Tesla Powerwall

A computer generated image of the Tesla Powerwall

The Powerwall is a rechargeable lithium-ion battery product manufactured by Tesla Motors for home use. It stores electricity for domestic consumption, load shifting, and backup power.[1]

Announced in 2015, with a pilot demonstration of 500 units built and installed during 2015, full production of the product is not expected until a large factory in Nevada is completed and commissioned in 2017.[2]

History

The Powerwall was originally announced at the April 30, 2015 product launch[3] with power output of 2 kW steady and 3.3 kW peak, but Musk said at the June 2015 Tesla shareholders meeting that this would be more than doubled to 5 kW steady with 7 kW peak, with no increase in price.[4] He also announced that Powerwall deliveries would be prioritized to partners who minimize the cost to the end user, with a Powerwall installation price of US$500.[5]

When originally announced in 2015, there were to be two models of Powerwall delivered: 10 kWh capacity for backup applications and 7 kWh capacity for daily cycle applications.[6] But by March 2016, Tesla had "quietly removed all references to its 10-kilowatt-hour residential battery from the Powerwall website, as well as the company’s press kit. The company's smaller battery designed for daily cycling is all that remains."[7]

The 10 kWh battery as originally announced has a nickel-cobalt-aluminum cathode,[8] like the Tesla Model S,[9] which was projected to be used as a backup/uninterruptible power supply, and had a projected cycle life of 1000–1500 cycles.[10][11][12][13]

Specifications

After March 2016, there is only a single model: the 7 kWh version for daily cycle applications (US$3,000).

Voltage Current Power Operating temp. Weight
Continuous Peak Continuous Peak
350–450 V DC[6] 5.8 A[6] 8.6 A[6] 5 kW[14] 7 kW[14] −4 to 110 °F (−20 to 43 °C) 220 lb (100 kg)

Versions

The Powerwall has two models with 10 kWh capacity for backup applications and 7 kWh capacity for daily cycle applications. These capacities are sufficient to power most homes during the evening using the electricity generated by solar panels during the day. For the families with larger energy needs, multiple powerwalls can be connected to expand the capacity even higher.[6]

The Powerpack is a much bigger unit with 100 kWh of storage for commercial use. In order to meet the variety of energy needs in industry, "Powerpack is infinitely scalable", said Elon Musk.[15] Tesla's objective is to "fundamentally change the way the world uses energy"[16] by "fostering a clean energy ecosystem and helping wean the world off fossil fuels"[1] using backup energy storage for renewable energy.

Technology

The Powerwall has two different models, each using different generic cell chemistries.[17] One model is optimized for daily cycling, such as for an off-grid house; the other for being a backup battery for emergency days. Tesla uses proprietary technology for packaging and cooling the cells in packs with liquid coolant.[17] Elon Musk, the chairman, CEO and product architect of the Tesla company, promised not to start patent infringement lawsuits against anyone who, in good faith, used Tesla's technology for Powerwalls as he had promised with Tesla cars.[18]

The daily cycle 7 kWh battery uses nickel-manganese-cobalt chemistry[8] and can be cycled 5,000 times before warranty expiration.[8][9] The Tesla Powerwall has a 92.5% round trip efficiency when charged or discharged by a 400-450V system at 2 kW with a temperature of 25 degrees, and when the product is brand new. Age of the product, temperatures above or below 25 degrees Celsius, and charge rates or discharge rates above 2 kW would lower this efficiency number, decreasing the system performance.

It includes a DC-to-DC converter to sit between a home's existing solar panels, and the home's existing DC to AC inverter. If the existing inverter is not storage-ready, one must be purchased.[19]

Market

The Powerwall was unveiled on April 30, 2015,[3] with a 7 kWh Powerwall model that would retail for US$3,000[20][21] and a 10 kWh model at US$3,500. Shipments of 500 pilot units were planned to begin in the late summer of 2015.[22] Musk predicted the low price would cause other storage producers to follow.[12] Before the April 30, 2015 unveiling, one analyst found existing solar customers had been charged US$13,000 for a 10 or 15 kWh Tesla battery.[23]

The device was sold to companies including SolarCity.[24][25] SolarCity was running a pilot project in 500 California houses, using 10 kWh battery packs.[26][27]

A bigger battery called Powerpack, that can store 100 kWh of electricity, is projected to be available for industrial consumers, reaching a price point of $250/kWh. The Powerpack would comprise the majority of stationary storage production at Gigafactory 1 while Powerwall would play a smaller part, giving Tesla a profit margin of 20 percent.[9][10][12]

As of May 2015, Tesla Powerwall had already sold out through to the middle of 2016.[28][29] Reservations within the first few weeks were over 50,000 units for the Powerwall (US$179 million), and 25,000 units for the Powerpack (US$625 million),[10] therefore combined orders of US$800 million.[30]

During the first quarter of 2016, Tesla delivered over 25 MWh of energy storage to customers on four continents. Over 2,500 Powerwalls and nearly 100 Powerpacks were delivered in North America, Asia, Europe, and Africa.[31]

Criticism

A May 2015 article in Forbes magazine calculated that using a Tesla Powerwall combined with solar panels in your home would cost 30 cents/kWh for electricity if your home is still connected to the grid (the article acknowledges that the Tesla battery could make economic sense in applications that are entirely off-grid). US consumers got electricity from the power grid for 12.5 cents/kWh on average. The article concluded the "...Tesla's Powerwall Is Just Another Toy For Rich Green People."[32] Bloomberg[16] and Catalytic Engineering[33] magazines also agreed that the Tesla system was most useful in places where electricity prices are high.

There are however a number of such locations, including Hawaii and other remote islands that generate electricity with shipped-in or flown-in fuels. However, some of these locations, such as the Canadian high Arctic and isolated native reserves, have cold climates where battery technology often fails to perform as well as more moderate climates.

The Swiss bank UBS said that the Powerwall makes sense in Australia and Germany where electricity is very costly[34] but solar panels are well distributed.

Competition

Energy technology company Enphase Energy has announced it will release its lithium iron phosphate AC Battery as part of a complete Enphase Home Energy Solution[35][36] starting in Winter 2016 in Australia[37][38] and New Zealand with Genesis Energy conducting trials.[39] The system, which includes monitoring and control of solar generation, home energy consumption and battery storage,[40] will be sold at wholesale through solar distributors, who sell to solar installers. Enphase's modular 'building block' batteries[41] are more efficient than the Tesla Powerwall (96% compared to Tesla's 92% round-trip efficiency). The Enphase AC Battery also includes an inverter inside the casing, and works with all existing solar systems, or alternatively in homes without solar. Lithium iron phosphate batteries are known to be the most stable and safe of the various lithium batteries.[42]

Mercedes-Benz / Daimler AG announced in June 2015 that they would be selling batteries for domestic or commercial use by the end of 2015. These would compete against the Tesla Powerwall and would be marketed by Deutsche Accumotive, the Daimler subsidiary that produces the Lithium-ion battery that Mercedes uses in its electric and hybrid cars.[43]

BYD's energy storage system is another competitor of Tesla's Powerpack. UC San Diego installed this system which has 5 megawatt-hour (MWh) capacity—enough to power 2,500 homes—in September 2014.[44] BYD is the world's largest supplier of rechargeable batteries. It is also famous for its leading position in electric public transportation in the globe.[45][46][47]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Debord, Matthew (May 1, 2015). "Elon Musk's big announcement: it's called 'Tesla Energy'". Business Insider. Retrieved June 11, 2015.
  2. ↑ "Planned 2020 Gigafactory Production Exceeds 2013 Global Production" (PDF). February 26, 2014. Retrieved 2014-06-05.
  3. 1 2 Russell, Jon (April 30, 2015). "Tesla’s $3,000 Powerwall Will Let Households Run Entirely On Solar Energy".
  4. ↑ Richard Chirgwin. "Elon Musk pours more Kool-Aid into Powerwall". the Register. Retrieved June 28, 2015.
  5. ↑ "2015 Annual Shareholder Meeting" (Press release). Tesla Motors. Retrieved June 11, 2015.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 "Tesla Powerwall". Tesla Motors. Retrieved October 5, 2015.
  7. ↑ Pyper, Julia (March 18, 2016). "Tesla Discontinues 10-Kilowatt-Hour Powerwall Home Battery". greentechmedia.com. Retrieved 2016-03-19.
  8. 1 2 3 Shahan, Zachary (May 7, 2015). "38,000 Tesla Powerwall Reservations In Under A Week (Tesla / Elon Musk Transcript)". CleanTechnica. Retrieved May 9, 2015.
  9. 1 2 3 "Tesla Motors (TSLA) Earnings Report: Q1 2015 Conference Call Transcript". TheStreet. May 7, 2015. p. 4. Retrieved May 11, 2015.
  10. 1 2 3 Gordon-Bloomfield, Nikki (May 6, 2015). "Tesla Motors Posts Q1 2015 Losses, Due to Strong Dollar, High Capital Expenditures. Hits 1,000 Car/Week Model S Production". Transport Evolved. Retrieved May 9, 2015.
  11. ↑ Gordon-Bloomfield, Nikki (May 9, 2015). "Tesla Unveils Tesla Power: Modular 10-kWh Powerwall for Home, 100-kWh Powerpack for Utilities, at Live Event". Transport Evolved. Retrieved May 9, 2015.
  12. 1 2 3 Mooney, Chris (May 1, 2015). "What backing up your home with Tesla’s battery might be like". The Washington Post. Retrieved May 9, 2015.
  13. ↑ Mooney, Chris (May 1, 2015). "Why Tesla’s announcement is such a big deal: The coming revolution in energy storage". The Washington Post. Retrieved May 9, 2015.
  14. 1 2 Mearian, Lucas (June 10, 2015). "Tesla boosts power output of its home battery, keeps prices the same". ComputerWorld. Retrieved October 5, 2015.
  15. ↑ "Elon Musk’s Grand Plan to Power the World With Batteries". WIRED. Retrieved 2015-11-02.
  16. 1 2 Randall, Tom (May 21, 2015). "Your Home Doesn't Matter for Tesla's Dream of a Battery-Powered Planet". Bloomberg Business. Retrieved June 28, 2015.
  17. 1 2 "Tesla Motors (TSLA) Earnings Report: Q1 2015 Conference Call Transcript". TheStreet. May 7, 2015. p. 6. Retrieved May 11, 2015.
  18. ↑ Bradsher, Keith (October 13, 1999). "Fight Is Promised Over G.M. Plan to Buy Dealerships". New York Times. Retrieved May 21, 2015.
  19. ↑ "Tesla Motors (TSLA) Earnings Report: Q1 2015 Conference Call Transcript". TheStreet. May 7, 2015. p. 5. Retrieved May 11, 2015.
  20. ↑ Williams, Rhiannon (May 1, 2015). "Tesla announces renewable energy batteries for the home".
  21. ↑ "Tesla launches Powerwall home battery with aim to revolutionize energy consumption". Associated Press. May 1, 2015.
  22. ↑ Claburn, Thomas (May 2, 2015). "Tesla Energy: Changing How Businesses, Homes Use Power". Information Week. Retrieved June 29, 2015.
  23. ↑ Benjamin Preston. "Tesla's $13,000 battery could keep your home online in a blackout". the Guardian. Retrieved May 10, 2015.
  24. ↑ Liedtke, Michael; Fahey, Jonathan (May 1, 2015). "Tesla charges into home battery market despite challenges". Associated Press.
  25. ↑ Bishop, Bryan; Dzieza, Josh (May 1, 2015). "Tesla Energy is Elon Musk's battery system that can power homes, businesses, and the world". The Verge.
  26. ↑ Dzieza, Josh (February 13, 2015). "Why Tesla's battery for your home should terrify utilities". The Verge.
  27. ↑ "Backup Power Supply – Home Battery Backup System – SolarCity". solarcity.com. Retrieved May 10, 2015.
  28. ↑ Lawler, Richard (May 6, 2015). "Tesla's Powerwall is already sold out through middle of 2016". Engadget. Retrieved May 8, 2015. On Tesla's quarterly earnings call, CEO Elon Musk announced "crazy off the hook" demand for its just-announced Powerwall battery product.
  29. ↑ Welch, Chris (May 6, 2015). "Tesla announces 38,000 pre-orders for Powerwall home battery". The Verge. Retrieved May 8, 2015. It really feels like, man, the stationary storage demand is just nutty. Like, worldwide, it’s just crazy.
  30. ↑ Randall, Tom (May 8, 2015). "Tesla's Battery Grabbed $800 Million in Its First Week". Bloomberg Business. Retrieved May 9, 2015.
  31. ↑ Tesla Energy delivered over 2,500 Powerwalls and nearly 100 Powerpacks (25 MWh total) to 4 continents last quarter
  32. ↑ Helman, Christopher (May 1, 2015). "Why Tesla's Powerwall Is Just Another Toy For Rich Green People". Forbes. Retrieved June 28, 2015.
  33. ↑ Bruce, Lin; Klippenstein, Matthew (May 8, 2015). "Top Ten Facts about Tesla’s $350/kWh (DC) PowerWall battery". Catalytic Engineering. Retrieved June 28, 2015.
  34. ↑ Parkinson, Giles (May 19, 2015). "UBS: Tesla Powerwall can deliver 6-year payback in Australia". Renew Economy. Retrieved July 22, 2015.
  35. ↑ "Solar storage batteries promise a bright future for home consumers". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 2016-01-21.
  36. ↑ "Enphase's Energy System Hits Australia: Tesla Rival For Home Electricity Storage". www.gizmodo.com.au. Retrieved 2016-01-21.
  37. ↑ "The Home Electricity Storage Revolution Coming To Australia". www.gizmodo.com.au. Retrieved 2016-01-21.
  38. ↑ JamesPaton14, James Paton. "Enphase Sees Australia Leading `Global Charge' in Energy Storage". Bloomberg.com. Retrieved 2016-01-21.
  39. ↑ "Genesis to Trial Distributed Residential Energy Storage | Scoop News". www.scoop.co.nz. Retrieved 2016-01-21.
  40. ↑ "Enphase plug-and-play solar energy storage system to begin pilot program". www.gizmag.com. Retrieved 2016-01-21.
  41. ↑ "Solar Energy Management Systems | Enphase". enphase.com. Retrieved 2016-01-21.
  42. ↑ "Lithium iron phosphate battery". Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
  43. ↑ Mamilit, Aaron (June 10, 2015). "Mercedes-Benz Unveils Personal Power Pack: How Does It Compare With Tesla's Powerwall?". Tech Times. Retrieved June 12, 2015.
  44. ↑ "One of the Nation’s Largest, Most Environmentally-Friendly Battery Energy Storage Systems to be Installed at UC San Diego | Business Wire". www.businesswire.com. Retrieved 2015-11-02.
  45. ↑ "BYD Wins Huge Electric Bus Contract In Washington". CleanTechnica. Retrieved 2015-11-02.
  46. ↑ "BYD Motors Wins America's Largest Electric Bus Order". www.prnewswire.com. Retrieved 2015-11-02.
  47. ↑ News, Bloomberg. "BYD Projects More U.S. Electric-Bus Orders". Bloomberg.com. Retrieved 2015-11-02.

External links

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