From used e-bike batteries to affordable energy storage

Millions of e-bike and electric scooter batteries are discarded each year, even though they may still be useful. Now, a German startup is trying to reduce battery waste by integrating used batteries from e-mobility vehicles into energy storage systems.

EDENenergy, which has only three part-time employees in addition to its three founders, has launched its first commercial product: a 70 kilowatt-hour battery system that uses no fewer than 112 second-hand electric scooter batteries.

All modules were thoroughly tested, and the results were better than expected. The company’s founders, who were previously researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE, said they expected the old batteries to have about 80% of their remaining lifespan, but tests revealed that most retained around 90% of their original capacity.

A simple modular energy storage system

After being exploited in their previous lives, electric scooter batteries will have a much simpler future in the startup’s energy storage systems, where vibrations and extreme temperature fluctuations do not exist. Additionally, the system’s long-term energy capacity can be easily maintained at 70 kWh simply by replacing the modules that become unusable over time.

EDENenergy’s first commercial energy storage system uses 112 reused e-scooter batteries.

Photo by: EDENenergy

The startup stated that it monitors each module remotely, and when replacement is needed, it can be done without shutting down the entire system. This is a significant advantage, especially in energy-sensitive scenarios where cutting power supply would result in substantial losses.

Also for storing solar energy

The most attentive observers will have noticed that there is a solar inverter on one side of the battery box. This is because EDENenergy’s first product was designed for companies that have solar panels but cannot yet store solar energy. “In mid-October, we delivered the first storage system to a customer, an important milestone for our young company,” said Florian Bierwirth, one of the founders. “With these storage capacities, we initially aim to serve medium-sized businesses in the region that have photovoltaic systems but still lack a storage solution.”

For the next step, the startup wants to find a way to use batteries from different manufacturers. “To do this, the connector interfaces, battery management system, and communication protocols must be adapted for each new battery. There is a particularly wide range of options when it comes to e-bikes,” said Bierwirth. Currently, the small company relies on large suppliers who can send large quantities of the same type of battery.

A battery system with a higher capacity of up to 300 kWh is also in development, making use of around 500 used electric scooter batteries instead of sending them to landfills. The batteries will eventually run out of charge, but when that happens, they will be sent to a recycling facility where they will be disassembled and their contents reused if possible.

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