Tesla Motors, most famously known for their Model S electric car, is applying their innovative power technology to the home with a solar-powered home battery that can be used as backup power source, a way to save money on utilities, and potentially a way to remove yourself from the grid entirely.
The Powerwall home battery system is a wall-mounted lithium-ion battery equipped with a liquid thermal control system and Internet connectivity to track power usage statistics. It’s essentially a fancy giant battery that stores energy during the day via solar power.
The idea is to minimize wasted energy by storing it for later use. If your solar power system is creating more energy than that provided by the power company, all that extra energy is normally wasted. The Powerwall will store that extra power during the day and allow it to be used when needed, such as in the evening when power companies charge the most for electricity, saving you money.
According to Tesla’s website, “The average home uses more electricity in the morning and evening than during the day when solar energy is plentiful. Without a home battery, excess solar energy is often sold to the power company and purchased back in the evening. This mismatch adds demand on power plants and increases carbon emissions. Powerwall bridges this gap between renewable energy supply and demand by making your home’s solar energy available to you when you need it.”
There will be two versions of the Powerwall: a 10 kWh version meant for use as a backup unit for power outages for $3500 and a 7 kWh unit for daily cycle usage at $3000. This price does not include the cost of installation or a DC-to-AC inverter for households not already equipped with solar power. You’ll be able to stack up to 9 Powerwalls in a single home.
Tesla has been testing the Powerwall for the past year with select customers and will soon make the system available to consumers through Tesla’s distributors. Users will be able to lease the Powerwall starting late summer, and it comes with a 10-year warranty.
While the Powerwall may likely only be a viable option for those already equipped with solar power, it’s a small sign of how we might be storing and consuming energy in the future.
By Alfredo Dizon, eParisExtra