VALORCAR launched yesterday (June 11th) an innovative electric vehicle charging unit, which uses the electricity produced by photovoltaic solar panels and stored in reused lithium batteries from electric vehicles. The unit is located at the premises of VALORCAR and ACAP, in Belém, and the inauguration ceremony was presided over by the Assistant Secretary of State and Mobility.
INNOVATIVE PROJECT
Lithium batteries still retain about 70% of their energy capacity when they can no longer be used in hybrid and electric vehicles. Thus, it would be a waste to send them directly to recycling without trying to use them for other applications.
In order to encourage the reuse of these batteries and to extend their useful life, VALORCAR has established a partnership with ZEEV that aims at its reconditioning and reuse for other purposes, such as in stationary storage units.
To give the example, VALORCAR installed 62 solar photovoltaic panels in its headquarters, with the support of 2 reused batteries (with a storage capacity of about 50kWh per day), and a charging station for electric vehicles. This photovoltaic system will be able to produce approximately 32 MWh of clean energy annually, equivalent to the annual consumption of 19 family dwellings, and will avoid the emission of 32 tons of CO2.
The batteries in this system will store electricity for when it is needed, such as for electric vehicles charging. When a charging station is used in conjunction with a photovoltaic system on a self-consumption basis (considering 100% of the vehicle battery charge is based on the solar photovoltaic), the 'supply' cost is almost zero. Thus, not only financial savings are very significant, but the environmental footprint related to the use is almost nil.
With this installation, it is estimated that VALORCAR will avoid buying the equivalent of 32 MWh to the grid, generating an annual electricity saving of around 5,200 €. This translates into an investment recovery in about 8 years.