Tesla home battery ?

Mary at Bridgewater Inn and Cottage · May 1, 2015

Hope to get more information on this Tesla home battery system. Should lower electric bills. Its part solar and a bit pricey ? Has anyone ordered one yet ? I could sure put that system to good use here !

Arks · May 1, 2015

Solar is optional. If you have solar cells, you can use the batteries to store excess power created by your solar cells in the daytime, then use battery power at night, meaning you don't have to connect to the utility grid to power your home at night.
If you don't have solar cells, you can have your batteries recharge off the local electrical grid at night, when the power is cheapest, and discharge to power your home in the daytime, when utility power is more expensive.
A bonus is that the batteries can also power your home for hours in the case of a utility company power outage.
The batteries are the same ones that power the Tesla Model S automobile, so the price benefits from the company already being geared up to produce a lot of batteries.
Read more here: http://www.teslamotors.com/presskit/teslaenergy

undersea · May 1, 2015

I have a feeling this is going to take a long time to provide value to homeowners. It will likely be very expensive.
Remember, it only stores energy, it doesn't generate any. It creates nothing of $$$ value.
I would think the money for this would be better spend in superinsulating the home, adding solar (and maybe selling back on the grid), superefficient heat pumps, heat pump water heater, or doing things to the property that generate additional revenue.
In addition, I just read an article that the Tesla $5 billion factory might be obsolete before it opens (2-17?). There have been rapid advances on potentially much better and cheaper technology than lithium. Aluminum ion, is one. Lithium has issues with burning, if you remember the Dreamliner battery problems.
Early adopters usually wind up with expensive things that obsolete quickly.

Aussie Innkeeper · May 1, 2015

I heard that Sel Reg properties are getting it free of charge.

Morticia · May 1, 2015

Aussie Innkeeper said:
I heard that Sel Reg properties are getting it free of charge..

Aussie Innkeeper said:
I heard that Sel Reg properties are getting it free of charge.

This is an actual battery, not the charging station. You can use the battery to power your home.

MtnKeeper · May 1, 2015

The Tesla battery ties in with their co-company, Solar City. They can be used in combination to use your own solar energy to generate and store the electricity in your Tesla battery. The two companies work hand in hand in developing products. My husband is excited to learn more about the home battery.