> Household storage of energy is not a big market in the US.
...or anywhere else? Frankly, this seems greatly non-intuitive to me because
the main advantages of lithium over (much cheaper and more proven) lead-acid
batteries are weight and bulk. Within limits, neither of those things tend to
be important factors in a residential instalation. So why would you pay more for
lithium batteries? ...especially when they might have significantly shorter
life than a much cheaper but top-quality lead-acid battery?
> Most domestic PV systems are grid tie, and have no batteries.
Particularly in the USA.
> So excuse me for being a bit underwhelmed.
I agree, but Panasonic is a an old/successful company that is not known for
failing to do its product research. What is their game plan here?
Vaughn
I don't buy Panasonic anything, anymore.
After being conned with 6 different products, from tape decks to microwave
ovens, with their name on it over the years, they can rub salt.
I agree, but Panasonic is a an old/successful company that is not known for
failing to do its product research. What is their game plan here?
Vaughn
> > New Panasonic Lithium ion battery Power System to power up a house
> > =================================================
=======
> > news summary:
> > ----------------------
> > In a December 21,2009 interview with news agency
> > Yomiuri Shimbun, Furnio Otsubo, president of
> > Panasonic, announced it has test-manufactured
> > and is planning to mass market in 2011 with
> > Sanyo Electric, Ltd. (which Panasonic has
> > recently acquired 50% voting stock stake)
> > a Lithium-Ion battery backed electric power
> > system which would be able to power a house
> > (in Japan) for about a week. The primary market
> > of this planned power system is to work
> > in conjunction with wind or solar power
> > home powered systems. This electric power
> > system will allow users to monitor their
> > electric usage on their television sets and
> > an incremental step towards Panasonic's
> > marketing product plan to create products
> > which would create a zero-emissions home.
> Saying that the battery will last "for about one week," as Panasonic's
> president has, is pretty arbitrary it seems, as different households
> have vastly different energy needs.
correct.
The average household electricity usage is very low
in Japan when compared to the UK and the USA
In the UK the average annual electric usage is from
3300Kwh to about -3800Kwh. In the USA the average
annual electric usage is about 8900Kwh. In Japan
the annual average electrical usage has risen over
the last 20 years to to about 2200Kwh. So one week
of electricity would only be about 44Kwh.
> Once you cut throught the hype, it's just a battery.
> It can store energy from an alternate energy system.
> I suppose that if you put enough of them together,
> they could power a house for a week. But so can any
> other battery.
I think you've missed the point entirely -it's not about
the any particular hardware component albeit the PR
pieces give that impression (so I don't blame you for
saying it -- that's what I thought at first too). Think
this one out - its not just installation cost or performance
that stops people from going off the grid. Reliability and
service is also an issue - most people don't want to worry
about maintaining battery backup system required by
going off the grid. For example, electrical power programs
for certain Native American Reservations that used
battery backup household power system
eventually fail because the systems were not
maintained(*). Not everyone is an electrician ( or mechnically
inclined type) I will venture to say that currently given
the options most people would rather just buy
their electricity worry free from the grid and just
not worry about maintaining or servicng a Battery
backup power system. Even if the batteries and
the power inverters were dirt cheap - I doubt that
most people would want to live off the grid because
household energy storage system (which are always
is custom jobs in the USA ) are not maintanence
free. Hence, currently household energy storage
system is not a big market in the USA or in Japan.
And hence most USA PV systems are tied to the grid
(net metering) because it does not require a .
household power system.
Panasonic-Sanyo is planning to package and mass
market the battery, inverter, and power monitor together
as one standard system (to be purchased, warranted,
and serviced as one system by one large
corporation), By providing the support infrastructure
to maintain a household power system-- they are
hoping to expand market acceptance of household
power systems in Japan.
(*) What I read was a report that referred to
the BIA electrification program for rural homes
Navajo Nation Reservation. Most battery backed
PV systems failed after installation due to
poor maintance
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