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Elon Musk's Tesla Motors announces ambitious new battery system for households

How do we deal with the wasteful, environmentally damaging ways in which we all consume energy? T...
Newstalk
Newstalk

10.37 1 May 2015


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Elon Musk's Tesla Moto...

Elon Musk's Tesla Motors announces ambitious new battery system for households

Newstalk
Newstalk

10.37 1 May 2015


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How do we deal with the wasteful, environmentally damaging ways in which we all consume energy? The ever-ambitious Elon Musk unsurprisingly has some bold ideas when it comes to that question. His Tesla Motors company has this week unveiled a new 'home battery' - a device that aims to provide both an environmentally friendly power source for homes, while also saving consumers money.

The Powerwall works on the principle that household energy consumption is highest during the morning and evening, whereas the amount of solar energy available peaks during the day when less power is being consumed. On their website, Tesla explains, "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."

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While the battery can be used in conjunction with a solar energy system, the Powerwall battery is also being aimed at consumers on a traditional grid. Since some energy companies charge higher rates at peak times, the Powerwall can store energy during cheaper, off-peak hours that can then be used during peak hours without incurring a higher cost. Multiple Powerwalls can also be connected together for homes that need more energy.

Tesla's aim is to offer a cheaper, more environmentally friendly method of energy consumption and storage - and one that will of course benefit their line of electric cars by making recharging at night more efficient.

Not only that, Musk also announced Powerpack - a larger scale battery aimed at businesses, industry and potentially even utility companies. The device is described as an "infinitely scalable system", and could potentially have a significant impact on how energy is consumed on a larger scale - if it catches on and works as planned.

Powerwall meanwhile will be available in two models - 10 kWh and 7 kWh, costing $3,500 (around €3,100) and $3,000 (around €2,660) respectively. The product is expected to go on sale this summer, with a ten year guarantee. You can read more here. It will be interesting to see whether the idea catches on enough to make a significant difference to both consumers and the environment.


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