Solar-Powered Dutch Dealership to Use Prius Batteries to Store Surplus Power
Windmills, tulips, bicycles; there are many things we tend to associate with The Netherlands, but solar power typically isn’t one of them. But judging by Dutch dealership Louwman Hague Toyota’s use of solar panels to produce power, perhaps we ought to adjust our stereotypes. The Toyota dealer in question not only powers his dealership using the power of the sun, but also plans on using spent Prius batteries to store surplus power.
Sounds weird, right? But the question of what to do with spent hybrid or EV batteries, such as those in the Prius, is a serious one. There are recycling programs in place currently, but this Toyota dealer feels that these used batteries can be given a second life. While the batteries are depleted and can no longer be used in cars, they are still functional. Although the dealer has not yet begun using Prius batteries as storage, the thought of doing so should spark ideas across the globe regarding how to reuse these batteries for alternative purposes, rather than just recycling them.
Louwman Hague Toyota is not the only dealership to embrace the use of solar panels for power production. Recently, Rossi Honda of New Jersey began using solar panels in order to achieve zero net energy usage. Solar panels definitely appear to be the first step for dealerships towards being completely self-sustainable, but the Prius battery idea could take it a step further and make dealerships more efficient than ever.
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