Tesla to produce new batteries…for the home

Tesla doesn’t appear to stop pursuing the alternate energy universe, whether it has to do with how to power cars, or needs in the domestic sector. Most recently, the Californian company revealed a battery–called the Powerwall–developed to power the home.

The idea of using a battery to power the home may seem unrealistic, but that’s exactly what Tesla plans on doing this year in the United States, and abroad in 2016.

The world of renewable energy is a little limited at the moment, but Tesla founder Elon Musk plans on further exploring the capabilities of solar power. One of the main limitations of both solar and wind power is how variable the necessary natural elements required can be.

The Powerwall is a lithium-ion battery that uses tech already found in the powertrains of the manufacturer’s automobiles. The battery, which weighs 100 kilograms and measures 130 x 85 centimetres, costs $3,500 and can be installed on an exterior wall of most homes.

The Powerwall is connected to a traditional electric circuit and recharges during the day via either the grid or solar panels, and can be saved for use at times of day—peak hours—when electricity is at its most expensive in markets that bill according to usage periods.

The Powerwall will be manufactured at Tesla’s Gigafactory outside Reno, NV.