cycle; they are engineered to the highest standard but once they drop below the required health level for an EV, they are deemed as insufficient, typically leaving 70 to 80% life capacity left. Reusing these batteries will create a circulatory production chain, and an economic model for renewable energy alternatives. It will also keep waste out of our landfills!
