Volvo Buses is taking part in a research project in Gothenburg, Sweden, where used electric bus batteries get a second lease of life as solar energy storage units.
The research is taking place in Riksbyggen’s Viva housing co-operative in Gothenburg. A unique system has been made whereby energy from solar panels on the roofs of the apartment buildings is stored in batteries that previously powered electric buses.
Says Ylva Olofsson Project Coordinator at Volvo: “We know that electric bus batteries have good potential for other applications such as energy storage after the end of their life in public transport. What we are examining here is exactly how good that potential is.
“Use of the batteries in an energy warehouse gives them an extended service life which in turn means better resource utilisation and less environmental impact. Here at Volvo we are examining various possibilities for the reuse of bus batteries for energy storage, and Viva is one such example.”
