B2U Storage Solutions, a California-based battery energy storage systems (ESS) manufacturer, announced that it has reached 25 MWh of storage capacity at its SEPV Sierra hybrid solar and storage facility in Lancaster, California.
The storage capacity at the facility is made up of 1,300 repurposed electric vehicle (EV) battery packs from automobile manufacturers Nissan and Honda. According to the company, this is the world’s largest operational UL 9540-certified ESS using recycled EV batteries, showcasing its patented EV Pack Storage (EPS) technology.
The Sierra hybrid storage facility, which is interconnected directly to the grid, generated $1 million in revenue in 2022 by selling power and grid services into the state’s wholesale power market. The facility started commercial operations in 2020 and its capacity was expanded in phases.
The company says it has also tested GM Bolt and Tesla Model 3 battery packs with its EPS system, demonstrating the compatibility of the EPS system with any EV battery.
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It adds that the EPS system is designed to provide 24/7 reliable operation and is certified to UL 9540. It continuously monitoring and controls each battery to maintain operating specifications, using cabinet controllers and ancillary equipment to manage the internal cabinet environment. If any component deviates from its operating specifications and design limits, battery packs are automatically disconnected to prevent potential hazards.
“The EPS system’s cabinet controllers connect and disconnect batteries wired in series and parallel strings during charge and discharge cycles so that weaker batteries with lower capacity do not limit the output of stronger batteries,” Freeman Hall, Co-founder and CEO of B2U Storage Solutions, said. “This approach enables our system to achieve efficient energy yield despite the variance in capacity inherent in second life batteries.”
B2U predicts the growth of recycled EV battery capacity will reach more than 200 GWh by 2030.
B2U Storage Solutions was founded in 2019 by Freeman Hall and Mike Stern. The company was spun off from Solar Electric Solutions, which developed 100 MW of solar PV across 11 projects.
