Tesla Getting into RE Battery game

[dkeav]

Looks like Tesla is going to sell batteries for RE installs

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-02-12/tesla-planning-battery-for-emerging-home-energy-storage-market

[LowGear]

Pretty neat.  I wonder how many of us grid tie people will be tempted once the program gets smoothed out?

Of course as demand for grid power goes down the prices will go up.  Just basic economics.  Yeah, I know, but that stuff you were taught in macro-economics was in a perfect world. 

Casey

[dkeav]

Something to keep an eye on for sure.  Obviously capacity and price will be the key factor into adoption.  Battery tech is what keeps holding back RE from progressing.

[Tom Reed]

I wonder how it will compare to that new Aquion salt water battery? I'm going to need a new battery bank in a few years.

[mike90045]

I wonder how it will compare to that new Aquion salt water battery? I'm going to need a new battery bank in a few years.

The Aquion in it's present state of technology, will never be a player, it's internal resistance is even higher then NiFe like I have.   That means slow recharge, and no big surges, unless you stack even more up in parallel.   The no maintenance is nice, but LFP is nearly there now, just need BMS scheme for RE applications.

[dkeav]

Looks like they have released more information.

http://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2015/05/01/teslas-new-powerwall-home-battery-will-cost-3500-for-10kwh-units

$3500 for 10kwh units, can couple up to 9 units for 90kwh output.  Wall mounted and 220lbs lithium based, 10yr warranty.  Be interesting to see which chemistry they are using on the cells, how many cycles are good for and discharge rates.

[mike90045]

now, the price appears to be $7.1K , installed by their "special" installer, with 24/7 internet

[dkeav]

I wonder if that includes the 400v inverter...