Last week in Southern California, 43 year old visionary and head of Tesla Motors, Elon Musk proposed a line of battery packs which could, in theory, save energy and money in massive amounts. Musk has long been known for pushing the envelope in regards to technological advancements and way ahead of his peers with his forward thinking.

The idea is a series of lithium-ion battery modules which can store electricity from solar panels that charge during non-peak energy usage hours, then provide energy to a home or facility during peak hours.

Homeowners will be able to get the module called the “Powerwall”, which Tesla will sell in two different modules,7 hours and 10 hours. The smaller seven hour pack will cost $3,000 and the larger pack will go for $3,500.

To this point, Tesla has been known as an automaker, producing electric cars such as “the Model “S sedan, which also uses lithium-ion batteries. In that role, Tesla has proved to be a catalyst for change in the car business, as a number of major automakers over the last several years have unveiled their own electric vehicles. Tesla’s entrance into the home-charging business could spark a similar trend in that realm.

The new power modules could provide energy to a house or facility during a blackout, and allow home and facility owners to practice what Musk called “energy arbitrage,” which would allow people to buy energy at cheaper rates during non-peak hours and using it during higher rate hours. Musk said that the Powerwall will work best for homes with solar panels, as it can store excess energy captured by the panels and make use of it during night-time hours. A home with a Powerwall and solar panels could be “grid-independent.”

Musk’s line of thinking very well could lead to major changes in the way energy is used around the world, and perhaps provide a way to cut down on the amount of energy wasted every year.
http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2015/05/01/403529202/tesla-ceo-elon-musk-unveils-home-battery-is-3-000-cheap-enough