Clean Energy Storage: The Tesla Powerwall

Since it launched in 2015, I have been really excited about this innovative technology. For those of you that aren't already familiar with the Tesla Powerwall, it is a rechargeable lithium-ion battery that can be installed in homes to store the energy generated from domestic solar panels. There are many benefits to this technology, as I will outline below, although I will also highlight some of its major limitations which are preventing its more widespread distribution.

Tesla Powerwall Installation
Source: ecomento

Key benefits:

- Flexibility:
In the western world, many users take for granted the luxury of always having regular and constant access to energy. With this new solar energy storage technology, the inflexibility of solar energy- with its supply being limited only to the hours when the sun is shining- is nullified. The option to store this energy gives the luxury of flexibility that households are used to when using fossil fuels.

- Power back-up: 
If demand at a particular time is not met with the solar energy supply, households need not rely on fossil fuels to fill this gap as the battery will provide a power back-up. A household could become totally independent of the grid by using some form of battery storage.

- Prevents Waste: 
During the middle of the day, the majority of people are away from their home and unable to make full use of the energy created by their solar panels; installation of this battery ensures that the excess energy, captured by the solar panels, is stored and not wasted.


This technology allows people (on a domestic scale) to make the most of the renewable energy they are producing. A wonderful example I recently came across was the installation of a Tesla Powerwall battery in a home in Wales. This has allowed the family to store the solar energy from their photovoltaic panels, which they had previously been unable to exploit as they were typically away from their home during the day when the solar radiation, and therefore the energy production, was at its highest.


Key Limitations:

- Domestic-scale only:
At present, this battery is only being produced on a domestic scale and has not been upscaled sufficiently to allow for industrial use. However, many developments are taking place, which could present further opportunities in future.

- Cost:
At present, the Tesla Powerwall isn't affordable for most households. With solar panels already a huge expense, the addition of this battery is not an option for most people.

- Size:
As you can see for yourself in the image above, this isn't the most compact and subtle design.  A home would not only need the space, but hopefully a suitable housing design that will allow for this to be installed in a garage or utility room.


Overall, it is clear that there are some limitations of the Tesla Powerwall, both in its design and cost. However, the thing to really point out here is the huge progression that this technology signifies: a phenomenal step forward in capturing and storing sustainable energy. Significant improvements are also being made to reduce the limitations of this battery; This means that, in the future, we should be seeing these technologies become a much more viable option. Hopefully the development will not only impact domestic-consumers, but also industrial organisations. In addition, it has really driven the interest and development in sustainable energy storage, with other companies seeking to capitalise on this market.