• • • NEWS • • •
Survey shows EVs pushing battery prices down to make way for ESS
STENA GIVES VOLVO BUS BATTERIES A SECOND LIFE
between Volvo Buses and Stena Recycling subsidiary Batteryloop. After the batteries are removed from Volvo’s buses, they are reused as energy storage units for a number of years, for instance in buildings and charging stations. “Volvo Buses is one of the pioneers in electromobility which provides clean,
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quiet and efficient public transport. We have a clear-cut sustainability strategy at every single stage of our value chain, and we are now taking yet another step forward through planned, consistent reuse of bus batteries. In our electromobility operation we are thus creating a new circular business cycle and this cooperation is truly a major step in the right direction,” said Håkan Agnevall, President of Volvo Buses. Repurposing the batteries means that natural resources can be conserved
electricity grid and ancillary services will witness rapid growth in the coming two to three years because of their increasing number of applications and the falling cost of systems due to electric vehicle (EV) development. Key drivers are increased variable renewables integration, rising energy demand, asset retirements and smart digital technology innovation, says GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company. ESS is expected to serve as a crucial hub for the entire electricity grid - right from managing power during peak load periods, enabling energy management, and boosting the quality and reliability of power; to helping decrease environmental impacts. GlobalData’s latest report,
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‘Thematic Research: Energy Storage Systems (ESS)’, highlights that the potential applications of ESS have gained the attention of a number of stakeholders across the value chain, paving the way for the next phase of the energy transition. Energy storage is serving as a major enabler of a smarter grid, and battery energy storage systems (BESS) provide a broad range of primary and ancillary services and functions for grid operators. Sneha Susan Elias, Senior Power
Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “Lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries are emerging as a frontrunner among the battery energy storage technologies. The increasing growth of EVs resulted in advancements in Li-ion technologies and a steady decline in the prices of lithium-based batteries. As battery costs continue to fall, grid-scale energy storage will eventually displace existing natural gas peaker plants. “In future, grid-scale storage will also play a key role in balancing
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nergy storage systems (ESS) installations linked to the
networks. Renewable generation is notoriously intermittent. Energy supply must become more dynamic to accommodate this intermittency. Coal and nuclear cannot ramp up and down sufficiently fast; only natural gas and batteries have the capability to provide back-up power.” Along with Li-ion batteries,
sodium-ion and redox flow batteries are also promising technologies for the future. Elias continues: “Solid state
batteries are inching closer to commercialization. They will reduce batteries’ flammability, liability to short circuit, and substantially increase the number of charging cycles. While Li-ion batteries have gained more popularity than other battery energy storage technologies, with wide-scale deployment in EVs and electricity grids, the introduction of graphene can help revolutionize the way batteries are utilized and enhance their market potential. Graphene will make these batteries more lightweight, durable, applicable in high-capacity energy storage, and enable them to charge more rapidly.” Battery factories across the world
have scaled up for the production of batteries for electric vehicles. This fall in battery prices has hastened the economic viability of battery energy storage and hastened the deployment of energy storage projects globally. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has brought about supply constraint, which has had an impact on the global EV markets along with energy storage projects, causing project delays or rise in cost. And this situation disagrees with conventional narrative about grid storage projects and EVs reaping benefits from steady decrease in battery price.
ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING • SEPTEMBER 2020
since it is not necessary to use new batteries for energy storage. The new recently signed agreement has a global reach.
Knightsbridge launches self-test emergency lighting range
he commercial service lives of bus batteries are significantly extended and natural resources are conserved. That is the result of a new cooperation
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nightsbridge, one of the UK’s leading brands of lighting and wiring accessories, is introducing a range of self-test emergency lighting
products that offers convenience, compliance, cost savings and ease of fault identification. The comprehensive, LED-powered range, which is ideal for retail, commercial, industrial and HMO applications, comprises of a robust bulkhead unit, a contemporary downlight, high lumen twin spotlights, and a versatile exit sign. The self-test feature is built into each product and conducts routine
functional and duration testing in accordance with the relevant standards, obviating the need for costly manual testing and intervention other than to record and rectify faults. With no requirement to isolate the mains supply to test, there is no disruption to the normal working day and no loss of productivity. After installation and an initial 24-hour charging period, the product
conducts its own self-test operation. This comprises of a 3-hour duration test, after which a 30-second ‘monthly’ function test is carried out every 28 days, and then yearly another 3-hour duration test. Following each self-test sequence, the unit will revert into charging mode. The unit’s status and any fault modes are shown by the bi-colour LED
indicator. A green light is displayed in normal running mode, while a red light operates to indicate the following: one red flash indicates a battery fault, two red flashes indicates a lamp fault and three red flashes indicates a duration test failure. Manual initiation of the testing procedure is also possible should it be required. When it comes to emergency lighting, the new Knightsbridge range of self-
test luminaires puts safety first while requiring minimum manual intervention post installation, therefore keeping costs down.
electricalengineeringmagazine.co.uk
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