Nissan, the giant automaker, has come up with the idea of charging its new Nissan Leaf,s battery by solar power. This step has been taken to improve electric storage systems. Although Nissan Leaf has a good response in Japan, the company is looking for the next five-year plan when ageing Leaf will offer the best business opportunities to use lithium-ion batteries for storing electricity.
Nissan Motor Corp. said that the lifespan of the battery will be longer than an electric vehicle. Therefore, the used car batteries will provide an alternative to storing energy for future uses. At present, Japan is experimenting with a new technique to generate electricity as well as storage systems. Such types of provisions have been taken after the massive earthquake and tsunami in the northeast of Japan. As a result of the nuclear power plant meltdown and Fukushima Dai-Ichi backup generators’ destruction, Japan has to look forward to ending fears about power crunch.
On Monday, the company unveiled the new charging system to the reporters in the south-west of Tokyo, powered by about 488 solar cells which have been installed on the roof of the Nissan Headquarters Building in Yokohama.
According to the newsletter, the four batteries from Nissan Leaf have been kept in a box-shaped part of the building called a cellar. Nissan said that these batteries have the capacity to fully charge about 1,800 Leaf vehicles for a year.
Upgrading battery technology has brought a revolution in the electric storage systems. It has given a huge path to utilize renewable energy such as solar and wind power to harness electricity. This interesting idea will keep on growing in Japan because of uncertain natural calamities and their impact on nuclear power plants. At present, the Hamaoka Nuclear Plant has been shut down because of concerns and fears.
Other Japanese automakers such as Toyota Motor Corp. and Honda Motor Co. are working on different projects which aim to link hybrids with solar-equipped homes. These interesting projects are a part of energy-efficient communities called “Smart Grids”.
A point to note down is that electric vehicles might not produce gases that can pollute the environment, but all batteries have to depend on polluting oil or gas. Nissan said that used battery of leaf can give about 80% of backup which has the capacity to store enough energy that can provide power for two days of household needs. Hideaki Watanabe Nissan’s vice-president said that the company is showing a new path for electric storage systems through electric vehicles.
After the joint venture, 4R Energy Corporation ensures that electricity storage systems will be available for business and public facilities by 2016. The company president Takashi Sakagami said that it will start testing it’s electric storage systems from December. Nissan will start selling its electric storage systems for homes starting the month of April 2012.
