CARLSBAD — Carlsbad-based Smartville Inc., an electric vehicle battery-repurposing company, was recently awarded $10 million from the U.S. Department of Energy as part of a $325 million investment to develop long-duration energy storage technologies.
The funding, from the DOE’s Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations, will go to 15 projects intended to provide “benefits to local power systems, mitigate risks associated with disruptions to the grid and help communities develop reliable and affordable energy systems,” a statement from Smartville said.
“Recycled batteries from electric vehicles are the most sustainable and environmentally friendly form of battery energy storage,” said Mike Ferry, president of Smartville. “Smartville’s mission is to give these batteries a second life as reliable and domestically produced storage assets.”
The Carlsbad company will deploy its Smartville 360 energy storage systems in six locations across four states. The systems will use repurposed EV battery packs from retired electric vehicles in the United States.
They are intended to provide grid resiliency and backup power while simultaneously helping lower energy costs for senior centers, low-income multi- family affordable housing complexes and EV charging facilities in San Diego, Atlanta, New Orleans, Orangeburg and Denmark, South Carolina. In total, more than 7 megawatt hours of battery capacity will be installed, the company statement said.
In developing the proposed projects, the Carlsbad company received key support from the HBCU Community Development Action Coalition and four Historically Black Colleges and Universities – Denmark Technical College, Claflin University, South Carolina State University and Dillard University in New Orleans.
“Smartville’s energy storage technologies and cutting-edge methods to repurpose EV batteries are helping underserved communities develop affordable energy systems,” said Rep. Mike Levin, D-San Juan Capistrano. “Congratulations on this well-deserved grant and I look forward to more funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law coming to our district to strengthen energy durability in our communities.”
