Life-cycle environmental impacts of reused batteries of electric vehicles in buildings considering battery uncertainty

Advancements in various technologies have made it possible to recycle end-of-life batteries from electric vehicles (EV) into a stationary energy storage system (ESS) within residential buildings. As a result, promoting a circular economy between buildings and means of transportation has emerged as a major concern. Therefore, this study aimed to quantitatively assess the environmental impacts (life -cycle carbon Carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions) of ESS utilizing used batteries instead of new batteries from the life cycle perspective of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) considering the uncertainty in energy communities. To this end, a probabilistic life cycle assessment (LCA) was performed using a Monte Carlo simulation of the energy community of South Korea. The results of this study demonstrated that reusing batteries as ESS in buildings could further improve the overall environmental sustainability of the ESS compared to using new batteries. As a result, when reused batteries were utilized, annual carbon emissions decreased by 2.8 %–18.5 % according to battery usage purposes. More specifically, it was shown that battery reuse can reduce greenhouse gas emissions and environmental impacts. To more rationally evaluate life-cycle CO2 emissions from a resource circulation perspective, the usage purpose and efficiency of the battery should be considered during the entire battery life cycle (transportation and building sectors). These findings are expected to provide valuable insights to policymakers, industrial sectors, and research institutes related to battery reuse and to help guide the future of transportation and building sectors in a sustainable direction from a resource circulation perspective.