Grid-tied solar

[fordmantpw]

These batteries don't stack up financially for all but fringe-case scenarios. The equation gets even worse when trying to use them in some sort of arbitrage capacity. They are a stepping stone to getting off-grid completely and an important if not currently financially feasible one at that.

Well done to Tesla for setting a fire under the market though.

Oh I agree. Financially, they won't make sense for most folks, but that is usually the case with new technology. Remember the first microwaves? Now they can be had for under $100. It has to start somewhere, and it's cool to see the technology coming out.

 

[KiwiBro]

I can recall my parents going to night school to learn how to use a microwave.

 

[Egon]

I can recall my parents going to night school to learn how to use a microwave.

W

Some of the new kitchen appliance controls seem to indicate a course in electronics might be required.

 

[fordmantpw]

W

Some of the new kitchen appliance controls seem to indicate a course in electronics might be required.

I'm pretty tech savvy (I'm a computer programmer with an electrical engineering degree), but I can say the new Bosch double oven we have in our house can be rather complex to operate. A 1-hour course wouldn't be out of the question for that thing!

 

[buickanddeere]

If the peaking battery worked. Why are they not found at power utility switch yards or at commercial buildings ?

 

[buickanddeere]

Where are cheaper batteries going to be sourced from? A country with low wages, no pensions and no concerns for the environment .
The drop in battery and solar cell prices over the past few years has been due to production being moved from the US to China.
There are no gains left with lead acid batteries. Minimal gains of a few percent with Lithium.

 

[KiwiBro]

Tesla's power wall battery is approaching 1billion dollars in pre sale reservations. Even if the conversion rate is 20 percent, it will still be one of the all time biggest selling by first quarter sales dollars new product launches in history. There can be no doubt the market is there, is motivated.

Personally, I think the battery is a still not compelling in most cases. But thanks to Tesla I'm excited by what's coming a year or so down the road.

 

[KiwiBro]

Tesla's Powerwall battery is approaching $1b in pre-sale reservations. Even if the conversion rate is just 20 percent, it will still be one of, if not, the biggest selling (by first-quarter sales dollars) new product launches in history. There can be no doubt the market is there, is motivated.

Personally, I think the battery is still not compelling (financially) in most cases. But thanks to Tesla I'm excited by what's coming a year or so down the road.

 

[dave1949]

I still need to sit down and figure out what a battery like the Tesla units are worth to me in $/kW. Without that number there is no way to truly evaluate the price. I'm not sure it is possible to compute without knowing some things like typical discharge cycles, discharge depth, battery life according to discharges.

I'm pretty sure it is too expensive as of now, but there needs to be a way to know when/if the price meets your personal break-even point.

 

[KiwiBro]

I still need to sit down and figure out what a battery like the Tesla units are worth to me in $/kW. Without that number there is no way to truly evaluate the price. I'm not sure it is possible to compute without knowing some things like typical discharge cycles, discharge depth, battery life according to discharges.

I'm pretty sure it is too expensive as of now, but there needs to be a way to know when/if the price meets your personal break-even point.

I doubt Tesla can be bothered drilling down to customers individual circumstances, so only you can do that for yourself. That said, there's plenty of info out there, if motivated.

Here's but one example, loaded with assumptions (there's no other way), and from an admitted investor in both Tesla and SolarCity:

Tesla Powerwall & Powerblocks Per-kWh Lifetime Prices vs Aquion Energy, Eos Energy, & Imergy | CleanTechnica

A motivated consumer doing the most rudimentary online research may find other, already available, batteries with significant characteristics worth considering too.