Tesla Energy?s new foray into providing energy storage products to service not just homes but also utilities is bringing much-needed attention to the accompanying technologies. That, in turn, may attract new capital and help bring about economies of scale that would further reduce those prices.
In the end, it?s about making the concept of energy storage both accessible and affordable. Most people associate the technology with taking electric power off the grid at night and storing it in a battery, releasing it later on when the demand for power is highest and when the sun may be hiding. But the more prevalent use is to infuse the grid with electrons when the switches trip or the voltage sways. That keeps the lights from flickering out.
?We applaud Tesla?s entry into the energy storage market,? says Jostein Eikeland, chief executive of the Alevo Group in Charlotte, NC. ?Together with Solar City, it will bring more electricity from renewables direct to consumers and onto the grid. And, adding distributed resources is a good thing for the environment as well.?
Eikeland, who participated in a panel discussion sponsored by Accenture and moderated by this reporter in Chicago this week, went on to say that it is too soon to judge Tesla?s technology, although he feels that the high-profile endeavor gives energy storage the shot that it needs to increase production and bolster efficiencies.
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