Extensive discussions with stakeholders have revealed two opposing views on second-life batteries: firstly, that a safety framework can be put in place to allow the use of second-life LiBs in DLiBESS, so long as the full history of the batteries in their first life applications is known and/or they can be tested effectively. A second, more radical view shared by some respondents is simply that the safety of such cells can never be guaranteed, and hence that second-life LiBs should not be employed under any circumstances in DLiBESS.

Lastly, due to the fire and electrical hazards associated with LiBs, the availability of potentially untested second-life LiBs and the potential lack of knowledge (for example, with LiB ageing) and skills of consumers to mitigate the risk through testing and good system design, consideration should also be given to whether stricter requirements are needed for home-built (“DIY”) DLiBESS that use second-life batteries.