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Problem Statement

While prices of solar panels have been falling and the efficiency has been dropping dramatically in recent years, storage of solar energy is still a challenge. Conventional methods such as banks of lead-acid batteries are inefficient both from the number of times they can be charged and depleted, but also in terms recycling and disposal given the health hazards of lead. Lead acid battery performance also falls of significantly with temperature, of the kind seen in Pakistani cities and low-lying areas during summer. Discharging more than 50% of the stored energy also creates issues with battery life. Amongst other sources, lithium-ion offers superior performance including the ability to be recharged over a thousand times, but at much higher cost. Suppliers like Eos Energy, Tesla and Aquion Energy are some of the players that are working to push the envelope in reducing life-cycle cost and improving longevity. The intent of this project is to do a market and needs assessment in Pakistan on renewable batteries that may be used in solar projects.

Deliverables

The output of this project is a report covering the following areas:

  1. Survey of rechargable batteries brands used in Pakistan in the renewable sphere. Price, performance and salient features.
  2. Price trends of rechargable batteries in Pakistan in recent years, from major retailers. Aftermarket and resale pricing and quality.
  3. Wholesale pricing , as well as price quoted by the manufacturers, as a function of volume
  4. Major retailers active in Pakistan
  5. Government regulations and tariffs related to importation and resale.
  6. Feedback from people currently using batteries for solar regarding battery life and maintainability.
  7. Opportunities for local manufacturing and assembly.
  8. Status and focus of organizations – government-based, universities and private – working to advance rechargeable battery technology and deployment in Pakistan.
  9. Share of various technologies e.g. lead acid, lithium ion etc.
  10. Opportunity and challenges related to repair, disposal and recycling
  11. Other global factors regarding manufacturing, supply and technology that may be relevant to Pakistan

Timelines

This project is intended to run for about four months from April 2016 to end December 2016. The will be a status update provided every two weeks, an intermediate report in early November, and final report at the end of the year. A summarized version of the report will be published on this website, and the full document posted for downloading.

For More Information: info@sawayra.org

 

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