Recently Tesla, a company known for manufacturing luxury electric vehicles, announced they will be producing energy storage devices for consumers to use in their own homes. This innovative idea marks the first time manufacturers have concentrated on residential in-home energy storage. The Powerwall will range between $3,000 and $3,500. The size and amount of electricity use of a home will determine what model will work best for each consumer. Energy storage fortifies the home against power outages by providing a back-up electricity supply. Being able to store energy is an amazing achievement in the electricity timeline, because it provides residential customers with greater choice and control of their energy use. In the long term, the ability to store energy could make our electricity network cheaper and more reliable to operate.

The growth of rooftop residential solar panels has also sparked interest in energy storage for the home. Without a storage battery, excess solar energy is often sold to the power company. As a result, in the evening when solar power is no longer available, electricity must be purchased from your provider. Having in-home energy storage bridges the gap between renewable energy supply and demand by making the home’s solar energy available whenever it’s needed.

Even if solar is not a good fit for your home, battery storage can still provide you with many benefits. Energy security and reliability are top concerns for most consumers. Storage devices like Tesla's Powerwall automatically switch to battery power in the event of an electrical outage, delivering uninterrupted power to the consumer. This is especially valuable to those who live in areas prone to storms or with unreliable utility grids.

Other manufacturers are sure to follow in Tesla’s footsteps after seeing the attention the Powerwall has received. These devices will continue to become more affordable and accessible to American consumers as the technologies develop and prices come down. With a modernized electrical grid, consumers will be able to fully enjoy the benefits of these new technologies, and experience the ways they make our lives easier.

By Nathan Shannon | August 3, 2015