Smart energy meters and advanced recycled batteries are already having an impact on day-to-day life in Europe. Perishability of instant electricity generation produces a large amount of energy waste. Saving it to recycle it later can have a massive impact on the energy market.
Smart battery controllers combined with smart meters can be used to balance the demand and availability of cheap electricity. The controller is programmed to absorb energy either in times when electricity is cheaper, or with PV panels in daytime. The energy stored can then be used in moments when energy is expensive or not available.
In the UK, energy storage systems have been developed, underpinned by a large stock of batteries that are removed from electric cars. Reused electric vehicle batteries, or second life batteries have a significant remaining life after their removal from the car. We have some way to go until the electric car industry reaches that level of maturity in Australia.
The future in the UK is that the widespread use of cheaper batteries (disposed from electric cars) will level the energy demand by lowering the peak and increasing the base load at night. An energy buffer in each building would also reduce the need for over-generation in the network (spinning reserve).
Widespread use of smart batteries is coming and it will result in cost savings, increased ability to use renewables and network efficiency. Engineering Consultants Australia are here to assist in defining the most suitable solution for each installation.
You can watch more on the UK trends on this link: