Mission critical power systems keep hospitals, data centers, refrigerated warehouses full of food, and many more essential businesses running smoothly. These systems rely on some of the largest batteries in the industry, and when these batteries reach the end of their service lifespan, they’re not always easy to remove. Batteries from mission-critical support systems and backup power units need recycling because the large size and composition can make them pose extra risks to the environment or create a fire hazard. To avoid fines for environmental impact and to quickly prepare for replacement or removal of the backup power system, you need a team that can handle battery disposal for critical applications. Battery Recyclers of America is prepared for the challenges of your mission-critical recycling needs.
What Makes Decommissioning Remote Energy Storage So Challenging?
It’s not as simple as removing a battery and taking it for recycling when you’re dealing with a large-scale or high-demand remote energy storage solution. These systems rely on large batteries that may vary in construction or composition. A remote energy storage module doesn’t just need battery recycling services but also full-scale decommissioning. This can include disconnection, cleanup of damaged equipment or spilled materials, and the breakdown of the containers or storage units that once contained the batteries. Each battery used in an energy storage facility can weigh anywhere from 20 to nearly 100 lbs, and a single container may contain dozens of them. With 20 or more containers on many storage sites, there can be hundreds of individual batteries that add up to thousands of pounds of weight to remove during decommissioning. Particularly large containers or batteries may need removal all at once, requiring heavy-duty hauling trucks or cranes to lift the units away from the base. Make sure your decommissioning team can handle all of these steps themselves or through subcontractors.
Maintaining Timely Pickup to Avoid Downtime
When decommissioning is needed for an onsite power backup system or a remote energy storage site, there’s usually a short timeframe for removal and potential replacement. Many batteries are removed when they fail or are nearly the end of their lifespan to prevent failure that could cost the facility thousands of dollars per hour of downtime. Timely battery pickup and a rapid pace for decommissioning the facility will prevent downtime and allow for repairs, renovations, or replacement if necessary. If crews need to leave a facility or worksite because the demand for mission-critical power support has ended, timely battery recycling ensures the process flows smoothly for everyone involved.
Connecting with Subcontractors
Speaking of dealing with strict deadlines, subcontractors are often needed to complete a decommissioning project. It’s especially true if the removal of batteries or power storage units is part of a larger project to demolish a facility or industrial installation. Temporary power systems set up to counter outages for critical industries or construction in remote areas need to be removed within hours in many cases. Working seamlessly with other subcontracting teams to complete the decommissioning process without delays or issues will result in the fewest interruptions to mission-critical systems. This is one of our specialties here at Battery Recyclers of America that we can help you with. Expertise in staying in step with subcontracting teams will keep your project on track regardless of complexity and scale.
Onsite Pickup at the Customer’s Site
Many battery recycling companies only receive batteries dropped off by the customer or a removal company. In mission-critical energy storage sites, there’s often little time or extra labor for these extra stages in removal. Choosing a recycling company capable of handling the entire pickup process saves time and money while reducing the complexity of decommissioning for the client or site owner. We pick up at your customer’s site, eliminating the need for contracting yet another team to handle and deliver the used batteries. Onsite pickup means nothing is missed, and every battery ends up where it’s supposed to go in the recycling stream. The fewer times the materials have to exchange hands, the fewer chances there will be for spills, losses, and similar issues.
Corporate Requirements for Downstream Recycling Concerns
Choosing a company that meets all of the requirements and restrictions for battery recycling set by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is just the first step in compliance. Most facility managers have a number of corporate, state, and local requirements to also conform to during the removal of any used energy storage materials. That includes lithium, lead-acid, and other common battery types capable of handling the high demands of mission-critical power systems. Some recycling companies only provide limited documentation of how they handle the downstream process of recycling commercial grade batteries. If you need a higher level of transparency to prepare reports on battery handling and decommission for a board of officials or corporate stakeholders, we can help.
Dealing with Unusual Battery Types, Formats, and Large Volumes
Each day, we’re contacted by clients who are concerned their unusual batteries will not qualify for recycling. With our expertise in handling all types of power storage and remote use batteries for commercial purposes, there’s no need to worry your battery may end up being handled incorrectly. You can rest assured that up to 95% of lithium-ion battery materials will be recycled rather than sent to the landfill, with similarly high levels of reclamation in lead-acid batteries as well. You can always contact us with specifications about the battery’s size and format to find out what challenges it might pose during decommissioning and how our recycling services will address them. We can handle absolyte, NiCad wet, lead-acid, lithium ion, and many other types of batteries found in uninterrupted power supplies and generator systems today.
Turn to a trusted source of help when you’re facing a major retrofit or removal of a power storage system. From remote construction sites to inner city hospitals, batteries provide a steady supply of power regardless of demand. When those batteries reach the end of their lifespan, Battery Recyclers of America can step in and handle complete decommissioning services. Contact us today with the details of your mission critical systems.
