Transform Automobiles into “Supporters of Society”: Energy Circulation
A New Paradigm for Mobility and Infrastructure, Opened up by the Fusion with Nissin Electric
Three Key Themes Connecting Energy and Mobility
As we move toward the realization of a decarbonized society, mobility is becoming a vital piece of the overall energy infrastructure. Leading energy collaboration at ANTech is Takaaki Sano of the Infrastructure Collaboration Development Promotion Office. Sano is approaching the next generation of power platform from three key themes.
“The energy management system sEMSATM, which promotes the use of EVs and other technologies, aims to maximize renewable energy utilization and reduce costs. The Vehicle to Everything (V2X) initiative focuses on developing charge/discharge devices that connect and control power infrastructure and mobility. Battery reuse involves repurposing vehicle batteries as storage batteries after their automotive life span ends. My mission is to integrate these elements to build a system that adds value to mobility while ensuring healthy energy circulation.” (Sano)
Controlling Batteries in Groups through Fusion with Nissin Electric
Among these, the key lies in battery reuse. Supporting this massive circulation system is the strong synergy with Nissin Electric.
“While each battery collected from scrapped vehicles is tiny compared to the whole of society, when they are combined they allow us to create large storage battery systems that adjust the power balance in substations and power plants. That is an integration of Sumitomo Electric’s technology for controlling in-vehicle batteries as “groups,” combined with Nissin Electric’s substation equipment and power electronics technology required for grid connection, which leads to a total energy solution. The strength of the Sumitomo Electric Group lies in its flexibility, which allows us to offer solutions ranging from total coordination to providing only the necessary functions, such as energy management, according to our customers’ needs.” (Sano)
Sumitomo Electric has expertise in mobility, and Nissin Electric has deep knowledge of energy infrastructure. The Nissin-Sumiden Energy System Development Center was established to combine the strengths of both companies. ANTech plays a key role in bridging the gap between the cultures of the automotive and energy industries. Within a few years, they aim to put into operation an energy storage system that reuses in-vehicle batteries, developed collaboratively with car manufacturers.
A “Reverse Proposal” That Changes the Future 10 Years Ahead
The biggest obstacle to creating a system that enables full use of batteries is that current in-vehicle batteries are not designed with reuse in mind. Backed by insights gained from demonstration data, Sano is making a “reverse proposal” directly to car manufacturers.
“It will be more than 10 years before in-vehicle batteries built with the proposed design come back to the market. However, a sustainable resource cycle in the future cannot be established unless we start the cycle now. To create what will be considered normal in 10 years, we need to change the conventional design wisdom now.” (Sano)
One of the roles spearheaded by ANTech within the Sumitomo Electric Group is to transform mobility into a “supporter of society” through renewable energy. Sano and his team are steadily demonstrating the necessity and value of energy collaboration, with a view to a sustainable future.
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