Tesla’s hotly awaited Powerwall battery storage system will be available for Australian homes by the end of the year, the electric car maker has announced.
In a statement coinciding with the launch of Tesla Energy Australia, the company said the 7 kWh home battery system would roll out in late 2015, putting Australia at the head of the queue for the technology, alongside North America and the DACH (Germany, Austria, Switzerland) markets.
It was previously thought that the technology wouldn’t reach our shores until 2016.
Tesla said the wall-mounted, rechargeable lithium-ion battery would be available through a “growing list” of local partners, which will be revealed in coming weeks. “The Australian Tesla Energy partners, in the coming weeks, will announce their unique Powerwall offerings to Australian customers,” said the company.
Several companies, including SolarEdge, Fronius and Reposit Power, have already announced they will be partnering with Tesla.
The local price point for the Powerwall has not yet been disclosed, and Tesla said this would be determined by local suppliers. In the US, the 7 kWh model is being offered at US$3,000 plus installation and the larger 10 kWh model (pitched as a solution for residential backup power) at US$3,500 plus installation.
The technology is expected to trigger a boom in the home storage market that could rival the uptake of PV systems. If the price is right, the solar industry could be getting an early Christmas present this year, courtesy of Elon Musk.
