General Motors (GM) is recycling used Chevy Volt batteries and putting them to good use by providing renewables-sourced power for the company’s new data center at its Milford Proving Ground. GM’s June 16 press release explains:

Because the Volt typically draws its power from a band of energy in the battery pack, there is a lot of leftover juice for stationary use. A new solar array and two wind turbines feed the administration building’s circuit breaker panel, where the five Volt batteries work in parallel to supply power to the building, delivering net-zero energy use on an annual basis.

“Even after the battery has reached the end of its useful life in a Chevrolet Volt, up to 80 percent of its storage capacity remains,” said Pablo Valencia, senior manager, Battery Life Cycle Management. “This secondary use application extends its life, while delivering waste reduction and economic benefits on an industrial scale.”

Combined, the 74-kilowatt solar array and two 2-kilowatt wind turbines produce 100 megawatt hours of power a year, roughly enough to supply the energy needs of 12 average households. In the event of a power failure, the batteries can supply the facility with electricity for up to four hours.

Chevy is now gearing up for the release of the lighter, more efficient second-generation Volt.

via Wired
Photo credit: GM