Home Energy Storage

Home energy storage devices store electricity locally, for later consumption. At their heart are batteries, typically lithium-ion or lead-acid, and intelligent software. An energy storage technology, they are downstream relatives of battery-based grid energy storage and support the concept of distributed generation. When paired with on-site generation, they can support an off-the-grid lifestyle.

The stored energy commonly originates from on-site solar photovoltaic panels, generated during daylight hours, and the stored electricity consumed after sundown, when domestic energy demand peaks in homes unoccupied during the day.

Electric vehicles (EVs) used during weekdays, needing recharging overnight, are a good fit with home energy storage in homes with solar panels and low daylight-hour electrical consumption. EV manufacturers Tesla, Mercedes-Benz,BMW,Nissan and BYD market own-brand home energy storage devices to their customers, with Tesla's Powerwall enjoying significant media exposure.

The units can also be programmed to exploit a differential tariff, that provide lower priced energy during hours of low demand - seven hours from 12:30am in the case of Britain’s Economy 7 tariff - for consumption when prices are higher.

Smart tariffs, stemming from the increasing prevalence of smart meters, will increasingly be paired with home energy storage devices to exploit low off-peak prices, and avoid higher-priced energy at times of peak demand.

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