Tesla’s batteries changed the way we think about electric vehicles. Now, it’s tech is coming to your home.
Tesla Energy, a new division of the company most well-known for its sporty and luxurious battery-powered cars, announced its first product: the Tesla Powerwall Home Battery. It’s goal is to provide an easy-to-install and easy-to-use lithium-ion battery system that provides efficient energy to a sustainable home.
The Powerwall will come in two versions: a $3,000 7kWh model and a larger $3,500 10 kWh unit that buyers can mount to a wall on their house. This lets home owners with solar panels store electricity during the day and save it for use in the morning or at night when demand is highest.
For those without solar panels, the benefit of Powerwall comes from collecting energy from the grid during the day when electricity rates are cheaper, and storing it for use later. In the event of a power outage, Powerwall automatically switches on, providing juice to your home while you wait.
The Powerwall is looks sleek but it's 7 inches thick and weighs a hefty 220 pounds. It can be daisy chained to additional units if you’re looking for more capacity. Tesla cites 92 percent round-trip DC efficiency with voltage between 350 and 450 volts and a 5 amp nominal output that peaks at 8.5 amps.
There’s also a larger commercial model called the Powerpack, which connects multiple 100 kWh units together for energy hungry companies such as Amazon, Wal-Mart and Target, which have begun integrating the battery unit from Tesla.
Tesla says Powerwall units will arrive this summer. You can reserve one now, but you’ll need a licensed technician to install it.
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Sam Rutherford is a Staff Writer at Tom’s Guide. Follow him @SamRutherford on Twitter, and Tom’s Guide on Twitter, Facebook and Google+.
