Price and Size

Ok so now that we’re talking money, how much is one of these babies going to set you back and is it really worth it? Well, that’s a difficult question to answer with a simple yes or no. I mean…do we really need to send non-astronautical people into outer space?

My humble view on this is; if you’ve got the cash to burn (or blow up) do it. Indulge in the fact that you’ll be enjoying cutting edge powerful technology every single day, right in the comfort of your own little abode, all while doing your bit to save the planet. If you don’t, then invest in a good quality solar system (still doing your bit to save the planet) and take a trip to your local $2 Dollar Shop and bulk buy some candles. Done.

Let’s say you do have a wad of cash that you’re thinking of heating up a little, how much of it will you need? That will depend on the size, and this is the only time I will ever say bigger is not always better. You’ll be using your battery power predominantly at night so if you live in a household that winds down in the evenings and not much is happening in the way of power usage you won’t need a big one. If however if you are like me and your house turns into Central Station, a free all you can eat buffet, and public laundromat then yes you’ll need a big one.

For the average Australian household 5kWh of storage capacity is considered small and 14kWh of storage capacity is considered big. For this exercise let’s go smack bang in the middle and say we need 10kWh of storage. If you’re looking at this amount of battery storage, fully installed your wad of cash will need to be somewhere between 11K and 14k thick, depending on your specific installation requirements.

 Savings (for lack of a better word)

You’ll save at best around $700 per year and your payback period will be 15-20yrs…yep, getting a battery is not really about “saving” money is it. Well not yet anyway. In NSW we still don’t have any government rebate programs on offer specific to battery installs- except for Randwick council who offer approx. $1000- Go Randwick! 

So unless you’re thinking of moving to SA, if you want a battery, suck it up. You can improve this payback period by choosing a good energy plan via a VPP -Virtual Power Plant. Tesla of course with their forward thinking technologically engineered minds , have their very own VPP which was purpose built for Powerwall.

Tesla Virtual Power Plant Energy Plans

Tesla are marketing masters. They are not suggesting we simply sign up for an energy plan, nope, that’s so yesterday. Rather, they are enticing us to become ‘part of a community’. Gives you that warm fuzzy feeling inside doesn’t it! Just to be clear, there are some pre-requisites to ‘qualifying’ for a Tesla Energy Plan thus being permitted entry into this exclusive community of energy conscious planet loving individuals. 

You must have a solar system and Tesla Powerwall already installed. A system of 15kW or less is advised. You must have a smart meter and of course an internet connection and you must not have an aversion to space travel. Just kidding on the last one!! There may be a couple more in fine print, so just know that Tesla take this energy thing very seriously they don’t let just let any riff raff into their community. 

From Tesla’s keyboard to you:

“The Tesla Energy Plan is purpose built for Powerwall. By connecting to the Tesla Energy Plan your Powerwall will also be participating in the Tesla Virtual Power Plant, which is a network of homes within the community working together to generate renewable energy and share value across those home’s connected to the Tesla Energy Plan.”

 Warranty

The Tesla Powerwall has a 10yr warranty which gets ramped up to 15yrs for ‘community members’, more warm fuzzy feelings!  

There are a few other perks as well:

“Using Tesla’s world leading technology, the Tesla Energy Plan works seamlessly with your Powerwall, providing benefits not only to your home, but also to the grid when it is needed, and in return you receive competitive energy rates, Feed in Tariffs, Grid Support Credits and Powerwall Credits (Powerwall credits are available when you join the Tesla Energy Plan within 30 days of install of your new Powerwall ).”

 To wrap up my view on the Powerwall. Tesla know their stuff. They are smart. They are forward thinking. I also think they are too expensive and even a little scary…. but hey, so is living on a planet that’s dying. Space travel doesn’t seem like such a foreign idea after all…I wonder what pre-requisites we’ll need to get into that community?

Have you got another reason you’d like to add? CLICK TO SEND US A MESSAGE!