Power
storage for all with Tesla’s new Powerwall
By Jack Ward, CEO of Soltra Energy
One of the most exciting announcements in
the renewable energy arena has come from Elon Musk, CEO and chief product
architect of Tesla Motors, and chairman of SolarCity.
His Tesla Powerwall battery system
represents a game-changer in this industry sector. It is a development stemming
from Tesla’s pioneering work in bringing affordable lithium-ion (Li-ion)
batteries to market for the company’s successful electric vehicles - the Tesla
Model X and Model S.
The Tesla Gigafactory - currently being
built in Nevada in the US - will mass- produce these batteries, bringing a-step
change in terms of reducing Li-ion battery costs to market.
How will this be achieved? Tesla will use its
considerable automotive experience to package Li-ion batteries into attractive,
space-saving wall-mounted units. The Powerwall’s design will allow batteries to
be mass produced and installed safely in homes and businesses - by the tens of
thousands.
Powerwall is a boon for the solar
photovoltaic (PV) industry because it brings to market an electrical storage
unit that’s three to four times cheaper than conventional lead acid-based
batteries.
Technically, lead-acid batteries have not
really improved since their introduction some 150 years ago. Now, thanks to Tesla, every solar PV
installation - grid-tied or not – should be configured around electrical
storage with a view to significantly improving the availability of supply and the
overall return on investment (ROI) of the solution.
Unlike lead-acid batteries that degrade
drastically if discharged by more that 30-40%, depth of discharge (DoD) is no
longer an issue with the Tesla Powerwall.
Li-ion holds great promise, as the battery
can be fully discharged in every cycle. What’s more, the Tesla Powerwall will
last as long as 20 years and comes standard with a 10-year guarantee.
Good news is that in South Africa there is
currently no import duty on Li-ion batteries (unlike automotive lead-acid
batteries) bringing solar PV systems ever closer to economic viability and
parity in terms of costs with increasingly expensive Eskom power.
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