Tesla home storage battery

[KingOrfeo]

Tesla Motors announces a new battery, production to begin in six months, no market-release date, which apparently you could use to power your home and live off the power grid, so long as you have solar panels or something to charge it.

Flashing on the "Shipstones" in Robert Heinlein's Friday. Will this be that big a technological game-changer, I wonder?

 

[bronzeage]

Depending on a power source that requires the resources of a NASA contractor to produce is not "living off the grid." It just makes you more dependent on a huge manufacturing and transportation infrastructure instead of an electrical power infrastructure.

 

[JohnnySavage]

I've often posted here that the future of electricity is to use a local source and have the grid as a back-up. Energy storage has always been the holy grail of such a system.

I think the first step though is to test the technology on commercial properties. We are seeing more and more buildings built to LEED standards, to include solar and wind generated power as part of the design. Wind and solar though, don't provide a constant supply of electricity and for now, the slack is picked up by the grid. Once battery tech is developed, that energy could, and will be, stored for those slack times.

 

[erostwo]

Wireless

The other battery post, looking at it... photomultiplier?

 

[Lord Pmann]

I work in the energy industry. Right now, I have a pretty skeptical view of solar power. It's just not consistent. And it's expensive. And if people are looking for environmental benefits of a system like this, well, I don't know that there are any. Batteries aren't easily disposed. And it takes a lot to produce them. And the sheer space one needs for solar panels is outrageously large.

I do believe, however, that by the end of my lifetime energy will be generated at a much more local level than at the generating plants. As these technologies get better, the cost will come down, like everything.

 

[Lord Pmann]

Depending on a power source that requires the resources of a NASA contractor to produce is not "living off the grid." It just makes you more dependent on a huge manufacturing and transportation infrastructure instead of an electrical power infrastructure.

And more reliant on a far less reliable producer of power.

 

[richard_daily]

I work in the energy industry. Right now, I have a pretty skeptical view of solar power. It's just not consistent. And it's expensive. And if people are looking for environmental benefits of a system like this, well, I don't know that there are any. Batteries aren't easily disposed. And it takes a lot to produce them. And the sheer space one needs for solar panels is outrageously large.

I do believe, however, that by the end of my lifetime energy will be generated at a much more local level than at the generating plants. As these technologies get better, the cost will come down, like everything.

So how will the utilities make money if that happens?

 

[Ulaven_Demorte]

Today I learned that the sun is an unreliable source of energy..

 

[KingOrfeo]

Depending on a power source that requires the resources of a NASA contractor to produce is not "living off the grid." It just makes you more dependent on a huge manufacturing and transportation infrastructure instead of an electrical power infrastructure.

But, you only have to buy the battery (and solar panels or whatever) once.

 

[Brollyanna]

But, you only have to buy the battery (and solar panels or whatever) once.

Batteries have s lifespan of between 7 and 10 years. They are the weak point of the standalone system.

 

[bronzeage]

But, you only have to buy the battery (and solar panels or whatever) once.

Come on now. A forever battery?

 

[Lord Pmann]

So how will the utilities make money if that happens?

I personally think utilities will still be in charge of a lot of the generation. Working with companies helping this transition. I just think it will be on a smaller level, rather than the large nuclear, coal or natural gas plants we know now. I don't believe those will completely go away, either. But I personally believe that the generation will be more localized. I think the utilities will still be in charge of a lot of this, as I don't think solar panels will be cost effective enough right now to make sense at all. The people that spend their money on solar panels here are the laughing stock of the utilities. They think they are getting some great deal and they are paying a premium for their shitty panels.

Revenues are declining for utilities as efficiencies are increasing. However, the introduction of electric cars will increase their revenues greatly. In the next 10-15 years you will see charging stations increase dramatically. Imagine the revenue increases a utility will see if 20% of the drivers begin using electric cars instead of gasoline. Now, this is a slow process, but over time it will happen.

Solar or wind will never be the answer, completely. Take a city like NYC. It's not always sunny there. The power consumption is massive. There are no panels large enough or windmills fast enough to supply that city with power.

It's a good thing for technology to improve and adopt solar where possible. But it's a long way out.

 

[Lord Pmann]

Today I learned that the sun is an unreliable source of energy..

And that was news to you?

It's also expensive.

 

[KingOrfeo]

Depending on a power source that requires the resources of a NASA contractor to produce is not "living off the grid." It just makes you more dependent on a huge manufacturing and transportation infrastructure instead of an electrical power infrastructure.

Batteries have s lifespan of between 7 and 10 years. They are the weak point of the standalone system.

Come on now. A forever battery?

Well, the point is there's no monthly charge from the power company. Replace the battery every 7 to 10 years? You do that with your car, I'm sure this battery will be a lot cheaper than that.

 

[Lord Pmann]

Well, the point is there's no monthly charge from the power company. Replace the battery every 7 to 10 years? You do that with your car, I'm sure this battery will be a lot cheaper than that.

Ask Toyota Prius owners How much replacement batteries cost.

Or think about the cost of a UPS system costs for your PC. Then multiply it by a metric fuckton.

 

[eyer]

...energy will be generated at a much more local level than at the generating plants.

The same was once the glorious schematic for American politics...

...but the federal government behemoth has grown to regulate all.

 

[KingOrfeo]

Today I learned that the sun is an unreliable source of energy..

Well, you know, clouds.

 

[Brollyanna]

Ask Toyota Prius owners How much replacement batteries cost.

Or think about the cost of a UPS system costs for your PC. Then multiply it by a metric fuckton.

A bank of 530Ah/24v batteries cost about $1500. That would be sufficient for an energy aware household but not for your average home.

 

[toubab]

Today I learned that the sun is an unreliable source of energy..

It's not the sun that's unreliable. It's the Earth. It spins. It's dark on one side all the time. It's tilted. It has seasons. It has weather. Clouds. Shit like that.

 

[KingOrfeo]

BTW, here's a prediction that Apple is going to buy Tesla Motors.

 

[Lord Pmann]

A bank of 530Ah/24v batteries cost about $1500. That would be sufficient for an energy aware household but not for your average home.

For how long? These are Amp HOURS.

And you need an inverter.

 

[Lord Pmann]

www.wholesalesolar.com/backup/4400-watt-home-battery-backup-system.html

This is the cost that is more realistic for something that would run your home for a little while, but that's not including the major appliances.

I'm not saying solar is bad. I'm saying it's not ready. And batteries fail. A lot. And their disposal is a bitch.

 

[erostwo]

1/S + m

Find a renewable energy source at your finger tips...

 

[Libsam]

lithium-ion? Not impressed.

Before I clicked on the article I was thinking, "OMG, new battery technology!!"

 

[toubab]

www.wholesalesolar.com/backup/4400-watt-home-battery-backup-system.html

This is the cost that is more realistic for something that would run your home for a little while, but that's not including the major appliances.

I'm not saying solar is bad. I'm saying it's not ready. And batteries fail. A lot. And their disposal is a bitch.

Well, people have only been working on problems with batteries for a little over a century. Give it some time.