This story is available exclusively to Business Insider
subscribers. Become an Insider
and start reading now.Have an account? .
Tesla unveiled the new and improved version of its at-home battery, Powerwall 2, in October.
The at-home battery can store solar energy and provide backup power for your home. It fits into Tesla's larger energy ambitions since it acquired SolarCity in November, allowing it to offer solar roof and panel installations in addition to backup energy storage.
Here's a breakdown of how Powerwall 2 works:
Tesla's Powerwall 2 is a lithium-ion battery that can be mounted on the wall or floor of your home. Panasonic makes the cells for the Powerwall, while Tesla builds the battery module and pack.
Tesla
As mentioned before, the Powerwall can store electricity that is generated by solar panels during the day to use later in the evening. It can also serve as a backup power supply in case there's an outage.
Tesla
Above you see Tesla's solar roof, which can generate electricity for Powerwall 2 to store.
The battery can also draw electricity from the utility grid when rates are low and store it for later use.
YouTube/VideoMisery
Powerwall 2 differs from Tesla's first generation Powerwall in a few ways. Aesthetically, Powerwall 2 is flatter and more rectangular. It weighs 269 pounds and is 6.1 inches deep.
Tesla
For comparison, Tesla's first generation Powerwall weighed 200 pounds and is 7.1 inches deep, making it a bit lighter, but more clunky than Powerwall 2.
Perhaps a more important update is that Powerwall 2 now comes with an inverter included in its price instead requiring a separate purchase. The inverter plays a critical role by converting the electricity generated from the solar panels into an alternating current that can be used for power.
Tesla
That alternating current is then sent to your home's electrical panel to power your home.
Artazum/Shutterstock
Tesla's Powerwall 2 costs $5,500 and can store 14 kWh worth of energy. For reference, the average electricity consumption for a residential customer in 2015 was 901 kWh per month.
A single battery can provide 5 kW of continuous power, but will improve to 7 kW at peak. That means that Powerwall 2 has twice the energy and twice the storage as the first-generation Powerwall.
YouTube/VideoMisery
Above you see Tesla's first generation Powerwall.
The Powerwall comes with an app so you can monitor your solar energy use and also get alerts if cloudy weather is on the way.
U.S. Senator Michael Bennet, D-Colo., center, helps as SolarCity employees Jarret Esposito, left, and Jake Torwatzky, install a solar panel on a home in south Denver.
AP/Ed Andrieski
"You can actually, if you want, go completely off grid — you can take your solar panels, charge the battery packs, and that's all you use," Musk said during the unveiling of Tesla's first-generation Powerwall in 2015.
Reuters/Patrick Fallon
It should be noted that the Powerwall doesn't allow all users to completely disconnect from the grid.
Rather, it enables users to power their homes independent from the grid, but most users would still need be connected to the grid for periods of high demand.
The Powerwall 2 can only be set-up by a certified installer. The installations, which cost $1,000, will begin January 2017.
Tesla
You can read about other at-home battery options on the market here.
