more tie-ins to residential solar installation?

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jlsoaz

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Joined
Jul 8, 2012
Messages
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Location
Southern Arizona, USA
The recent Honda/Solar-City announcements have got me thinking that maybe Nissan could do something along these lines as well. I am not sure what form this could take that would be beneficial both to Nissan customers and to Nissan. Some ideas might include:

- Maybe just a straightforward question of a sale of both solar and plug-in vehicle, and charger install, and maybe some home energy storage, to a homeowner?
- Maybe a less somewhat less strong tie-in of an alliance with a solar installer(s) to make available to homeowners several different options.

I feel kind of dubious about these but other examples:
- We know that Nissan is working on Leaf2Home and perhaps there is a way to integrate a solar install with Leaf2Home so that it would be seemless?
- Getting a deal on recycled batteries to use for one's solar system?
 
Ford had announced a partnership with SunPower a year or so ago, to complement their plug-ins. When I had my PV system installed, I spoke with SunPower, and they were by far the most expensive option in town. I still don't know whether this partnership actually makes sense, versus simply doing the legwork for yourself. Then again, I have my doubts of Nissan's partnership with AV in providing EVSEs. This again was the most expensive option for me, so I went out on my own to purchase and install an EVSE.

jlsoaz said:
- Getting a deal on recycled batteries to use for one's solar system?

I don't know how big the market will be for this, but I for one am very interested. I may keep my old Leaf battery around if/when I refresh it in 5-10 years for just that.
 
GetOffYourGas said:
Ford had announced a partnership with SunPower a year or so ago, to complement their plug-ins. When I had my PV system installed, I spoke with SunPower, and they were by far the most expensive option in town. I still don't know whether this partnership actually makes sense, versus simply doing the legwork for yourself. Then again, I have my doubts of Nissan's partnership with AV in providing EVSEs. This again was the most expensive option for me, so I went out on my own to purchase and install an EVSE.

I agree, I still can't tell if these auto/solar partnerships will have real-world benefits for all or not, but it seems worth mulling over. In the case of Solar City, and that company's Tesla/Musk tie-ins, it seems perhaps worth mentioning that some solar installers develop EVSE installation competency, and so that tie-in would seem to be somewhat clear, though I don't know if it's potentially profitable.

GetOffYourGas said:
jlsoaz said:
- Getting a deal on recycled batteries to use for one's solar system?

I don't know how big the market will be for this, but I for one am very interested. I may keep my old Leaf battery around if/when I refresh it in 5-10 years for just that.

Yeah, I hate to say it, but sometimes I contemplate whether someday a person might retain a used Leaf or other EV just to park it somewhere at their home and use the battery pack and move toward onsite energy storage. I feel like it's an oddball thought and in several ways likely not economically or technologically practical, and so I haven't said anything but your comment brings the thought to mind again.
 
jlsoaz said:
Yeah, I hate to say it, but sometimes I contemplate whether someday a person might retain a used Leaf or other EV just to park it somewhere at their home and use the battery pack and move toward onsite energy storage. I feel like it's an oddball thought and in several ways likely not economically or technologically practical, and so I haven't said anything but your comment brings the thought to mind again.

I was actually referring to extracting the battery and putting it in my garage or basement, but your idea/interpretation is an interesting one. Seems kind of a waste, though, given that EV would probably be in excellent running order with a new battery. Why buy a whole new car rather than replace the battery in the one you have?
 
From the standpoint of both Nissan and the customer, it's likely that the extract-the-battery approach is more logical, and we know that eventually there is a need to deal with EV Traction battery re-use in other applications before the battery itself is physically recycled (Nissan has I think been forward-thinking about this). So, there might be tie-ins for Nissan's business goals.

I guess I was thinking about sort of an almost absurdist convenience. Tired batteries? Park the car, get some continued use out of the batteries, maybe don't have to do as much pack maintenance as one might have to do with the usual batteries (or maybe it would be necessary) and get a new car.

One thing that's not clear to me - for both lead-acid and Lithium, I don't know the conditions that would be required as to setting them up outside the car. Keep out of sunlight? Add water? House inside or outside? Set up a shack of some sort? Ventilation? Robust protection from the elements? Etc.
 
Companies are already setting up business models where used EV batteries are being used for energy storage purposes.

EV batteries are too high voltage for most solar gear. I have a 48 volt system and that's as high as residential solar gets. The other issue is the charging profile for Lithium chemistry is completely different than the one for lead chemistry. You could design your own BMS, but why? Lead acid batteries are much cheaper and all the equipment is readily available.
 
All of those ideas look workable, but I've decided to wait on UCLA's graphene super capacitors that will easily attach underneath each PV panel and give all the storage needed to go off-grid.
 
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