Batteries recycled from the electric bikes developed by La Poste, the French postal services operator, will be seamlessly integrated into the Lancey smart radiator that reinjects electrical power back into the home.

Lancey Energy Storage unveils its new innovation for home energy self-sufficiency at this year’s CES. The new version of its connected smart electric radiator whose integral battery stores off-peak power and reinjects it into the home electrical system to power other domestic appliances. Another virtuous innovation is that the connected battery of the radiator is now recycled. Having completed its service powering the Fluow Electric bikes (La Poste and Transdev), these batteries now have a second life. Scheduled for market launch in 2019, this revolutionary solution offers a completely new vision of the industry by integrating new uses for used batteries from the design stage to deliver genuinely sustainable power consumption.

It is a true global first in the smart management of energy. Grenoble-based startup Lancey Energy Storage is pushing back the boundaries of technology to offer a more eco-friendly and virtuous alternative form of energy consumption.

2018 Best of CES Innovation award winner in the Home Appliances category, this year sees Lancey Energy Storage unveiling the latest version of Lancey, its new-generation connected smart electric radiator, which contains an integral – and even recycled – battery.

This elegantly minimalist designer radiator is packed with the latest in innovative energy storage technologies, and can also provide a source of renewable energy that it reinjects into the home electrical system.

Raphael Meyer, CEO and Co-founder of Lancey Energy Storage: “This partnership between La Poste as an electric bike manufacturer and Lancey Energy Storage opens the door to a completely new model for the industry, in which energy input must be integrated and standardized at the product design stage. Lancey, La Poste and their partners are currently inventing the new standard for removable electrical power”.

This revolution also gives Lancey the opportunity to put forward a practical and realistic model that directly addresses the now-unavoidable challenges facing consumers and public authorities: reducing heating bills, optimizing power grid operation and integrating energy from renewable sources.

Storing and reinjecting electricity: the technical achievement delivered by Lancey 

One in three French homes is heated by electricity, which consequently accounts for between 50% and 70% of the total energy consumption. It’s a fact that makes no sense either financially or in terms of energy.

The Lancey radiator can reduce energy bills by up to 50%, and promotes autonomous consumption by using its connected battery to store locally-generated energy. As a result, the radiator can store off-peak electricity and/or surplus renewable energy for reinjection at low cost into the home electrical system, especially at times of peak power consumption that cause so many issues for power distribution grids.

The ability to store energy facilitates the mass integration of renewables into distribution grids, and offsets the potential problems related to intermittent generation. Lancey leverages the energy storage capacity offered by its radiators through two-way communication with the power grid and switching to autonomous mode as soon as the grid comes under pressure. This switchover negates the need for mains power while continuing to provide heat, thereby helping power companies to avoid the use of the polluting oil-fired and gas-fired generating plants traditionally used to bridge the gap during peaks in consumption and offset the intermittency inherent to renewables.

The stored energy can then be reinjected into the home electrical system to power other appliances. So Lancey empowers households to take control of their energy consumption by giving them the ability to significantly reduce their energy usage and work with power companies to manage peaks in consumption.

There’s no need for complex upgrading work within the home, because Lancey radiators simply plug into power sockets in place of now-obsolete convector heaters. Energy consumption and bills are drastically reduced in return for a level of investment that can be up to 75% cheaper than converting an electrically heated building to gas.

Giving new life to batteries through unique partnerships

This issue is a real sticking point in delivering the energy transition. Although essential to our connected devices, batteries are nonetheless sources of pollution. By providing the option to fit recycled batteries, the Lancey radiator gives them a second life. In practical terms, Lancey Energy Storage is working upstream with manufacturers and service providers to recover their used batteries and reinstall them in its radiators. As part of this commitment, the startup is now working in partnership with La Poste and its partners in the electric bike leasing consortium Fluow (Transdev, Vélogik and Cyclez). Sustainable mobility expert Fluow will manage Véligo, the e-bike leasing service for the Ile-de-France region in and around Paris. From September 2019 onwards, 10,000 of these e-bikes will be available to private individuals.

Technical performance delivers more efficient heating

By combining two heating methods with an extremely efficient electronic control system and multiple sensors, Lancey radiators meet the most demanding electric radiator performance standards in the market. But they don’t stop there.

With no need for additional hardware, they are connected to a cloud-based energy management system that allows them to configure themselves. This system analyses the data generated by Lancey radiator sensors to optimize their operation, and tailor it automatically to the habits of users, their energy supply package and weather data; they can also prioritize the use of energy from renewables.

The Lancey solution has its own app to provide users with key data on the operation of their system. The app also provides remote control and monitoring of Lancey radiators. As simple to use as it is to install, the Lancey solution makes the smart home a practical reality.