Power management company Eaton and automotive manufacturer Nissan have signed an agreement to explore the feasibility of jointly developing, industrialising and commercialising energy storage and control systems, leveraging the expertise and industrial assets from both companies.
The decarbonisation of developed economies, the integration of intermittent renewable energy sources into the grid whilst maintaining grid stability and helping developing nations’ economic and energy growth without a dramatic increase in CO2 emissions are critical issues today.
An affordable method to enable widespread access to clean energy in all regions of the world is a vital element in the list of steps needed to mitigate climate change. The combination of power electronics and control software, renewable energy and stationary storage into a single, packaged system that can be installed in diverse environments is required to enable this.
With many years of experience in battery manufacturing and over fifty years of experience in power electronics respectively, Nissan and Eaton are primed to take on the challenge and this landmark partnership, using tried and tested technology, is making that possible today.
Robert Lujan, electric vehicle director at Nissan Global, says: “The batteries as power units far outlast the typical life of a car. Having produced our own electric vehicle batteries at our leading manufacturing sites for many years, this scheme will allow us to expand the life of our existing 24kWh product therefore reducing the need to use additional resources from the planet to produce new batteries.”
Cyrille Brisson, vice-president: marketing for Eaton’s Electrical business in EMEA, adds: “These systems will really facilitate the wider adoption and deployment of renewable generation; giving people greater control over their energy supply and consumption.
“The multiple benefits of such a unit include continuity of supply, increased grid stability and efficiency, avoidance of peak energy tariffs and reducing the reliance on expensive fuels like diesel to compensate for no-grid or poor-grid situations,” Brisson says.
“Over 3-billion people rely on polluting and inefficient cooking, lighting, and heating methods that are expensive and have serious health impacts. Enabling the delivery of cleaner, more affordable energy to these people, including the 1.2 billion people who have no access to electricity at all, will really make a difference.”
