Professor of materials/physics chemistry discusses Tesla's Powerwall for home energy storage
Thursday, May 28, 2015 - 06:30
in Physics & Chemistry
Last month Tesla CEO Elon Musk unveiled a grand plan for home energy storage, and preorders for the system have already sold out until mid-2016. The Powerwall home battery unit comes in two options: a 7 kWh version designed for daily use at $3,000 and a 10 kWh version designed as a backup supply for $3,500, plus installation. It would charge using electricity generated from solar panels—or when energy rates are low—and would also serve as an alternative to using the utility grid and as a backup in case of a power outage. Powerwall's lithium-ion battery is geared toward homeowners and is based on the technology used in Tesla vehicles.