Solar Power and Battery Backup: Tesla and SolarCity's Dream Home

[Citizen-T]

Solar Power and Battery Backup: Tesla and SolarCity's Dream Home

Not much actual news, but maybe someone will read more out of it than I did.

[doug]

Source article has more deets: http://gigaom.com/cleantech/tesla-so...tery-projects/



This comment was interesting.

Bruce
Tuesday, April 17 2012
I purchased a SolarCity PV system and was offered the chance to lease a 10 kWh battery system for $10/mo for 10 years. That sounded like a good deal, so I’ve signed a contract to that effect. 10 kWh is enough to power essential systems at our home for at least a day and a half even if the PV system isn’t charging the batteries at all. In spring/summer/fall 10 kWh plus our 2.5 kW DC PV system should be able to keep essential electrical devices running for months.

[stopcrazypp]

Source article has more deets: http://gigaom.com/cleantech/tesla-so...tery-projects/
This comment was interesting.

Bruce
Tuesday, April 17 2012
I purchased a SolarCity PV system and was offered the chance to lease a 10 kWh battery system for $10/mo for 10 years. That sounded like a good deal, so I’ve signed a contract to that effect. 10 kWh is enough to power essential systems at our home for at least a day and a half even if the PV system isn’t charging the batteries at all. In spring/summer/fall 10 kWh plus our 2.5 kW DC PV system should be able to keep essential electrical devices running for months.

That works out to a price of $120/kWh. It's also economical for the user. It gives hope on a secondary industry for used EV batteries, esp. if some of that value can be deducted from the initial sale price of the EV.

[Bearman]

I think this is an excellent idea, makes me wonder tho is that box actually a roadster coffin?

[jcstp]

Wonder if this could be a testbed for a little "smart-grid" connecting your Tesla-car to your PV and house-grid!
(Car as back-up battery)

[dadaleus]

Cool. I doubt it right now--but I hope there's a way add this to existing, non-Solar City PV systems in the future.

[frequencydip]

At $10 a month for something you use every few years when you have a power-outage your better off buying a portable generator then at least you can take the generator with you and charge your tesla anywhere..

[ElSupreme]

At $10 a month for something you use every few years when you have a power-outage your better off buying a portable generator then at least you can take the generator with you and charge your tesla anywhere..

Except you can charge it at low TOU rates (1.25 cents per kWh where I live) and power your house during the peak rate. Or as it says charge it during the day with your solar, and still have AC/lights at night. No gas required. No noise.

[frequencydip]

You will never makeup the savings in the cost of the replacement battery from all the extra charge and discharge cycles. If you use your old battery after you upgrade/replace it sure but not using the installed roadster battery.

[VolkerP]

I think this is an excellent idea, makes me wonder tho is that box actually a roadster coffin?

Yup. Now we know why Tesla offers the battery replacement option and buys wrecked Roadsters!
A new Roadster battery pack has 53kWh usable capacity and 11 sheets. If it degrades to 70% capacity, you can use 4 sheets for a storage battery of nominal 13.5kWh and 10.8kWh if cycled in an 80% SOC window. And 8 years after Model S production starts, Tesla will have a continuous stream of virtually "free" sheets for 4x20,000 = 80,000 storage battery packs per year. Nice!