One of the most commonly asked questions about battery storage is the timing of the first deliveries of the Tesla Powerwall 2. It seems, according to the Tesla Facebook page, that it has finally begun.
This first delivery was made in an as-yet unspecified location in NSW, with the customer apparently not wanting any more publicity. But Tesla says deliveries and installs will ramp up this month.
The Powerwall 2, which provided more capacity at a cheaper price – effectively reducing the costs of battery storage by around half – was hailed as one of the major developments in battery storage last year. The costs are estimated at $A8,000 per 14kWh battery pack, with installation and supporting hardware starting at $2,000.
The unit was formally unveiled in a blaze of publicity in March, when Lyndon Rive’s comments about Tesla’s ability to solve Australia’s energy crisis within six months led to a Twitter exchange with Australian IT billionaire Mike Cannon-Brookes, and preceded two large-scale battery storage tenders in South Australia and Victoria.
But Tesla is not the only company to bring down the costs of storage. Numerous other companies – LG Chem, Sonnen, Apollo-ESS and others – have rolled out new models at lower costs, and others, such as Opal Solar, are preparing to launch cheaper packages within the next few months.
Solar installers report huge interest from customers, although many seem to be waiting for even further falls in costs.
Giles Parkinson is founder and editor of One Step Off The Grid, and also edits and founded Renew Economy and The Driven. He has been a journalist for 35 years and is a former business and deputy editor of the Australian Financial Review.
