Japan – The world’s first large-capacity Sweep Energy Storage System, which was created by JERA and Toyota and is connected to the consumer electrical power grid using batteries salvaged from electrified vehicles, has just launched.
Toyota’s new storage system includes a feature called sweep that enables the use of reclaimed vehicle batteries to their full potential regardless of the degree of deterioration regardless of their performance and capacity disparities. The sweep function, created by Toyota Central R&D Labs, is a tool that allows unrestricted control over energy discharge by quickly turning on and off (bypassing) electricity flow through batteries connected in series.
Additionally, by recycling onboard inverters, the sweep function also makes it possible for direct AC output from the batteries, negating the need for a power conditioner (PCS). In order to increase efficient energy consumption, this aids in cost reduction and helps prevent power loss when converting from AC to DC using PCS.
Storage demand
Storage battery demand is anticipated to increase as they become essential supply-stabilizing instruments as renewable energy sources are expanded in the effort to reduce CO2 emissions, a crucial step toward reaching carbon neutrality. The need for environmentally friendly activities, such as recycling spent batteries from electric vehicles for use as storage batteries, is continuous due to the limited supply of battery ingredients, such as cobalt and lithium. In response, JERA and Toyota started working on developing battery reuse technologies in 2018, which ultimately resulted in this substantial, grid-connected Sweep Energy Storage System.
