Counties Power and Relectrify have joined forces to deploy New Zealand’s largest battery system.
Electricity distributor Counties Power and Australian battery technology company Relectrify have joined forces to deploy New Zealand’s largest battery system repurposing electric vehicle (EV) batteries to-date.
The battery system combines Relectrify’s BMS+Inverter technology with batteries from nine Nissan Leaf electric vehicles to store over 120kWh of energy. Alongside Counties Power and Relectrify, further international power utility and automotive collaborators are participating in this pilot in order to validate the technology for use in key overseas markets.
Already in operation in Counties Power’s utility testing lab providing 380-415V 3-phase peak-shaving, the battery system will be installed on a priority site on Counties Power’s network where it could provide redundancy, flexibility and resiliency for customers in a remote rural area. This highlights the value that cost-effective batteries can unlock to provide reliable, affordable power in isolated communities and power grids more broadly. Following on from prior installations, including a recent Chicago industrial storage solution, Counties Power’s battery system was installed remotely in close collaboration between Counties Power’s and Relectrify’s technology teams.
Counties Power General Manager Vivek Rajendran says “The potential of cost-effective sustainable storage solutions on electricity distribution networks is immense as EV uptake expands exponentially and so too does the supply of low-cost EV batteries for second-life applications. EV batteries with less than 80 percent of their original state of health are retired by manufacturers which presents an ideal opportunity for a second-life application such as network support”.
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Why was my credit card charged $50 at the start of a charging session?
With pay-as-you-go, we will put a hold on your credit card of $50 at the start of any charging session. If your charging session cost $30, we release the difference of $20 at the end of your session.
During this time, your bank account may show that there is a $50 pending transaction. When your bank processes the release of the funds back to your bank account, you will see a finalised transaction in your account for $30. Typically, this process can take from 1-3 business days, but up to 10 days, depending on your bank.
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Why can’t I top up my balance on the Openloop app?
Openloop has a pay-as-you go payment system which allows our customers to charge their EVs using a saved credit card on their account without needing a minimum balance on their app.
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How do I save my credit card details on my Openloop account?
When you are in the mobile app, go to “Account” using the bottom nav bar, press “payment” and add your credit card to save it there.
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What happens if I still have some money on my top up balance?
Existing balances will be utilised first before credit card charges are applied. For example, if a customer currently has $5 on their account balance and their charging session cost $15, then their credit card will be charged the $10 difference and their account balance will be reduced to $0.
Alternatively, if your top up balance more than covers the cost of your total charge, this will be used first and your credit card charged only in future transactions.
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How do I get the Pay-as-you-go payment function on my Openloop app?
To access Pay-as-you-go for public chargers on the OpenLoop charging network, please update your mobile app by visiting the Apple App Store or Goggle Play Store.
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Is there any change to the EV charging process for free or paid chargers?
No, there is no change to the existing steps that you take to start a charging session. The only change is that you no longer have to top-up.
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What is a “free” EV charging station?
On the mobile app, you may come across EV Chargers that have a tariff listed as “FREE” these EV Chargers are free to use.
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Why does the app look different?
We have updated our logo and visual identity to better reflect what OpenLoop represents – a forward thinking and innovative technology company. The new look app also reflects customer feedback to improve the experience of using our mobile app.
Relectrify’s technology unlocks a unique combination of strong performance and low price point with low environmental impact which aligns perfectly with Counties Power’s focus on enabling a smarter, sustainable and future-ready power network.
The battery system leverages Relectrify’s BMS+inverter technology, which was launched earlier this year. Alongside its capability to extend battery lifetime and reduce electronics cost for large battery packs with lithium-ion or alternative chemistries, Relectrify’s technology avoids the need for manual battery sorting to repurpose retired electric vehicle batteries at scale.
“It’s a pleasure to work together with Counties Power to deploy affordable battery storage,” said Relectrify Co-Founder and CEO Valentin Muenzel. “While already in significant use in commercial and industrial storage, this install further proves our technology’s suitability for utility storage. By increasing the lifetime and reducing the cost of both new and second-life batteries, Relectrify is leveraging our BMS+Inverter to collaborate with leading energy storage players worldwide.”
