Smartville, an electric vehicle (EV) battery-repurposing company, has received an additional $2.65 million in federal and state funding to support the innovation and growth of EV battery repurposing solutions that bolster lithium battery circularity. A $1.15 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Solar Energy Technology Office (SETO) will be used to develop a complete battery energy storage system (BESS) with key power electronics and system integration that uses solar generation to charge second-life EV batteries.
The company was also awarded an additional $1.5 million from the California Energy Commission as part of a state match to the DOE’s $5.9 million federal grant announced earlier this spring in support of its large-scale Smartville 360 second-life BESS product.
The DOE awards companies that are working to advance the affordability, reliability and performance of solar technologies onto the grid, which Smartville aims to do by using solar energy stored in second-life EV batteries to charge first-life EV batteries. Through this grant, Smartville will further advance technologies and processes that support EV battery reuse efforts across the country and accelerate the commercialization of Smartville 360.
“Reusing EV batteries to store power, recharge new EVs, and tap into the bountiful West Coast sunshine are all viable and affordable solutions at our fingertips today,” said Antoni Tong, CEO of Smartville. “The Smartville 360 sustainably powers communities and lessens our dependence on external energy sources, which will help keep the lights on during energy emergencies.”
The latest round of DOE funding supports Phase II of its Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program that encourages U.S.-based businesses to engage in high-risk, innovative research and technology development with the potential for future commercialization.
According to the Internal Energy Agency (IEA), global EV sales surpassed 10 million in 2022, with sales expected to rise dramatically over the next several years, meaning the number of second-life EV batteries will also continue to grow, turning waste management challenges into sustainable energy opportunities. Batteries retired from EVs retain most of their storage capacity, making them ideal candidates for stationary storage and reuse before being recycled.
Smartville’s suite of proprietary software, hardware, and diagnostics provides guaranteed performance from repurposed EV batteries for stationary storage serving both enterprise and utility customers.
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