Solar-powered energy systems work by converting the potential energy in sunlight to usable electricity. The main features of a solar energy system are solar panels, solar inverters, batteries and a series of electrical control components to connect them.
The solar panels generate electricity for direct use during the day and to charge the batteries. The batteries immediately take over to supply your power needs at night and on cloudy days. The inverter ensures that there is a consistent stable flow of electricity from the panels and batteries into your house.
This combination ensures that you have an uninterrupted power supply 24 hours a day all year round. This article focuses on how the Tesla Powerwall Battery is uniquely suited to provide the backup power to grid-connected or stand-alone solar homes.
Tesla Background
Tesla Inc. is a technology company best known for the production of electric cars. Founded in 2003 by two engineers, Martin Eberhard and Marc Tarpenning, the company was named Tesla Motors Inc. in honour of Nikola Tesla, one of the founding fathers of modern electrical technology. Elon Musk, J. B Straubel and Ian Wright joined Tesla as key investors during its ‘Series A’ funding.
Tesla now serves the whole world with a range of revolutionary electrical technologies including electric sedans, SUVs, sportscars and Semi-trailers as well as solar panels and batteries. Tesla’s solar panels are produced by its subsidiary, SolarCity.
What Is The Tesla Powerwall Battery?
The Tesla Powerwall is a smart rechargeable lithium-ion battery that was designed to provide uninterrupted power for homes. It is ideal to serve as grid-connected home energy storage. The Powerwall batteries also haveunique features that make them especially suited for solar-powered home systems.
Tesla produced two Powerwall models to date, Powerwall 1 and 2. The first one, Powerwall 1,has a capacity of 6.4 kWh and weighs about 97 Kg. It is housed in a sleek minimalist casing measuring 130 cm x 86 cm x 18 cm. Powerwall 1 produces 2 kW of continuous power with a cap of 5,000 cycles.
The new and improved Powerwall 2 was released on October 2016 and deployed in 18 countries. Powerwall 2 comes withmore than double the capacity and power output of its predecessor. It boasts a capacity of 13.5 kWh and a continuous power output of 5 kW. Also, it has a peak power of 7 kW. Yet, Powerwall 2 is significantly smaller and only about 20% heavier than Powerwall 1.It comes in a smart futuristic 112 cm x 74 cm x 14 cm casing and weighs about 120 kg.
Tesla Powerwall’s Unique Features
The Powerwall is equipped with a series of smart features that set it apart from the conventional home energy storage systems in the market. Here are a few of them.
1. It has Time-Based Control:
This setting enables Powerwall to analyse your power demand and supply patterns. It then optimizes your use of direct solar and stored energy to minimize your overall cost of electricity.
2. It Is Maintenance Free:
Powerwall comes ina compact fully automated system that does not need any additional work after installation. It is self-cooling and safe to touch. It is also weatherproof and safe for outdoor installation.
3. It Is Scalable:
The Powerwall is versatile and can be used in a range of power demand settings. A series of Powerwalls can be neatly mounted side by side on your wall. However, for high power demand settings, you can stack up to 10 Powerwalls on your floor. This option allows you to serve a high power demand without taking up much floor space.
Tesla has revolutionized the energy market with its unique storage solutions. In addition to the Powerwall, Telsa also provides the 100 kWh to 200 kWh Powerpack storage solution for commercial solar applications. Powerwall offers users several advantages and essentially solves the challenge of uninterrupted power supply in various home settings.
