Dr. Kevin Wood Featured on KPBS, Stays on-top of Energy Storage
Grid scale energy storage is of critical importance for a sustainable energy future. Without grid scale energy storage California is quickly reaching a maximum amount of intermittent energy generation sources (i.e. solar and wind). Therefore, cost effective and environmentally sustainable grid scale storage needs to be developed. To achieve this goal the Interface Design Lab (IDL) is working with collaborators in the electrical engineering department to repurpose electric vehicle (EV) batteries for use on the grid. Many used EV batteries are no longer suitable for the high power density requirements of transportation, but have more than sufficient capabilities for grid storage. Therefore repurposing these batteries for use on the grid improves sustainability by limiting the additional resource consumption of manufacturing new batteries, and better utilizes the "sunk" energy costs associated with manufacturing and recycling these systems. To make the repurposing of the EV batteries possible, the IDL is developing solutions to make these second-life batteries last longer without safety concerns.
https://youtu.be/Yd5OPJTnjsw?
