Running Head: Introduction to Environmental Science: Investigation 10

Introduction to Environmental Science:

Investigation 10
U49701984
University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee

Introduction to Environmental Science: Investigation 10

Withgott and Laposata (2014) stated, From cooking to heating to lighting, much of what
we do each day depends on electricity. The generation of electricity produces the largest portion
(40%) of U.S. carbon dioxide emissions. Fossil Fuel combustion generates 70% of U.S.
electricity, and coal accounts for most of the resulting emissions. There are two ways to reduce
the amount of fossil fuels we burn to generate electricity: (1) encouraging conservation and
efficiency and (2) switching to cleaner and renewable energy sources (p. 507). There are some
cleaner and renewable energy sources that are available to individual homeowners? Solar is
among the options for them. In addition to adding solar panels to a home, a homeowner can also
install a Tesla Powerwall to store excess energy to further reduce their demand for electricity
from the grid, more specifically at night time when the sun is down.
Peiffer (2015) stated, Currently, there is not an effective way for homeowners with solar
panels to store the energy produced overnight, or to completely cut off from the grid. But the
Powerwall and larger-scale Powerpack for utilities offers battery storage and back-up with
a rechargeable lithium-ion battery. The PowerWall, currently in production, will come in two
sizes the10 kWh battery for backup applications and the 7 kWh battery for daily cycling
applications. The 10 kWh battery's announced price for installers is $3,500, and the price for the
7 kWh battery is $3,000 (constructiondive.com). Prior to this new technology, solar power was
only able to power a home during the day while the sun was shining. The home would become
reliant on the grid for electricity for the hours of darkness. Given the costs of the Tesla battery
system options, initially it sounds like an exceptionally great deal. However, there are additional
costs that a homeowner will need to consider.
Matasci (2016) stated, You also need to take into account the cost of installation labor.
Altogether, the cost of installing a Tesla Powerwall battery pack is roughly double the list price,

Introduction to Environmental Science: Investigation 10

although the situation will be dependent on the specifics of your installation. If you want to
install the Powerwall as part of a solar-plus-storage system, battery costs are just one part of the
equation. An average 5 kilowatt (kW) solar energy system costs anywhere from $8,500 to
$16,000 depending on where you live and the type of equipment you choose
(news.energysage.com). That is quite a significant amount of money that will heavily impact a
homeowners decision when exploring this option. The homeowner would need to compare the
costs of electricity from the grid against the costs of the system to see if they will benefit from
the install. To do this, they would need to know how long the system is expected to last and then
calculate the amounts of each option for the same time frame.
The Tesla Powerwall has a warranty of 10 years. Truong, Naumann, Karl, Mller, Jossen
and Hesse (2016) stated, The battery capacity is guaranteed to retain at least 60% after 10
years (p. 2). According to Witheridge and Kaparaju (2016), The Tesla Powerwall did illustrate
to be the more economically viable battery system up to approximately 17 years. The
environmental analysis illustrated that the Tesla Powerwall is environmentally the superior
battery storage system. This is evident throughout the environmental analysis section where
graphical results depict the previous statement. Finally, the social comparison exemplified the
Tesla Powerwall, yet again, as the better battery storage system, leaving the other two
competitors behind (p. 45). Based on this information, a homeowner would need to figure out
the costs of electricity from the grid over a minimum of a 10-year period. Then, that number can
be compared against the costs of the purchase and installation of the Tesla Powerwall. The
homeowner would also take into consideration that any extended life past the 10 years is
additional benefit received from the system.

Introduction to Environmental Science: Investigation 10

For the purposes of adding property value to a home on the market for sale, a Tesla
Powerwall could increase property value. Although no specific information was found regarding
how much property value would increase by having a Tesla Powerwall, there would be a
minimum increase of $20 for every $1 saved in annual energy costs. As an example, if the
annual energy costs were reduced by $1,000 after adding the Powerwall, it would be reasonable
to conclude that there would be at least $20,000 of increased property value. The life expectancy
remaining on the system would also be a consideration.
There are some cleaner and renewable energy sources that are available to individual
homeowners? Solar is among the options for them. In addition to adding solar panels to a home,
a homeowner can also install a Tesla Powerwall to store excess energy to further reduce their
demand for electricity from the grid, more specifically at night time when the sun is down.

Introduction to Environmental Science: Investigation 10

Works Cited:
Withgott, J., Laposata, M. (2014). Environment: the science behind the stories (5th ed.).
Glenview, IL: Pearson Education, Inc.
Peiffer, E. (2015). Top 10 green building products for 2016. Retrieved from http://www.construc
tiondive.com/news/top-10-green-building-products-for-2016/409462/
Matasci, S. (2016). Tesla powerwall: the complete review. Retrieved from
http://news.energysage.com/tesla-powerwall-complete-review/
Truong, C. N., Naumann, M., Karl, R. C., Mller, M., Jossen, A., & Hesse H. C. (2016).
Economics of residential photovoltaic battery systems in germany: the case of teslas
powerwall. Batteries 2016, 2(2). 1-17. Retrieved from http://www.mdpi.com/23130105/2/2/14/htm
Witheridge, S. & Kaparaju, P. (2016). Comparison of three battery storage systems to aid in
energy efficiency within residential buildings. Industry Affiliates Program. 1-62.
Retrieved from http://www.wattblock.com/uploads/4/4/9/8/44984189/pimm_
harrison_iapeve.pdf