Tesla has unveiled its not so secret ‘secret’ new product – wall mounted lithium-ion energy storage devices for home use.
In a much hyped event, Elon Musk’s company unveiled two versions of its Tesla Powerwall, which offer load shifting, backup power and solar power storage.
Both the bigger, $3,500 10kW version for backup applications, and the $3,000 7kWh product designed for daily use applications, can be connected to PVs or to a grid.
First deliveries are due in late Summer, with the selling price to installers excluding inverter and installation.
The announcement marks a move from the automotive trade for Tesla, however as chairman of Solarcity, Musk’s decision was not a huge leap of faith.
On the same day – April 30th – Tesla made its announcement, U.S Solarcity revealed it was incorporating Tesla batteries into its solar power systems: DemandLogic for residential and business use; Gridlogic microgrid service; and of course the Powerwall.
Tesla has previously installed batteries at about 300 California homes, and 11 Wal-Mart Stores as part of a pilot program with SolarCity.
By 2019, the total U.S. sales for clean energy storage systems will reach $1.5 billion, according to a March report from GTM Research.