Everything You Need to Know About Tesla's New Household Batteries

[Victorious Secret]

 

 

So here it is, officially. The Tesla home batteries. Pretty neat and alarmingly cheap. You're probably gonna say $3500 isn't cheap, but for an all in one battery pack that is liquid cooled AND can be stacked (up to 9 I think) so you can power more and more if you wanted to. 

 

I think its a great first step and will only serve to drive down the costs substantially as time goes on. This system can certainly be paired with solar panels (depending on your square footage) and give you a viable way of staying off the grid and/or lessening your need for the grid. 

 

Not too bad Tesla, not too bad at all. I know @mr moose was interested in this and as always, Tesla news makes @Slick happy. 

 

 

 

 

What are they?

 

The home battery is called the Powerwall. The business-targeted battery is called the Powerpack. They’re “completely sustainable, zero carbon,” as Musk puts it.

 

The Powerwall increases the capacity for a house with solar panels, but can also be used during power outages. It can fit on the wall in your garage—to power your Tesla, of course—or the outside wall of your house. It’s about 3 feet across, 4 ft tall, and 6 inches deep. It comes with a 10 year warranty.

 

It’s connected to the internet so it’s constantly talking to Tesla Energy and monitoring usage.

How much do they cost?

 

Tesla’s selling price to installers is $3500 for 10kWh and $3000 for 7kWh.

Business battery prices haven’t been made public as of yet.

 

When can I get one?

 

You can order the Tesla Powerwall battery now online but they’re not slated for release until late summer. The Powerpack (business version) will start to become available later this year. They’ll be making a larger push with businesses in 2016.

But that being said, they’re already out in the real world. The company partnered with SolarCity for a pilot project in California that supplied roughly 300 homes with the batteries. About a dozen Walmart stores in California and a Cargill animal processing plant have the business-grade batteries and have been testing those as well.

 

Tesla Energy plans to be in Germany and Australia by the end of the year. He also sees potential uses in developing countries with little access to reliable power. “In a lot of places there are no utility lines,” Musk said.

What are the specs for the home version?

• Energy: 7kWh or 10kWh
• Continuous Power: 2kW
• Peak Power: 3kW
• Round Trip Efficiency: >92%
• Operating Temperature Range: -20C (-4F) to 43C (110F)
• Dimensions: H: 1300mm W: 860mm D:180mm

 

http://gizmodo.com/everything-you-need-to-know-about-teslas-new-household-1701282649/+damon

[RevoltTrain]

I might get one next summer. Seems like a good thing to have

[ImBleu]

The Tesla news was already uploaded earlier, but tbh you made a better looking thread.

 

http://linustechtips.com/main/topic/358434-tesla-powerwall/

[Altecice]

Unrelated But I just noticed the Tesla uses the same alloy wheels as the VW Scirocco (Turbine). But the battery is cool as well

[DildorTheDecent]

RIP most of the garage if the house burns down. 

[Daegun]

"Operating Temperature Range: -20C (-4F) to 43C (110F)"

Damn, looks like this won't be an option in the Central Valley in California.

Stupid heat.

[dalekphalm]

Very cool. When I buy a house, I intend to have some solar capacity, so one of these would really simplify the battery storage aspect. I imagine better then stringing up a bunch of deep cycle batteries

 

 

"Operating Temperature Range: -20C (-4F) to 43C (110F)"

Damn, looks like this won't be an option in the Central Valley in California.

Stupid heat.

The inside of your house gets that hot? You can install it outside, but you can also install it indoors too - like the garage, or in a utility closet.

[Daegun]

Very cool. When I buy a house, I intend to have some solar capacity, so one of these would really simplify the battery storage aspect. I imagine better then stringing up a bunch of deep cycle batteries

The inside of your house gets that hot? You can install it outside, but you can also install it indoors too - like the garage, or in a utility closet.

No no no, outside of course, it would be insane to get that hot inside. But when it gets over 120F, it's not like your garage is much colder lol

[dalekphalm]

No no no, outside of course, it would be insane to get that hot inside. But when it gets over 120F, it's not like your garage is much colder lol

True enough We don't often see temps higher then 35C here in Ontario

 

'Course, -20C on the lower end isn't good enough for outside use here either. Temps can easily drop down to -30C or even lower in the Winter.

[Glenwing]

(Off topic discussion removed)

[Daegun]

True enough We don't often see temps higher then 35C here in Ontario

 

'Course, -20C on the lower end isn't good enough for outside use here either. Temps can easily drop down to -30C or even lower in the Winter.

We both have problems on the complete opposite ends.

Darn you coastal people with small, comfortable temperature ranges! This is probably perfect for you!

[Victorious Secret]

True enough We don't often see temps higher then 35C here in Ontario

 

'Course, -20C on the lower end isn't good enough for outside use here either. Temps can easily drop down to -30C or even lower in the Winter.

 

Even when it gets really cold here, I don't think my garage gets that cold. 

 

(Off topic discussion removed)

 

Thanks Glenwing

[dalekphalm]

Even when it gets really cold here, I don't think my garage gets that cold. 

 

 

Thanks Glenwing

Since I don't have a garage, I can't really comment on that Apartment FTW.

 

Though I imagine you're right, assuming the garage is insulated (as it should be). The garage door will let some of the heat out, but not that much aside from if it gets opened.

[ChineseChef]

I plan to get 2 or 3 of the 10kWh units as soon as I can.  Should be able to cut my electric bill down by nearly 75%, and allow me to keep the house cooler during the summer (Arizona is not kind during the summer).  Run off the batteries during the day when prices are high, and charge them over night when electricity is super cheap.  These things could easily pay for one of the 10kWh units each year in savings alone.

[RexinOridle]

These are great ups replacement. Like seriously at that price point. Every south Asian household should have at least one of this.

[Victorious Secret]

I plan to get 2 or 3 of the 10kWh units as soon as I can.  Should be able to cut my electric bill down by nearly 75%, and allow me to keep the house cooler during the summer (Arizona is not kind during the summer).  Run off the batteries during the day when prices are high, and charge them over night when electricity is super cheap.  These things could easily pay for one of the 10kWh units each year in savings alone.

 

The pricing is also without any power company or federal/state subsidies, so it might even get cheaper. I can see power companies willingly getting people to use these especially in areas that get hammered with excess load (like in California during the summer). Imagine the strain you would take off the grid if people could run their AC units off the batteries during the day and not abuse the grid? 

[mr moose]

I love it,  Not only is it a very small pack for the kilowatt rating but it's well priced as far as batteries go.   Even without new technologies like the Aluminium ion stuff, battery tech is advancing to the point where it is cheap enough and lasts long enough to be practical for nearly all new homes.

[zappian]

Well written news post .

I don't know much about the battery business but that price seems steep for now.

If have no qualms if anybody wants to çorreçt me on that however.

[mr moose]

Well written news post .

I don't know much about the battery business but that price seems steep for now.

If have no qualms if anybody wants to çorreçt me on that however.

 

I can only comment on the Australian prices which are about A$6000 for 15Kwh, so unless we are getting smashed with another "because your Australian" markup, then when accounting for the currency conversion 10Kwh for $3500 is quite reasonable. (especially for such a small size)

[Real_PhillBert]

I still dont really get it. If your power co has variable rates then maybe, but much of the country does not have variable rates.

 

For power outages it's not really enough to power an average home with only 2kW continuous, and is triple the cost of a gasoline generator and double the cost of a natural gas generator of similar sizing. 

 

I don't really get it. 

[TroubleKlef]

That Model S looks so damn mean! and although Tesla has been struggling to profit in their automative division, I knew their real money maker was going to be batteries. 

[dalekphalm]

I still dont really get it. If your power co has variable rates then maybe, but much of the country does not have variable rates.

 

For power outages it's not really enough to power an average home with only 2kW continuous, and is triple the cost of a gasoline generator and double the cost of a natural gas generator of similar sizing. 

 

I don't really get it. 

It's not designed to be used by everyone.

 

It's designed to be used by:

 

1. People with solar/wind generation

2. People with variable rates - charge it at night, then either sell it back during the day, or use it to power hungry devices (AC system, your Tesla, etc).

[Real_PhillBert]

It's not designed to be used by everyone.

 

It's designed to be used by:

 

1. People with solar/wind generation

2. People with variable rates - charge it at night, then either sell it back during the day, or use it to power hungry devices (AC system, your Tesla, etc).

 

I don't buy that considering the total solar/wind generation in the US is 4.8% of total energy production. When carbon based fuels make up approximately 67% of energy production, and total renewable energy production is about 13%.

 

I admitted in my second sentence that if you have variable rates that changes things.  

 

http://www.eia.gov/tools/faqs/faq.cfm?id=427&t=3

[dalekphalm]

I don't buy that considering the total solar/wind generation in the US is 4.8% of total energy production. When carbon based fuels make up approximately 67% of energy production, and total renewable energy production is about 13%.

 

I admitted in my second sentence that if you have variable rates that changes things.  

 

http://www.eia.gov/tools/faqs/faq.cfm?id=427&t=3

Indeed, carbon based fuels still make up a ton of energy production in some areas. But that's because it's almost impossible to build new Nuclear Reactors in many places due to public outcry - despite being objectively cleaner and safer then fossil fuels.

 

I don't see why this is so hard to imagine?  It's not like they need to put one of these in every house. It's an incredibly neat idea. A self contained and compact battery system. Tesla already makes batteries for their cars - I also believe the battery system is supposed to charge the Tesla faster then just plugging it into the wall.

[Real_PhillBert]

Indeed, carbon based fuels still make up a ton of energy production in some areas. But that's because it's almost impossible to build new Nuclear Reactors in many places due to public outcry - despite being objectively cleaner and safer then fossil fuels.

 

I don't see why this is so hard to imagine?  It's not like they need to put one of these in every house. It's an incredibly neat idea. A self contained and compact battery system. Tesla already makes batteries for their cars - I also believe the battery system is supposed to charge the Tesla faster then just plugging it into the wall.

 

I didn't say a single word about why the US's energy production is produced the way it is, I simply pointed out exactly how it is produced. I was at no point in time discussing the viability of nuclear reactors. That said, with ~67% of the US's power coming from carbon based fuels the statement by Tesla about it being carbon free, is incorrect even if you ignore the battery production. 

 

Its easy to imagine, I have no trouble understanding the product. Household battery backups are not new, they have been around for decades. They have never caught on to widespread use because they don't make much sense for the huge majority of the population. I am simply pointing out that even when there is a new name on the side of the battery bank, it is still a very poor solution for an energy backup. As I pointed out, it's triple the price of a comparable gasoline generator, and double the price of a comparable NG generator. 

 

The other thing that no one ever talks about is battery depreciation and degradation. Assuming that these Li-ion cells are of similar design to the ones in the cars, they have a lifespan of approximately ten years. So in ten years you will need another set, or live without it. With a NG generator, this is absolutely not the case.

 

With all of this said, I will reiterate that if you do have a variable electric rate you can charge the batteries at night and sell during the day for a profit, so in this instance it may make sense.