Instant Power, Lasting Impact - Instagrid

Do battery-based power supplies have bigger emissions over their lifetime than combustion engines?

Together with independent agencies and following international frameworks, we have conducted certified Life Cycle Assessments (LCAs) for our products Instagrid ONE and Instagrid GO, including benchmarking assessments. We partnered with TÜV NORD in Germany to conduct emission measurements and fuel consumption comparisons for diesel, gas and inverter generators. Four life cycle stages were considered: production, transportation, use, and end-of-life. The results show that our products have up to 94% lower carbon footprint over the product lifetime than a generator with a similar load profile.  

Are the batteries thrown away after they've done their job?

There are several options to choose from when a battery reaches its end-of-life, whether through wear or defect. The three most common options are:  

1) Extending the initial use-phase (through repair and re-manufacturing)  

2) Repurposing (also called second-life)  

3) Recycling  

 The best option is to keep a product in its initial use phase as long as possible so that the duty time of each component is maximised. In a battery product, components are often joined by material-to-material connections (e.g. through welding), making the replacement of relevant parts and components often impossible.  

 At Instagrid, we follow clear design rules (called the Guidelines for Sustainable Product Development), and we’ve designed our products in a modular way that facilitates the dismantling and repair of each component, enabling our customers to repair minor defects on the frame. This empowers customers to repair minor issues themselves, while major issues are handled by our technical service team. In 2024, we achieved an impressive repair rate of 96%. 

 For products that cannot be repaired, we have extended our participation in national take-back schemes to 30 countries.  Often customers don’t know where to return batteries when they are defective. This initiative supports directing customers to drop-off points where they can deposit worn-out or defective batteries for recycling. 

Can a battery be properly recycled?

Today, commercial recycling is mostly limited to physical pre-treatment, followed by a pyrometallurgic process that only recovers a small fraction of the materials. We believe that as a young company, we have a role to play in helping push a recycling transition and partner to find new approaches to commercial recycling of battery cells. To make strides in this area, we have done three things: 

1. We participate in national take-back schemes in 30 countries and continuously expand these partnerships. 

 2. We’ve teamed up with the FIT Institute to assess our products’ recyclability and determined that that 91% of the Instagrid ONE can be recycled. We’re looking to better understand which technology is needed to recycle specific components, and which components are critical and subject to disposal. 

 3. We are establishing partnerships with experts in the recycling field for different components, such as printed circuit board assemblies (PCBAs) and battery cells, to explore innovative recycling strategies. 

How about responsible sourcing?

As a young company, we have begun by building trusted relationships with our direct suppliers and working together with them and their sub-suppliers to have a positive impact deep in the supply chain. We carefully select our suppliers (and request them to do so with their sub-suppliers) according to our self-set sustainability guidelines consisting of environmental and social requirements. 

 We are aware that long supply chains that involve critical materials can be impacted by human rights violations such as modern slavery or child labour in the deeper supply chain. We seek to avoid, prevent, mitigate and end these negative impacts where possible. In 2023, we rolled out an audit program covering social and environmental criteria. We regularly map our supply chain step-by-step to understand potential risks and impacts in the social context and reach out to suppliers of critical components to learn more about their due diligence and understand where we can support or join forces. We foster a culture of transparency and open collaboration. Through this, we create opportunities for mutual learning, transparent communication and building trusting and long-lasting relationships. 

 Interested in learning more about our supply chain? Dive into our 2024 Impact Report.