Mike and Jan Lister's Tesla Powerwall energy storage helps the couple use almost all of the energy they generate from their Torquay home.
Their Tesla Powerwall allows Mike and Jan to store the electricity that the solar panels on the roof of their house generate during the day (when the sun is shining), rather than feeding it all back to the grid when it is not used. They can then use the energy stored in the Powerwall whenever they most need it to power lights, computers, televisions and many other devices. Monitored directly from a simple app on their phones and computer, the Listers can see how much energy their solar PV system generates and how this directly stores energy into their Tesla Powerwall.
"We have been fans of solar panels for a long time," said Mike, "but it seems such a waste to generate all that energy and then send the majority of it back to the grid. Our Powerwall now means that we are now much more self-sufficient, spend much less on our electricity bills, and could power our house even if there was a powercut or grid issues. This makes the very best use of the solar electricity that our panels generate."
Devon-based SunGift Energy is a certified Powerwall installer. The company installs many different solar-electricity-storage devices, but the US-manufactured Tesla Powerwall is the one that has gained the most attention recently. From February SunGift will have access to the next stage of the technology – the Tesla Powerwall 2 – which will have double the storage capacity of Mike and Jan's battery.
"We've already carried out a high number of installations of the Powerwall," said Ollie Gibbs, solar specialist at SunGift Energy, "and the feedback has been tremendous. Not only does it hugely reduce reliance on the grid, but also it looks modern and attractive.
"Energy costs are forecast to rise significantly over the next few years and there are limited fossil fuel resources, so it's crucial that homeowners get the maximum benefit from their solar panels," added Ollie. "We designed Jan and Mike's Tesla Powerwall to work alongside solar PV system, giving them peace of mind that they can produce and use their own electricity supply, with backup so that electricity is available in the evening.
"Homeowners are increasingly looking for simplicity, so the Powerwall is ideal because – once we've installed it – the battery is completely automated and requires no maintenance."
The Listers have a 6.6kWp solar PV system, which was installed on the roof of their house by SunGift. The system includes 20 BenQ 330W Modules, a SolarEdge inverter, and a 6.4 kWh Tesla Powerwall battery. The couple can also fully monitor the performance of their solar panels and Tesla Powerwall through their SolarEdge StorEdge software.
www.sungiftsolar.co.uk
