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The Benefits of Battery Energy Storage for EV Charging

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17 Jan, 2023

This post was originally published on Power Sonic

Global electric vehicle sales continue to be strong, with 4.3 million new Battery Electric Vehicles and Plug-in Hybrids delivered during the first half of 2022, an increase of 62% compared to the same period in 2021.

The growing number of electric vehicles on the road will lead to exciting changes to road travel and the EV charging infrastructure needed to support it. One of the more notable changes to the infrastructure we are seeing is the combination of EV charging equipment with battery energy storage systems.

The electrical network is far and wide. However, only some parts of the electrical grid are set up to support EV charging. With larger electric vehicle batteries and the growing demand for faster EV charging stations, access to more power is needed. There are 350kW + DC fast chargers, which could quickly draw more power than the electrical grid can supply in multiple locations. Fortunately, there is a solution, and that solution is battery energy storage.

The battery energy storage system can support the electrical grid by discharging from the battery when the demand for EV charging exceeds the capacity of the electricity network. It can then recharge during periods of low demand. Using battery energy storage avoids costly and time-consuming upgrades to grid infrastructure and supports the stability of the electrical network.

Using batteries to enable EV charging in locations like this is just one-way battery energy storage can add value to an EV charging station installation. Let’s look at the other benefits of using battery energy storage with electric vehicle charging stations.

REDUCE EV CHARGING COSTS

Battery energy storage can shift charging to times when electricity is cheaper or more abundant, which can help reduce the cost of the energy used for charging EVs. The battery is charged when electricity is most affordable and discharged at peak times when the price is usually higher. The energy consumption is the same in kWh. However, electricity use has shifted from an expensive peak rate to a less costly off-peak rate.

This gives a competitive advantage as you have paid less for your energy than nearby EV charging stations, meaning you can either be more competitive on pricing to attract more EV drivers or maximize profitability per charge.

As you can see below diagram, the same amount of energy consumption is shifted from the peak rate to the off-peak rate.

REDUCE DEMAND CHARGES

As well as being charged for your energy consumption in kWh from your utility company, more often than not, you will also be charged for your peak power usage in kW. This is the amount of power you draw from the electric grid in any 15-minute period. Battery energy storage systems can help reduce demand charges by storing electricity during low demand and releasing it when EV charging stations are in use. This can dramatically reduce the overall cost of charging EVs, especially when using DC fast charging stations. You effectively can ‘shave’ the peak demand, as illustrated in the diagram below. Discover more about lowering demand charges.

Peak shaving using energy storage to reduce demand charges caused by EV charging

IMPROVE RELIABILITY AND RESILIENCE

Battery energy storage can provide backup power to charging stations during power outages or other disruptions, ensuring that EVs can be charged even when the grid is unavailable. This is especially important in emergency or evacuation situations; governments and municipalities must ensure that essential electric vehicle charging infrastructure can work during these events. The below diagram shows the difference between EV charging with battery energy storage and those without.

EV charging stations when the grid is down

INCREASE EV CHARGING CAPACITY

Battery energy storage can increase the charging capacity of a charging station by storing excess electricity when demand is low and releasing it when demand is high. This can help to avoid overloading the grid and reduce the need for costly grid upgrades. In the example below, you will see that you can effectively increase the output power by adding battery energy storage. In this application sizing the battery energy storage system based on available grid power and EV charging demand is very important to ensure the battery can be charged in times of low demand.

Increase EV charging output capacity with energy storage

INCREASE RENEWABLE ENERGY USE

Battery energy storage can store excess renewable energy generated by solar or wind and release it when needed to power EV charging stations. This can help increase renewable energy use and reduce reliance on fossil fuels. Using renewable energy sources and energy storage to power EV charging stations makes it possible to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve the overall sustainability of the transportation sector. Renewable energy, energy storage, EV charging, and clean energy generation are keys to reaching global Net-Zero targets.

ENHANCE GRID STABILITY

As mentioned earlier in this article, by storing excess electricity and releasing it when needed, battery energy storage can help smooth out fluctuations in demand and supply on the grid, improving overall grid stability and reliability.

IMPROVE EFFICIENCY

Battery energy storage systems can improve the overall efficiency of EV charging stations by reducing the amount of electricity lost during transmission and helping to optimize the charging process.

ENHANCE CONVENIENCE

With battery energy storage systems in place, EV charging stations can provide reliable, on-demand charging for electric vehicles, which is essential in locations where access to the electric grid is limited or unreliable. This can help to improve the overall convenience of EV charging for users and help enable EV charging anywhere.

Below is a video of an EVESCO battery energy storage system installed with DC fast charging stations.

Combing energy storage for EV charging has several benefits, as highlighted above, and as electric vehicle ownership grows, so will the demand for this type of infrastructure. We at EVESCO are excited about this innovative combination of technologies and are on hand to help you meet your EV charging needs.

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Taking the electronic pulse of the circular economy

Taking the electronic pulse of the circular economy

In June, I had the privilege of attending the 2025 E-Waste World, Battery Recycling, Metal Recycling, and ITAD & Circular Electronics Conference & Expo events in Frankfurt, Germany.

Speaking in the ITAD & Circular Electronics track on a panel with global Circular Economy leaders from Foxway Group, ERI and HP, we explored the evolving role of IT asset disposition (ITAD) and opportunities in the circular electronics economy.

The event’s focus on advancing circular economy goals and reducing environmental impact delivered a series of insights and learnings. From this assembly of international expertise across 75+ countries, here are some points from the presentations that stood out for me:

1. Environmental impact of the digital economy

Digitalisation has a heavy material footprint in the production phase, and lifecycle thinking needs to guide every product decision. Consider that 81% of the energy a laptop uses in its lifetime is consumed during manufacture (1 tonne in manufacture is equal to 10,000 tonnes of CO2) and laptops are typically refreshed or replaced by companies every 3–4 years.

From 2018 to 2023, the average number of devices and connections per capita in the world increased by 50% (2.4 to 3.6). In North America (8.2 to 13.4) and Western Europe (5.6 to 9.4), this almost doubled. In 1960, only 10 periodic table elements were used to make phones. In 1990, 27 elements were used and now over 60 elements are used to build the smartphones that we have become so reliant on.

A key challenge is that low-carbon and digital technologies largely compete for the same minerals. Material resource extraction could increase 60% between 2020 and 2060, while demand for lithium, cobalt and graphite is expected to rise by 500% until 2050.

High growth in ICT demand and Internet requires more attention to the environmental footprint of the digital economy. Energy consumption of data centres is expected to more than double by 2026. The electronics industry accounts for over 4% of global GHG — and digitalisation-related waste is growing, with skewed impacts on developing countries.

E-waste is rising five times faster than recycling — 1 tonne of e-waste has a carbon footprint of 2 tonnes. Today’s solution? ‘Bury it or burn it.’ In terms of spent emissions, waste and the costs associated with end-of-life liabilities, PCBAs (printed circuit board assembly) cost us enormously — they generally achieve 3–5% recyclability (75% of CO2 in PCBAs is from components).

2. Regulating circularity in electronics

There is good momentum across jurisdictions in right-to-repair, design and labelling regulations; recycling targets; and voluntary frameworks on circularity and eco-design.

The EU is at the forefront. EU legislation is lifting the ICT aftermarket, providing new opportunities for IT asset disposition (ITAD) businesses. To get a sense, the global market for electronics recycling is estimated to grow from $37 billion to $108 billion (2022–2030). The value of refurbished electronics is estimated to increase from $85.9 billion to $262.2 billion (2022–2032). Strikingly, 40% of companies do not have a formal ITAD strategy in place.

Significantly, the EU is rethinking its Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) management targets, aligned with upcoming circularity and WEEE legislation, as part of efforts to foster the circular economy. A more robust and realistic circularity-driven approach to setting collection targets would better reflect various factors including long lifespans of electronic products and market fluctuations.

Australia and New Zealand lag the EU’s comprehensive e-waste mandated frameworks. The lack of a systematic approach results in environmental degradation and missed positioning opportunities for businesses in the circular economy. While Australia’s Senate inquiry into waste reduction and recycling recommended legislating a full circular economy framework — including for imported and local product design, financial incentives and regulatory enforcement, New Zealand remains the only OECD country without a national scheme to manage e-waste.

3. Extending product lifecycles

Along with data security and digital tools, reuse was a key theme in the ITAD & Circular Electronics track of the conference. The sustainable tech company that I lead, Greenbox, recognises that reuse is the simplest circular strategy. Devices that are still functional undergo refurbishment and are reintroduced into the market, reducing new production need and conserving valuable resources.

Conference presenters highlighted how repair over replacement is being legislated as a right in jurisdictions around the world. Resources are saved, costs are lowered, product life is extended, and people and organisations are empowered to support a greener future. It was pointed out that just 43% of countries have recycling policies, 17% of global waste is formally recycled, and less than 1% of global e-waste is formally repaired and reused.

Right to repair is a rising wave in the circular economy, and legislation is one way that civil society is pushing back on programmed obsolescence. Its global momentum continues at different speeds for different product categories — from the recent EU mandates to multiple US state bills (and some laws) through to repair and reuse steps in India, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

The European Commission’s Joint Research Commission has done a scoping study to identify product groups under the Ecodesign framework that would be most relevant for implementing an EU-wide product reparability scoring system.

Attending this event with the entire electronic waste recycling supply chain — from peers and partners to suppliers and customers — underscored the importance of sharing best practices to address the environmental challenges that increased hardware proliferation and complex related issues are having on the world.

Ross Thompson is Group CEO of sustainability, data management and technology asset lifecycle management market leader Greenbox. With facilities in Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra, Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch, Greenbox Group provides customers all over the world a carbon-neutral supply chain for IT equipment to reduce their carbon footprint by actively managing their environmental, social and governance obligations.

Image credit: iStock.com/Mustafa Ovec

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