TESLA LAUNCHES NEW HOME BATTERY THAT WILL STORE SOLAR ENERGY

Tesla yesterday introduced the Powerwall, a potentially critical new step in making solar power more affordable and reliable—something we desperately need if we're going to get off fossil fuels, slow down climate change, and feed the electrical hunger of our electronic society.

Tesla wants to get the world's consumption of power "down to zero carbon levels," Musk told the assembled crowd of press and Tesla enthusiasts. "With Powerwall, you can be totally free of the grid if you want."
The Powerwall comes in two models: a 10 kWh weekly cycle or a 7 kWh daily cycle. Both are guaranteed for a decade and sufficient to provide power during peak evening hours, after the sun goes down on your solar-paneled roof. Certified installers will hook up the unit, which retails at $3,500 for 10kWh and $3,000 for 7kWh. (Price does not include inverter and installation.)


Deliveries begin in late summer, initially just in the U.S., but swiftly followed by Germany (which has made huge inroads into sustainable power sources), Australia and then globally. In northern climes, where solar power is less plentiful, hydropower will be used instead to gather energy and store it in the Powerwall.

Musk pointed to the benefits of Powerwall in an emergency. "You saw what happened in the northeast during the recent ice storms," he said. "Imagine the peace of mind, knowing you have a power back-up."

Musk isn't content to stop at converting well-heeled Tesla car owners to grid-independent life. "Just as parts of the emerging world leapt straight to mobile technology, bypassing landlines entirely, I can see remote villages with no electricity, some of the poorest places on Earth, using Powerwalls as their first form of power," he said.