Lighting up Orang Asli homes with discarded EV batteries

Discarded batteries from BMW electric vehicles, second-life solar panels, and an Orang Asli village in Pahang, Malaysia share a common goal: to provide rural electrification through renewable energy. In Kampung Saweh, volunteers and researchers from Universiti Malaya and partners in Japan worked together to repurpose EV batteries and solar panels for a battery energy storage system (BESS).

The students tested the healthy solar panels, which can generate up to 280 Watts each, while BMW Malaysia provided the nickel-cobalt-manganese EV battery modules recovered from warranty replacements.

The project required the team to work intensively over five days and nights, integrating the solar panels, electrical controls, and 30 battery modules into a low-carbon bamboo hut built by the villagers. The most challenging task was wiring the battery modules in the battery house, which serves 20 Orang Asli households, each allocated around 3kWh daily for electricity usage.

This system not only provides reliable electricity after sunset but also offers the villagers the chance to watch Malaysia's national television channels at night—a significant improvement in their quality of life.

While a standalone solar-battery system has its limits, this project highlights the potential of repurposing second-life EV batteries for stationary energy storage, extending their useful lives. Moreover, it sheds light on Malaysia's growing EV industry and the need for a comprehensive recycling ecosystem for battery waste.