How Tesla's rechargeable battery that can power your home works

A new version of Tesla's rechargeable battery system, the Powerwall, is coming this summer.

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The Powerwall can store solar energy and provide backup power for your home. The first version, unveiled in 2015, can fit either on the outside or inside the wall of your house. What improvements we will see in the updated version are unclear.

But for those interested in the technology, here's a breakdown of how the Powerwall works:

Elon Musk Powerwall
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The Powerwall is a lithium-ion battery that can be mounted on or inside a wall in your home.

Powerwall
Reuters/Patrick Fallon

A Powerwall weighs 200 pounds and is 7.1 inches deep.

It comes with liquid-thermal control so it doesn't overheat.

"The fact that it's wall-mounted is vital because it means you don't have to have a battery room," Tesla CEO Elon Musk said when he unveiled the Powerwall.

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The Powerwall stores electricity that is generated by solar panels.

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Solar system installer Thomas Bywater adjusts new solar panels on the roof of a house in Sydney, August 19, 2009. REUTERS/Tim Wimborne

The Powerwall can store electricity generated by solar panels during the day so that the energy can be used later in the evening.

It also allows homeowners to have a backup power supply in case of an outage.

"It gives you peace of mind so if there's a cut in utilities, you always have power," Musk said at the Powerwall event.

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The Powerwall also draws electricity from the utility grid when rates are low and stores it for later use.

Powerwall
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You must also install an inverter with the Powerwall that can convert the electricity generated from the solar panels to an alternating current.

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All installations must be done by a trained electrician. The inverter is not included when you purchase the Powerwall.

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That alternating current is sent to your home's electrical panel to power your home.

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Dept of Energy Solar Decathlon/Flickr

 

 

There are two versions of the Powerwall: a 10-kWh model that costs $3,500 and a 7-kWh model priced at $3,000.

Powerwall
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Multiple Powerwalls can be installed together side by side to generate more power.

Powerwall
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You can stack up to nine Powerwalls, Musk said during the presentation. It's also offered in several different colors so that it can better blend with the room it is installed in.

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"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 of the Powerwall.

Elon Musk Powerwall
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.

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Those interested in powering infrastructure bigger than their home, like a business or a city, can invest in the Powerpack.

Powerpack
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The Powerpack is a 100-kWh block that can be combined with an infinite number of Powerpacks to power any project.

With 160 million Powerpacks, Musk claims you can power the entire US.

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