A leading US electric carmaker has unveiled a USD 3,000 battery that can power households and even be used to store solar energy.
Chief executive Elon Musk of Tesla Motors said the advance could help change the "entire energy infrastructure of the world."
The rechargeable lithium-ion battery unit would be built using the same batteries Tesla produces for its electric vehicles.
The system is called Powerwall and is designed to store energy at a residential level for load shifting, backup power and self-consumption of solar power generation.
Tesla will sell the 7kWh unit for USD 3,000, while the 10kWh unit will retail for USD 3,500 to installers.
When paired with solar power, the 7kWh Powerwall can be used in daily cycling to extend the environmental and cost benefits of solar into the night when sunlight is unavailable.
"For the first time, running your home on a battery will be affordable and easy," said Jason Ballard, co-founder and president TreeHouse, which is collaborating with Tesla to sell Powerwall.
"I think in the near future, having a battery in your home will be as normal as having a water heater or a dishwasher.
"This just takes us one step closer to being able to power homes completely without the use of fossil fuels," Ballard said.
