Old electric vehicle batteries are to be sold to households to store power in their homes under plans announced by Renault. The company, Europe’s biggest electric carmaker, has struck a deal with the domestic battery provider Powervault to repurpose old batteries when they are no longer fit for use in cars. Powervault said that using the “second life” batteries would enable it to offer home storage for about £3,000, a 30 per cent discount on new lithium-ion home batteries, and should boost take-up. Only a few thousand UK households are thought to have installed batteries, but it is considered a fast-growing market as technology costs fall. Batteries are primarily marketed at households with solar panels to allow them to store surplus solar power generated during the day for use when it is dark, reducing the power they need to buy from a supplier. Powervault said customers could cut electricity bills by up to 35 per cent by using their spare solar power and also charging batteries with cheap night-time economy 7 electricity rates. A typical large family home with solar panels could save up to £210 a year, meaning it would still take at least 15 years to recoup the battery installation cost.
Times 5th June 2017 read more »
The UK is to become home to Europe’s largest battery flywheel system in a first for the country which will provide fast acting frequency response services and aid the integration of renewables. The €4 million (~£3.5 million) project is being brought forward to support the project which will be delivered by a consortium of engineers from the University of Sheffield, flywheel specialists Schwungrad Energie and Adaptive Balancing Power, and product supplier Freqcon. Almost two thirds (€2.9 million/~£25 million) is coming from the European Union’s Horizon2020 scheme, and the system will be connected to the Irish and UK grids to help respond to energy demand and stabilise pressure on existing infrastructure.
Solar Portal 2nd June 2017 read more »