Green Economy Journal Issue 57

ENERGY
We are morally obliged to demand
ENVIRONMENTALLY SOUND
BATTERIES to store RENEWABLE ENERGY
The energy crisis in South Africa has fundamentally changed how most people see electricity,
and it took a leap in the right direction when Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana announced
incentives for South Africans to invest in solar energy.
BY REVOV*
There’s always a tinge of irony that what should be an
environmentally conscious decision is forced by the inability
of the national power utility to produce enough electricity
and volatile fuel prices which make running internal combustion
generators exceedingly expensive – especially during prolonged
periods of loadshedding at higher stages.
Be that as it may, some would argue that it doesn’t matter how
one arrives at the correct destination, what matters is that they have
arrived. So, let’s talk solar. Very simply, as everyone reading this will
understand, solar panels convert sunlight into power that can be
used in homes and businesses.
However, anyone who watches the Eskom updates daily on power
usage will see that renewable energy is not fixed. There are periods
where more is produced, and periods where less is produced. This is
the nature of the environment. Either there is good sunlight or it is
overcast, either there is plenty of wind or there is not.
It’s here where many who have not yet seen the light – pun intended
– miss the point, and also why there comes a time in every national
dialogue that batteries and large battery installations come into the
spotlight. This is because batteries, configured correctly in a renewable
energy installation, can store the power being produced to provide a
constant, reliable and predictable flow of electricity.
Understanding this is the first step of an environmentally responsible
citizen. The second step is in appreciating that the battery you use
affects whether you are making the most of the clean power being
produced. Ask yourself: are you even aware of the carbon footprint of
the batteries stacked in your garage or warehouse.
Lithium iron phosphate batteries have proven, time and again, to be
the best chemistry for battery storage. Lithium iron phosphate is safe,
reliable, effective and enjoys a much longer lifespan than other battery
types such as gel or lead acid. However, not all lithium iron phosphate
batteries are the same.
Some, which are called LiFePO4, are made – at the outset – for storage
solutions. Minerals are mined, beneficiated and configured into batteries
for the storage market. This market competes with the electric vehicle
(EV) market, where increasing demand results in increasing prices.
Even worse, a new class is emerging. Class B storage cells, which
manufacturers and white labelers are now calling “cost effective”, with a
reduced warranty and cycle life. Watch out.
The batteries made for the EV market are engineered differently,
to withstand harsh operating conditions such as higher temperatures
and charge and discharge rates. Every EV needs to change its battery
when the weight is no longer justified by the output. However, within
these batteries that are removed are some perfectly sound individual
battery cells.
Instead of throwing the whole battery into a landfill somewhere and
poisoning the planet, environmentally conscious engineers take these
good battery cells and configure them into storage batteries, which
we call 2nd LiFe. These batteries have comparable lifespans to LiFePO4
batteries, with the added benefit of being able to withstand harsh
operating conditions.
Understanding this is crucial: the batteries are not secondhand –
they didn’t exist until now. Rather, their individual cells are made up
of the good cells that were retrieved from EV batteries and repurposed
into storage battery units.
It’s here where the homeowner and business owner can drive
positive change and a crucial environmentally conscious mindset
in South Africa’s revolution towards renewable energy: even if it
has been forced on them. The carbon cost of 2nd LiFe batteries has
already been paid. These batteries are as near to carbon neutral as
one can find, whereas the LiFePO4 batteries come at a significant
carbon cost that includes mining, shipping, beneficiation and
complex logistics all the way to installations near you.
Either there is good sunlight or
it is overcast, either there is
plenty of wind or there is not.
The 2nd LiFe battery cells paid their carbon dues in their first life
in EVs. Make no mistake, LiFePO4 batteries are still far better and
cleaner options than the archaic chemistry called lead acid. If you’re
undecided, always choose lithium over lead.
Customers can drive a mindset shift. It’s about time more people
look around and appreciate the immense damage we have caused to
the environment. Extreme weather events and entire ecosystems are
at risk. This means it is not only admirable but non-negotiable that we
put the planet front and centre in all investment decisions – especially
those that harness clean energy.
*Written by Lance Dickerson, MD, REVOV.
37