B2U's Plan to Transform More Depleted Electric Car Batteries into Solar Storage

Sarah Favot

Favot is an award-winning journalist and adjunct instructor at USC's Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism. She previously was an investigative and data reporter at national education news site The 74 and local news site LA School Report. She's also worked at the Los Angeles Daily News. She was a Livingston Award finalist in 2011 and holds a Master's degree in journalism from Boston University and BA from the University of Windsor in Ontario, Canada.

B2U's Plan to Transform More Depleted Electric Car Batteries into Solar Storage

Nissan Leaf's were one of the first mass-marketed electric vehicles to hit the market. Now, as their first generation batteries are reaching the end of their ability to power electric vehicles, the question has become what to do with tens of thousands of batteries piling up.


One Santa Monica-based company, B2U Storage Solutions, has found a solution: transforming these batteries and those from other car manufacturers into storage for solar energy, effectively creating an 8.5 megawatt solar power plant in the Lancaster desert. The stored solar energy can then be sold to the grid to power the region in the evenings, when the demand for electricity is high and energy from the sun isn't available.

With a state ban on the sale of new gasoline-powered cars set to take effect by 2035, millions of electric vehicles are expected to be sold in California in the coming years. It's created a headache for policymakers who are grappling with how to regulate the disposal of these batteries.

Worried about the glut of batteries, state Assemblymembers Brian Dahle and Phil Ting wrote legislation that was signed into law in 2018 aimed at creating a plan. The Lithium-Ion Car Battery Recycling Advisory Group, consisting of car manufacturers, the salvage industry, recyclers and nonprofits and facilitated by the California Environmental Protection Agency, are studying what regulations should be in place when it comes to the disposal of EV batteries.

"With California continuing to expand its rollout of zero-emission vehicles, it is critical that we as a state prepare for the large-scale battery recycling necessary to accommodate the transition to greener technology," said Mark Isaac Isidro, legislative director for Assemblyman Tom Lackey, a co-author of the bill whose district includes Lancaster.

Recycling lithium-ion batteries can be tricky because they are comprised of metals like lithium, cobalt and nickel that are difficult to recycle. The battery cells are also glued together with strong adhesives, making it hard to separate them. It is often cheaper to mine new metals.

But energy storage is one solution.

B2U CEO Freeman Hall is making a pitch that the batteries should be given a second life before they're recycled.

"We're helping gain that trust with the [original equipment manufacturers] because they're such an important voice in how the rules will get written on lifecycle management and we want to make sure that they understand that reuse is a very good place to go when risk is managed appropriately," he said. "And we think we can be the leading reuse provider for batteries in second life stationary storage and we think that we have a good business model to manage that risk at scale."

Hall said his business sits at the intersection of two big societal and environmental needs: transforming the power sector into renewable energy and transitioning the transportation sector toward electrification.

Maria Xylia, a research fellow at SEI - Stockholm Environment Institute and co-author of a report called "Beyond the Tipping Point: Future Energy Storage," agrees. Batteries are often considered useless for cars after they reach 80% of their battery capacity, she said.

"So that means that you have a whole lot left which is not applicable for car vehicle applications, but it's great for stationary storage and all these other opportunities, so why waste this opportunity?," she said. "It's a great way of handling the question of what you do with batteries and improving even more the environmental benefits from electrification in the transport market."

And investors are watching. B2U recently closed a nearly $10 million Series A raise that will help it expand its capacity at the Lancaster site and to bring on another site in Southern California by the second or third quarter of next year. The round was led by the power division of Japanese trading conglomerate Marubeni.

By this time next year, Hall plans to produce about a total of 50 megawatt hours with both projects.

The Lancaster array contains about 500 batteries. By early next year, Hall expects that number to reach 1,000.

Hall said the typical cost of recycling a battery is $500 to $700. If the batteries can be reused, it will reduce the cost of recycling.

"We can pay for those batteries rather than OEMs having to pay for the recycling," he said.

B2U purchases the batteries from manufacturers like Nissan, typically when they're at 65% of their capacity or greater. Hall said he's looking at salvage yards as another supplier; that's generally where cars end up that can no longer run because of powertrain issues, for example.

The batteries are kept in their original casing, eliminating the need to repurpose them, and placed into large cabinets that are wired to each other, using the company's proprietary technology, to create a large-scale energy storage system.

The batteries slowly charge during the day and once the sun goes down, B2U sells the energy to the grid when wholesale market prices are more expensive.

Aging studies conducted by B2U show that each battery can run for about 2,000 cycles before they are no longer useful. Each day is about 1 cycle, resulting in an additional five and a half years of use.

"Things are working very well. We're making pretty good money and we do believe we're proving our thesis that our proprietary technology using these second-life batteries is going to be a lower cost and we will be able to sort of demonstrate the reliability and performance over time of the solution," Hall said.

LA’s Data Center Supply Crunch

🔦 Spotlight

Happy Friday Los Angeles!

The Los Angeles data center market is experiencing a significant supply crunch, ranking 12th in growth among top markets since 2020 with only 265 megawatts of colocation inventory (data centers where businesses rent space to store their computing hardware and servers). Despite this, demand is surging, driven by AI, cloud, and hyperscaler needs, with AI accounting for 20% of new data center demand nationally. This scarcity is creating a highly competitive environment, with vacancy rates at a record low 3% and asking rents rising 13-37% year-over-year. For Los Angeles, this presents both challenges and opportunities in the big picture. The city's strategic position as a global entertainment hub and its connectivity to international markets through subsea cables make it an attractive location for data centers. However, the limited inventory and rising costs could potentially hinder growth and innovation in the tech sector. To maintain its competitive edge, Los Angeles will need to address these constraints through new developments, such as GI Partners' 16 MW addition at One Wilshire, and by focusing on high-connectivity, high-power capacity submarkets. The city's tech community should prepare for a landscape of increased competition for quality data center space, higher costs, and the need for innovative solutions to meet growing demand, particularly in AI and cloud services. While Los Angeles faces a challenging data center supply crunch, its strategic advantages and ongoing developments offer a promising path forward.


🤝 Venture Deals

LA Companies

  • Daisy, a one-year-old startup that designs and installs smart home and office technology systems, raised a $7M Series B co-led by Goldcrest and Bungalow, with previous investors Bullish and Burst Capital also stepping up. The company has raised a total of $13.3 million. - learn more

LA Venture Funds


    ✨ Featured Event ✨

    LA TECH CEO SUMMIT

    LA’s tech leadership is set to reunite after a long break! This two day summit will focus on building strong connections, sharing insights, and fortifying the local tech community.

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    🌐Decentralizing Data & Vacations: Sony's Web3 Leap and Sensible Weather's KOA Partnership

    🔦 Spotlight

    Happy Long Weekend Los Angeles!

    Sony Group is making a significant push into the blockchain and Web3 space, leveraging its Sony Pictures and Sony Music divisions along with a new global incubator. The company has developed the Soneium blockchain through Sony Block Solutions Labs, a joint venture aimed at accelerating Web3 innovation. Sony is launching the "Soneium Minato" public testnet and a developer incubation program called "Soneium Spark" to foster ecosystem growth and adoption. The initiative includes strategic partnerships with Web3 companies such as Astar Network, Circle, and Optimism. Sony aims to create a fan community centered on creators and connect diverse values through Soneium, with the ultimate goal of integrating Web3 services into people's daily lives. While the company acknowledges the challenges faced by Web3, including limited user adoption and the need for mainstream use cases, it remains committed to decentralizing the concentrated power of the current internet landscape.

    In completely unrelated and more digestible news Sensible Weather, a leading weather protection provider that we’ve featured many times, has partnered with Kampgrounds of America (KOA) to offer Weather Guarantees at over 450 KOA Campgrounds across the United States. This collaboration allows campers to purchase weather protection for their outdoor experiences, providing peace of mind and potential reimbursements of up to 100% of their nightly rate if weather conditions exceed predefined parameters. The partnership comes at an opportune time, as camping has seen a significant increase in popularity, with active campers growing by 68% over the past decade. If you are looking to do some camping this fall make sure you look into Sensible Weather protections to ensure that unpredictable weather won't dampen (nailed it) your camping experience.


    🤝 Venture Deals

    LA Companies

    • Space and Time, a blockchain data warehouse developer, raised a $20M Series A led by Framework Ventures. - learn more
    • Miris, a provider of spatial content streaming solutions, raised a $26M Seed Round led by IAG Capital Partners. - learn more

    LA Venture Funds

    • Fika Ventures led a $4.55M Seed Round for Revenew, a San Francisco startup that aims to help digital platforms and marketplaces manage their payments and optimize financial operations. - learn more
    • Bonfire Ventures participated in a $25M Series A for Supio, an AI platform for personal injury law firms. - learn more
    • Amplify LA participated in a $2M Seed Round for Pryzm, a startup that provides tools and data to help businesses navigate government contracting more efficiently. - learn more

      ✨ Featured Event ✨

      LA TECH CEO SUMMIT

      LA’s tech leadership is set to reunite after a long break! This two day summit will focus on building strong connections, sharing insights, and fortifying the local tech community.

      Learn More Here

      Register Here


      Download the dot.LA App

      Personality Assessments Improving Workplace Dynamics

      Misunderstandings can have significant and sometimes severe impacts, far beyond the hilarious cake pictured above. Many organizations are increasingly using personality assessments to improve team dynamics and productivity. Tests like the Enneagram, Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), and DISC assessment are valuable tools for developing existing teams in addition to hiring new employees. These assessments provide insights into team members' motivations, communication styles, and work preferences, helping colleagues understand each other better. By highlighting the different personalities within a team, these tests can enhance communication, resolve conflicts, and optimize task assignments based on individual strengths. As companies aim for greater efficiency and collaboration, the Enneagram, MBTI, and DISC assessments are becoming essential for transforming established teams into more effective and cohesive units.


      Image Source: iEQ9

      Enneagram

      The Enneagram test is a sophisticated personality assessment that categorizes individuals into nine distinct personality types, each defined by unique motivations, fears,and behavioral patterns. This holistic approach enhances team dynamics in a business setting by fostering self-awareness, improving communication, and facilitating conflict resolution among team members. By understanding different personality types, teams can optimize their composition, tailor professional development, and create a more empathetic and collaborative environment. This framework not only helps leaders adapt their styles to better support diverse team members but also promotes inclusivity and effective collaboration, ultimately leading to improved team performance, productivity, and retention.

      Resources:iEQ9. We recommend getting an Enneagram coach to get the most out of the results.

      Key Features: Focus on core motivations. Accounts for personality shifts under stress or growth. Offers practical, actionable guidance for personal growth. Uses a dynamic, adaptive questioning approach. Claims 95% accuracy rate through advanced techniques.


      Image Source: DiSC Profile

      DiSC (Dominance, Influence, Steadiness, and Conscientiousness)

      The DiSC assessment is a widely used behavioral analysis tool that categorizes individuals into four primary personality types: Dominance, Influence, Steadiness, and Conscientiousness. For businesses, DiSC provides valuable insights into employees' communication styles, work preferences, and motivations. By understanding these behavioral tendencies, teams can improve collaboration, reduce conflicts, and enhance overall productivity. Implementing DiSC in a business setting can lead to more effective leadership, tailored communication strategies, and optimized task allocation based on individual strengths.

      Resources:DiSC Profile.

      Key Features: Designed specifically for workplace applications. Focuses on observable behaviors rather than psychological traits. Widely researched and validated over 40+ years. Provides practical strategies for improving interactions.


      Image Source: The Myers-Briggs Company

      The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)

      The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) is a widely used personality assessment tool that categorizes individuals into 16 distinct personality types based on four dichotomies: Extraversion/Introversion, Sensing/Intuition, Thinking/Feeling, and Judging/Perceiving. For businesses, the MBTI provides valuable insights into employees' communication styles, decision-making processes, and work preferences.This helps promote a more productive workplace, and enables employees to become involved in more meaningful ways, all while leveraging everyone’s unique strengths.

      Resources:The Myers-Briggs Company.

      Key Features: Focuses on preferences rather than traits. Focuses on how people perceive and judge information. Widely used in business and career counseling


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