Quote:
Originally Posted by ga9213
What are your thoughts on current utilizations of "EOL" batteries (not really EOL, just EOL for automotive use) being used for grid storage to help buffer demands? Do you think that might be a potential option to help alleviate brownouts?
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Private installations those make for a good secondary use. Diminished capacity will reduce cost savings some, but is well offset when buying used vs new.
Commercially on a wide spread industrial scale my gut tells me it will never happen, even if pressured to try. That gut reaction is fully based on liability/maintenance. We have a lot of battery backup systems to run the grid systems when the actual power is out. Large Battery maintenance is part of the job. Batteries get sick and behave non-uniformly. It creates risk and labor costs. Imagine having 1000 batteries all interconnected, and each with its own "history" and "issues". It would be a nightmare to manage that load, and the risk (overheat/fire, and loss of function). It could certainly be done, but would it be economical? Large utilities don't like risk, and let's be honest, we want it that way. Perhaps private large scale storage banks will be a thing, I just hope the do the math on the labor to run it long term. This kind of labor is paid 100K/yr minimum. Batteries don't create energy, they only capitalize on spot price differences ( working on margin) vs. actually creating value like solar and wind. There is less profit to work with.