B2U Storage Solutions said 6MWh of storage capacity is now operational at SEPV Cuyama, the company’s second hybrid solar storage facility in New Cuyama, Santa Barbara County, CA. B2U said it will expand the facility’s 12MWh of storage capacity in the next couple of months. Cuyama currently features 12 cabinets of reused EV batteries, primarily sourced from Honda vehicles, which could grow to as many as 24 cabinets and include units from other manufacturers as the site is scaled. The Cuyama hybrid storage facility is interconnected directly to Pacific Gas and Electric’s (PG&E) distribution system, selling power into the California Independent System Operator (CAISO) wholesale power market and grid services including resource adequacy as well as selling renewable energy certificates (REC).

The launch of the Cuyama site follows the completion of B2U’s SEPV Sierra Facility in Lancaster, CA in February 2023. According to B2U, the Sierra facility features 28MWh of storage capacity comprising 1,300 second-life EV battery packs. A third B2U-owned facility, One Ten Partners, is a 2.7 MW solar PV facility that has also been operational for five years. The team said it plans to convert that site to a hybrid solar and second-life EV storage facility in 2024.

Like the Sierra Facility, Cuyama features B2U’s patented EV Pack Storage (EPS) technology. B2U said EPS provides safe and reliable operation 24/7, is certified to UL 9540 and continuously monitors and controls each battery to ensure operating specifications are maintained. EPS cabinet controllers and ancillary equipment sense and manage the internal cabinet environment surrounding each battery pack. To mitigate any potential hazards, battery packs are automatically disconnected if any component deviates from its operating specifications and design limits.

According to forecasts by IDTechEx, the second-life EV battery market could reach $7B in value by 2033. As the industry actively seeks out viable, affordable solutions for battery reuse and recycling, B2U said it offers a unique value with its operational facilities, superior CapEx and Levelized Cost of Storage (LCOS) advantage.