Mar 27 2024 51 mins
Bill Von Novak is helping to put electric vehicle batteries in the Matrix. No, he’s not creating an electric version of the popular Toyota hatchback, as cool as that would be. Think Neo, Trinity, and Morpheus, not, “I can’t believe how much stuff fits in this little car!”
Bill earned an electrical engineering degree from MIT and has a few decades of experience working with power systems for electric vehicles and UAVs. These days he works for a California-based company called Smartville. Smartville is turning used EV batteries into sustainable energy storage systems which can be used in a variety of ways.
These storage systems can provide backup power for buildings and can be used by power companies to prevent blackouts and brownouts.
Smartville’s systems are already providing backup power for a library at the University of California, San Diego. The Smartville system helps protect the library’s collection, which includes original writings of Theodor Geisel—a.k.a. Dr. Seuss.
Along with describing the exciting work that Smartville is doing, Bill shares some interesting stories about his journey to this current career. You’ll hear about his first time driving an electric vehicle—an early prototype EV built by Ford. He talks about the solar power and battery storage systems he's built for artists at Burning Man. And he offers advice for other engineers looking to use their talents in environmental or sustainability-focused careers.
Learn about Smartville and their energy storage systems at https://smartville.io
Articles about Smartville:
“South Carolina HBCUs part of $10M US Department of Energy renewable energy project:”
https://www.wltx.com/article/money/business/south-carolina-hbcus-part-of-330million-dollar-us-department-of-energy-renewable-energy-project/101-92b21c52-2938-43e1-a79f-9b57d34a125a
“Smartville Is Giving Used Automotive Batteries A Second Life:”
https://cleantechnica.com/2023/11/07/smartville-is-giving-used-automotive-batteries-a-second-life/
"Second Life: Carmakers and Storage Startups Get Serious About Reusing Batteries:”
https://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/car-makers-and-startups-get-serious-about-reusing-batteries
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