Tesla’s Powerwall storage system is not a radical innovation, and it is not the first battery for energy storage on the market. But, as Elon Musk surely understands, it is not always the best technology that wins the innovation race. Rather, it’s often the one that best fits with existing dominant technologies, so that the success of the two becomes interrelated. And the Powerwall is the first battery on the market to provide a solution to solar energy storage that is simple to use, easy to install, relatively inexpensive to maintain, and more aesthetically appealing than existing home batteries and storage systems, such as small diesel generators. Powerwall therefore has all the characteristics needed to succeed in this market. At least as long as the technology it is tethering itself to – solar – succeeds as well.
Tesla Is Betting on Solar, Not Just Batteries
The benefits and risks of being tied to rooftop solar.
July 02, 2015
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