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New Tesla home power storage battery

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NutmegCT

NutmegCT

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It actually seems like a great leap forward.

https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-32545635

But I began checking the details, and I can't actually find a use for it.

We don't have lower electric rates at off hours, so we can't store cheaper electricity for use during the day.

We don't have home solar panels, so we can't store "home generated" power. And we sure can't afford $50K to install the panels!

The price of the Tesla 10kWh battery is around $3500 *for the installers* - so I'm betting it'll be at least twice that price to use end users.

I guess it could serve as a giant uninterruptible power supply, tho' I'm not overwhelmed by the example given in the article:

"Energy comparison firm USwitch estimates that one kWh can power two days of work on a laptop, a full washing machine cycle or be used to boil a kettle 10 times."

My mind is turning to mush, but it doesn't seem the battery would run a house very long in a power outage.

Some details attached.
 
I just read the article but what I didn't find was the approximate life of the battery. If they need to be replaced to often then you have the potential for lot of lithium ion batteries ending up at recycling facilities.
 
Hi Elliot - in the attachment it shows a 10 year warranty, with optional 10 year extension. Guess that means it's expected to last 20 years?
 
I just deleted a string of posts which were devolving into a contentious debate and I could see it was not headed in a good direction. I'm not taking sides (although I have an opinion, I'm keeping it to myself). Trust me, there is passion on both sides of the issue and everyone will think they are right. If you want to discuss the article, fine, but please let's not turn it into a Urinary Olympics.
 
One thing I've heard on the radio is the mistaken assumption that this pack will "power your entire house." Ah, no... just in a refrigerator and essential lighting. Can you image what it would take to power several thousand watts? More than a panel on the wall in one's garage.
Fun to see this technology start to unfold.
 
I installed this for reserve power. 20 KW, fully automatic when power goes out, through a separate transfer switch, 15 seconds it's running supplying power and shuts it's self down when power comes back on. Runs on propane from our supply tank. Love it! PJ


 
I suspect the value or importance of this is very much dependent on one's location. Where I'm at we lose power just a few hours (total) per year, so I figured it's just not worth a back-up. [forgot to add that I'm in the city - many in the country have found them useful even in the PNW]
 
Mark - good point. I live in rural Connecticut, and we lose power for a few minutes every month or so (traffic accident, tree limb down, etc.). But at least once a year we lose power for several days (hurricane, blizzard, ice, etc.). So my home generator (4000 watt) gets a workout. Can't see paying $7000 (retail plus installation and connection) for a "big battery" for the house just for those momentary blips.
 
NutmegCT said:
Mark - good point. I live in rural Connecticut, and we lose power for a few minutes every month or so (traffic accident, tree limb down, etc.). But at least once a year we lose power for several days (hurricane, blizzard, ice, etc.). So my home generator (4000 watt) gets a workout. Can't see paying $7000 (retail plus installation and connection) for a "big battery" for the house just for those momentary blips.
Click to expand...

Boy, I'd want one too if I lost power that much (particularly if I was going to lose a freezer full of food)!
 
John - what things do you run off the batteries? and how many hours will the batteries run them?

Thanks.
Tom
 
I'm guessing In the not to distant future done correctly buying grid power when it's cheap and plentiful is going to be here soon it's all about management it's also most here.
 
We have a big Kohler generator on natural gas fed through an automatic switch. Once in a while, you're sure glad you have it....generally Thanksgiving day while stuff is half cooked in the ovens/stove.
Solar is a joke around here when you might need it...like winter storms.
Trouble with all those backups is they try to let you know how many hours/days of device use (computer, laptop, stupidphone 3.0) but what they DON'T tell you is after the AT&T breakup and landlines, everything went with no power backups other than small batteries at the cell towers. (central offices used to have Jimmy Diseasemals for small offices, Fairbanks-Morse for large)
Same with your cable.
So, 4 or so hours into a 5-day outtage, who cares if your laptop, stupidphone 3.0 has 4.2 days of power left?
Unless you a direct uplink top a satellite, you're not going to do anything.
Survival. Freezer, refrigerator and heat. All of which suck a battery flat real fast.
 
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