In 2015, Elon Musk unveiled the Tesla Powerwall, signalling a new age of home electricity. But does the home battery system really spell the end for expensive bills?
Below we outline how the Tesla Powerwall works and weigh up the pros and cons of installing one in your home.
Put simply, the Tesla Powerwall is a battery for your home. It charges by using electricity generated from solar panels, or from the grid during off-peak periods. The Powerwall can store energy from the grid and convert it for later use, using a hybrid inverter which is installed separately.
The 7 kilowatt Powerwall weighs about 90 kilograms, is about 15cm deep and includes liquid thermal control to avoid overheating. There is also a larger 10 kilowatt Powerwall intended to replace a backup generator for businesses.
While “going off the grid” is an attractive idea for homeowners frustrated with expensive electricity bills and maintenance costs, The Tesla Powerwall doesn’t actually allow residents to disconnect completely. A home equipped with the Powerwall can be powered independently of the grid, however will still rely on grid power in periods of high demand.
Earlier in 2016, Sydney resident Nick Pfitzner became the first in Australia to install the Tesla Powerwall at his home. He spent $16,000 on a 5 kilowatt photovoltaic system, with 20 250-watt solar panels with DC optimisers, and a hybrid inverter and 7 kilowatt Powerwall battery.
It may be a mouthful, but Pfitzner says the system has cut his electricity bill by 90 per cent in just 6 months.
With Mojo Homes offering a Tesla Powerwall battery package at no extra cost with their premium homes, we can expect to see more Australians following suit.
Purchasing and installing a Tesla Powerwall isn’t cheap. And as is the case with most significant technological innovations, as they develop they will likely get more affordable.
Lindsay Handmer of Lifehacker crunched the numbers and found that everyday savings were meagre when compared to the significant adoption costs.
“As prices drop with increased production, Powerwall will become more economically viable, but for now it’s only going to appeal to early adopters,” he says.
Lindsay also notes that electricity companies are likely to respond with more competitive rates, meaning the Powerwall payback time could be considerable.
Eco-friendly construction is transforming the way we build commercial and residential properties in Australia. Whether it’s innovative water-conserving plumbing solutions or living walls, green building prac
tices are allowing Australians to save money while doing their bit for the environment.
The Tesla Powerwall may not be an entirely new technology, however it highlights the continually evolving eco-friendly movement in residential construction.
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