Moment Energy’s repurposed EV batteries win first-ever UL safety approval for second-life storage

The company’s Luna battery system passed UL 1973, 9540 and 9540A in what’s the market’s first independently verified safety case for repurposed BESS.

October 20, 2025 Phoebe Skok

Image: Moment Energy

For many, repurposed electric vehicle batteries are a promising but as yet unproven source of stationary energy storage for grid-connected and commercial deployments due to concerns around safety and warranties.

But now, Vancouver-based Moment Energy announced that its Luna battery energy storage system has become the first repurposed-battery BESS to be independently tested and verified to UL 1973, UL 9540 and UL 9540A standards. These certifications are required in most U.S. jurisdictions for energy storage systems to be interconnected, insured or permitted for commercial operation, but they can be tricky to obtain for second-life storage.

“Previously, the absence of certification and third-party testing prevented the on-grid deployment of BESS built from repurposed lithium-ion batteries,” explained Gabriel Soares, the co-founder and CTO of Moment Energy. He told pv magazine USA that to date, the absence of clear safety validation procedures for second-life storage has been one of the biggest things restricting its growth and potential applications.

So, how did Moment go about pursuing and obtaining the UL certifications? A large part of the process involved proving that the Luna systems could survive a series of “forced abuse” tests including short circuiting, overcharging and dielectric withstand, which tests the system’s insulation.

The company performs in-house diagnostics and sorting that helps to address any variability in degradation histories across EV batteries of different ages, types and origins.

According to Soares, each test measures a key health indicator to ensure that the system can operate reliably in the field for at least a decade. Though Moment sources their used EV batteries from various OEMs like Nissan North America and Mercedes Benz, Soares stressed that the testing series and quality control processes help even the playing field.

“Second-life combines the reliability of a new battery system with the capital efficiency of a diesel generator,” he explained, adding that Moment’s systems aim to offer to both for commercial and industrial users and to do so with a quicker payback. “Currently, some [second-life] projects are reaching ROI one year faster [than new projects], reducing from four to three years.”

That sped-up timeframe is helping to spur early adoption of second-life batteries in sectors ranging from material processing to food and beverage, Soares noted.

He pointed out that automakers, who were once hesitant to embrace repurposed batteries due to concerns around liability, are now participating on both sides of the process.

“Automakers are realizing that their batteries provide value beyond the vehicle life,” Soares said. They “act not only as battery suppliers but also as BESS offtakers,” he explained as substantial power demands at their manufacturing facilities and dealerships (and the associated demand charges) have left them facing “significant challenges.”

Whether second-life batteries will cement themselves as a permanent fixture in the storage mix remains to be seen. Still, Soares believes the field is moving beyond proof of concept.

“Second life is poised to become a mainstream asset class due to the robust existing supply chains, competitive product life cycles and versatile technology architecture,” he said.

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