Tesla Home Battery Details Emerge

[Victorious Secret]

 

 

 

Tesla's home battery seems like a pretty neat way to get people into alternative energy sources (in a relatively cheap way). $13,000 might seem like a lot, but for a home you might as well factor this into the price of purchase. Its a long term investment, and with dumping power back into the grid (and the subsequent load you take off the grid during peak times) this is only beneficial for everyone. 

 

 

 

Want details? OK. Here’s what one of the homeowers who claims to be testing the Tesla battery told Chowdry:

• The Battery has to be installed 1.5 feet above the ground, and should have an open space of 1 ft on all sides.
• The battery does not make any noise, does not need any maintenance, and has no drippings.
• The Battery includes the inverter.
• The battery is about 3 ft tall and 2.5 ft wide and looks good.
• The installer offered a choice between a 10 kWh and 15 kWh. He opted for the 10 kWh battery.

Price for the 10 kWh battery is said to be $13,000. At present, the local utility, Pacific Gas & Electric, is offering a 50% rebate. This particular homeowner opted for a payment plan that called for a down payment of $1500 and monthly payments of $15 for 10 years. But here’s the kicker. He charges the battery at night when electricity costs are lowest and sells it back to PG&E during the peak demand times every day. He says he makes $12 – $15 a month doing that, which pretty much covers his monthly payment.

Here’s more interesting tidbits Chowdry says he learned from the Tesla battery customer:

• The battery can be controlled from an iPhone, and has a web application also.
• The battery is set to charge from a solar system until fully charged and then send energy back into the grid.
• Fully off Grid. The battery can be charged by a regular generator also.
• He has not had any problems with the Battery System…and gets over the air wireless software updates frequently.

 

• http://gas2.org/2015/04/03/tesla-home-battery-details-emerge/

[Jaybird]

so its a giant capacitor to quick charge your car?

[Victorious Secret]

so its a giant capacitor to quick charge your car?

 

It is designed to power your home as well, since it can draw solar power as well. 

[Jaybird]

It is designed to power your home as well, since it can draw solar power as well. 

ah i see. 

[CommandMan7]

RIP power companies

[n0ah1897]

How long can this power your house in the event of a power outage?

[euniqe]

It does seem pretty neat. 

 

But what exactly are the problems with current home solar power?

[euniqe]

How long can this power your house in the event of a power outage?

 

At full charge, approximately 1000w for 10hours considering it has 10kwh

[ChineseChef]

It does seem pretty neat. 

 

But what exactly are the problems with current home solar power?

 

The current issues are usually storage.  But this system is more for everyone, not just people with solar power.  I live in Arizona, and day time electricity can be quite expensive, but if you are on the right plan, night time is super cheap.  So I could charge this over night, and use it to power my AC during the day, and save myself a ton of money.  I could easily cut my electric bill from 300-400 a month, down to 100-200 a month.  This thing could pay for itself fast.  And I am completely on the grid, no solar or anything.

 

Plus it basically works as a whole home power filter and UPS system.  Would be great for your electronics.  Imagine not being remotely worried about random power outages, or needing to bother with fancy power strips.

[Real_PhillBert]

RIP power companies

Guess how I know you didn't read the article.

[ShadowCaptain]

Can you test this on your tongue?

[Real_PhillBert]

Can you test this on your tongue?

Yes, but only once.

[Trik'Stari]

It is designed to power your home as well, since it can draw solar power as well. 

So its a battery bank for solar or wind energy? I like the idea.

[Misanthrope]

I would like one to live charged for backup during outages.

[CommandMan7]

Guess how I know you didn't read the article.

I did read it, it's the exact same as the original post. It literally says you can buy power for cheap and sell it back for more later, that's why I said that.

[silberdrachi]

So its a battery bank for solar or wind energy? I like the idea.

 

Yes and no, it could be used for that, but the current implementation would be just pulling power off the grid and storing it, to be used later. So it would depend on what percentage of the grid you are on uses coal/nuke/renewables.

 

Not exactly green tech, but it could be combined with a few other things to make a very easy to use, easy to upgrade and not horribly expensive green house.

[ionbasa]

I'm curious if the battery is in line with the mains supply. Allowing it to power all branch circuits in a home.

 

Many current battery banks only power a set amount of circuits in a home and not all branch circuits. In addition, they don't net meter back into the grid during peak hours.

 

Given the price, I hope it is the former rather than the latter. 

[KirbyTech]

Part of the problem I have heard is in Canada the grid can not accept power back into it from homes. I am not sure why but I read something about it a few weeks ago let me find it. This seems like a great idea, you can pretty much pay for it by selling back. This is great for those who don't have solar power or something similar. I know we have solar and it covers about 80% during peek hours. We have a lot of computers drawing power so we were forced to install solar. It has paid its self off in 3 years thanks to rebates and having rediculas electric prices in Ontario.

[Mentalguy]

How long can this power your house in the event of a power outage?

a normal house uses 3kw on average, so about 3 days for the 10kwh one, 5 for the 15kwh.

 

 

Part of the problem I have heard is in Canada the grid can not accept power back into it from homes. I am not sure why but I read something about it a few weeks ago let me find it. This seems like a great idea, you can pretty much pay for it by selling back. This is great for those who don't have solar power or something similar. I know we have solar and it covers about 80% during peek hours. We have a lot of computers drawing power so we were forced to install solar. It has paid its self off in 3 years thanks to rebates and having rediculas electric prices in Ontario.

any grid can be fed back to, its not a question of ability, more legality and bureaucracy.

[KirbyTech]

any grid can be fed back to, its not a question of ability, more legality and bureaucracy.

I get that, I mean they won't or they are not allowed to. Well for corrupt Ontario anyways.

[ofr057]

I wonder what there using for the battery

[mr moose]

This is the style system I am aiming for in my next house. Maybe even this one if I don't move.

[Victorious Secret]

This is the style system I am aiming for in my next house. Maybe even this one if I don't move.

 

 

If I could design my home from scratch again, I would do it with battery banks like this in mind along with solar and steam generator heating. Imagine if you could use the solar power to charge up the batteries which in turn could turn the generators which could heat your home, and steam generators are hilariously efficient compared to natural gas for home use. 

[Trik'Stari]

If I could design my home from scratch again, I would do it with battery banks like this in mind along with solar and steam generator heating. Imagine if you could use the solar power to charge up the batteries which in turn could turn the generators which could heat your home, and steam generators are hilariously efficient compared to natural gas for home use. 

Wait, natural gas for heating, or for generating steam?

 

I would go with wind energy + solar if building my own house.

[MrDynamicMan]

Wow, this is so awesome. Would put a shroud designed like the chips cooler on the msi x99 SLI plus.

This would be so useful in South Africa, have daily 1 hour loadshedding cus our awful goverment. ;_;