BMW’s battery storage farm at its Leipzig production facility connects old EV batteries into a large-scale storage system that balances local wind energy.
EVs are forecast to account for 95 GWh of used battery capacity by 2025, no longer suitable for mobility uses, but major manufacturers are starting to see this as a new resource, not a problem. BMW is driving change in the industry with its battery storage farm, which connects 700 BMW i3 high-capacity batteries to onsite wind resources and the local grid, with enough storage capacity to power 50,000 homes for one month. The modular system provides grid balancing and increased security of supply, saves on energy costs by absorbing electricity when prices are low, and increases the adoption and growth of renewable energy and EVs in Germany.
This solution was featured in Reuse to Repower market of the 2018 Global Opportunity Report, and was selected based on the criteria of that report.
How the Global Goals are addressed
Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure
BMW’s cyclical approach, using old products to assist its transition to a low-carbon economy, can show other firms how to become more sustainable
Responsible Consumption and Production
The life-cycle approach demonstrates a new circular business model and reduces the environmental footprint of EVs.
Life on Land
Mining the resources needed to produce batteries has been linked to soil and water pollution. Finding a second use for EV batteries can help alleviate these concerns.
BMW
Automated driving, electro-mobility, on-demand mobility and connectivity-mobility have never been so fascinating – and automobile advancement never so exciting and promising – as it is today.
Global Goals addressed
