Home Batteries Are Needed Now More Than Ever
Electric vehicles (EVs) have been gaining popularity recently as lawmakers have begun proposing upcoming bans on gas-powered cars to lower emissions during the worldwide climate crisis. Automakers are racing to make powerful and innovative batteries, and the Biden administration in the U.S. is spending billions to make the country a manufacturing hub for battery technology. But as electric vehicles have their moment in the spotlight, another type of next-generation battery is gaining momentum - home batteries.
A home battery provides power to a home when it is not receiving power from the grid or a renewable energy source, like a laptop powering a laptop when it is not plugged into an outlet. They come in various sizes and energy storage capacities. Although most are based on standard lithium-ion technology, some are taking advantage of being stationary to use more abundant materials such as zinc. Each battery is typically the size of a television and costs at least a couple of thousand dollars. Larger batteries can power multiple homes simultaneously and could be connected directly to the power grid or microgrids that power entire buildings or neighborhoods. Regardless of the size, home batteries have become a critical component in increasing the supply of renewable energy internationally. Considering solar energy is not available when the sun is down, and there is not always wind available to power wind turbines, batteries allow individuals and communities to store renewable energy. Hence, it is available when it’s needed most.
People across the U.S. have already begun purchasing and installing Tesla Powerwalls, solar-powered home battery packs that can store a few hours’ worth of backup power. In addition to Tesla, companies such as LG Chem and Panasonic have also entered the home battery pack industry, as well as some lesser-known battery makers like Salient Energy, Generac, and Enphase. With extreme weather events increasing in severity and frequency, such as the destructive Texas storm last winter, more consumers are buying and will continue to purchase home batteries.
The U.S. government is providing financial support for upgrades to the power grid. In May, the Energy Department announced it would allocate over $ 3 billion from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law on EV batteries and batteries meant for long-term energy storage. Additionally, President Joe Biden announced in March that he was using the Defense Production Act to order the production of critical materials needed for stationary storage, which he deems ‘essential to national defense. Some state governments have also begun offering financial incentives to individuals to buy home batteries and commercial battery banks. California updated its state energy code to require all new commercial and high-rise multifamily buildings to install batteries and solar panels. According to the International Energy Association, to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2050, the world will need to boost the world’s battery storage capacity from the 17 gigawatts available in 2020 to 585 gigawatts by the end of the decade.
Battery Production Ramping Up to Meet Demand
For more information about batteries meant for long-term energy storage and upcoming developments, go to Vox.com:
“This week, Salient Energy announced a partnership with a Texas-based sustainable homebuilder, Horton World Solutions, to demonstrate its new zinc-ion battery technology. If all goes according to plan, the companies will install these batteries in more than 200,000 homes over the next decade.
Even the EV industry is investing in the stationary battery business. In addition to offering its Powerwall batteries to individuals, Tesla recently finished building one of the world’s largest batteries for PG&E in Northern California, and has also started work on another utility-scale battery outside Houston that could power 20,000 homes. CATL, a Chinese company that’s arguably the world’s largest EV battery manufacturer, last month announced plans to produce 900 battery systems for a Texas-based renewable energy company that will support the state’s beleaguered power grid. Meanwhile, GM is designing its Ultium batteries so that they could eventually be repurposed to provide long-term energy storage, and Nissan announced earlier this year that it would test a similar idea using its EV batteries at a power plant in Spain.”
From These Batteries Work from Home - VOX
Photo Source: Tesla (https://www.tesla.com/powerwall)
Do you currently own a home battery? If not, are you considering it? And which one would you want?
Written by S2A Modular & Associates Inc.
May 5th, 2022