The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) has announced $1.49 million in funding to Melbourne battery technology company Relectrify to advance their commercial scale battery and inverter system using repurposed second-life EV batteries.

Relectrify is launching a 36kW/120kWh commercial scale modular battery product, using second-life electric vehicle battery packs.

The $3.3 million project will see Relectrify finalise development and undertake certifications ahead of the roll out of 20 battery units across commercial and industrial customer applications throughout Australia.

Relectrify’s advanced BMS+Inverter battery control technology can boost lifetime and performance of batteries, while reducing battery system costs. The technology, which was developed with support from ARENA in 2018, combines both hardware and software.

EV batteries are often considered to have reached end of life when their batteries have degraded to 80% of their initial capacity. While EV drivers may seek a new battery to improve driving range, the second-life battery remains a valuable and useful asset in stationary storage applications.

Relectrify’s project will showcase the capability of its technology to extend the lifetime of batteries while also highlighting the opportunity to reduce battery cost further using second-life batteries.

ARENA chief executive Darren Miller says the project will also help to reduce costs and improve pathways for battery storage to be installed at commercial scale, particularly in industrial settings: “Battery storage is already playing a crucial role in supporting the transition to renewable energy within industry, however, we need to do more to make it commercially viable.

“Second-life batteries have significant potential to drive down costs, and Relectrify’s battery management and inverter technology can provide what is needed to transform them into valuable assets for businesses looking to make the switch.”

This new commercial-scale battery – roughly ten times the size of a Tesla Powerwall 2 – will provide a cost-effective form of battery storage for use in commercial and industrial settings.