Tesla Motors founder Elon Musk unveils Tesla Powerwall, a suite of batteries for homes, businesses, and utilities.
Powerwall is a home battery that charges using electricity generated from solar panels, or when utility rates are low, and powers your home in the evening. It also fortifies your home against power outages by providing a backup electricity supply. Automated, compact and simple to install, Powerwall offers independence from the utility grid and the security of an emergency backup.
“Our goal is to fundamentally change the way the world uses energy,” Elon Musk told in the press conference at the Tesla Design Center.
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.
Powerwall automatically switches to battery power in the event of an electric company outage, bringing peace of mind to those who live in areas prone to storms or unreliable utility grids.
Current generation home batteries are bulky, expensive to install and expensive to maintain. In contrast, Powerwall’s lithium ion battery inherits Tesla’s proven automotive battery technology to power your home safely and economically. Completely automated, it installs easily and requires no maintenance.
Musk says the Powerwall is designed to be installed in “under an hour,” so labor costs should be minimal.
Tesla’s selling price to installers is $3500 for 10kWh and $3000 for 7kWh. (Price excludes inverter and installation.) Deliveries begin in late Summer.
Powerwall specs:
- Mounting: Wall Mounted Indoor/Outdoor
- Inverter: Pairs with growing list of inverters
- Energy: 7 kWh or 10 kWh
- Continuous Power: 2 kW
- Peak Power: 3.3 kW
- Round Trip Efficiency: >92%
- Operating Temperature Range: -20C (-4F) to 43C (110F)
- Warranty: 10 years
- Dimensions: H: 1300mm W: 860mm D:180mm
The product will also be launched in Germany, a solar-friendly country, before the end of the year, Musk said.
