Looking to expand from its automotive business, Tesla has produced the Powerwall, a lithium-ion battery that can store energy for load shifting, backup power and self-consumption of solar power generation.
Tesla Energy is attempting to move consumers away from fossil fuels to a sustainable energy future enabling homes, business, and utilities to store sustainable and renewable energy to manage power demand, provide backup power and increase grid resilience.
The unit consists of Tesla's li-ion battery pack, a liquid thermal control system and software that receive dispatch commands from a solar inverter. However, no specifications on the cooling system are available from the manufacturer.
There are two models in the range, with capacities of 7 and 10kWh. Each unit produces 2kW (3.3kW peak) from a supply of 350 to 450V and has an operating temperature range between -20 and 43°C. The 7kWh option is said to be suitable for day-to-day applications, while the 10kWh option can be used for backup applications: for example, using power saved up during a power cut. Both can be connected to solar panels or directly into the grid via an AC-DC inverter.
Tesla will begin making these available in the summer of 2015.
Author
Tom Austin-Morgan
Source: www.newelectronics.co.uk