South Australian-based battery company Redflow has unveiled its long-awaited battery for home storage of power generated by solar panels, scooping US operator Tesla’s anticipated Powerwall offering.
Redflow chairman – and NBN director – Simon Hackett, pictured, showed off the battery, dubbed ZCell, at an event in Adelaide, and said it was capable of storing 10 kilowatt hours (kWh) of energy, allowing people to timeshift solar power from day to night, store off-peak power for peak demand periods and also support off-grid systems.
Australian residential installations are scheduled to start mid-year and international availability will be announced in coming months.
Hackett pointed to what he said was a major advantage of Redflow’s technology, allowing home users to discharge 100 percent of the ZCell’s stored energy every day.
By contrast, he said “other battery types” – he didn’t mention Tesla, which uses a lithium-ion technology – can require a significant amount of their underlying storage capacity to be locked out to prevent battery damage and to extend battery life. “ZCell is a unique ‘flow’ battery that loves to be fully charged and discharged daily,” said Hackett, a confirmed fan of Tesla battery-powered cars.
ZCell uses Redflow’s ZBM2 battery in an outdoor-rated enclosure that connects to an inverter/charger unit delivering stored energy to the home. Most components, including plastic, aluminium, steel and ZCell’s electrolyte, are claimed to be recyclable or reusable.
Estimated pricing, including installation, has been put at $17,500 to $19,500. Investors in the ASX-listed Redflow score a $1000 discount.
