Elon Musk is very enthusiastic in pushing for the widespread use of solar energy to replace fossil fuels, so it was no surprise that the Tesla continues to focus on improving its technology for energy storage — if the car manufacturer's gigafactory is any indication of that.
Tesla also wants to bring solar energy storage in our homes, and the company did so by releasing the Powerwall 2, which Musk is sure could solve Australia's energy problems. However, Mercedes-Benz has stepped up to the plate and followed in Musk's footsteps by partnering with Vivint Solar to serve as its entry point for solar energy storage solutions in American homes.
Mercedes-Benz And Vivint Solar Partnership
The Tesla and Solar City merger has a fierce new competitor in the United States beginning this quarter as Mercedes-Benz and Vivint Solar begins to offer its customizable home energy storage system to California residences.
"With batteries featuring the best in automotive engineering from Mercedes-Benz, and high-quality solar energy systems from Vivint Solar, our solution allows customers to take the next step toward a sustainable energy future," Mercedes-Benz Energy Americas, LLC chief executive officer Boris von Bormann said in a statement.
Von Bormann also expressed that he is not particularly worried about a competition with Tesla for this venture since the market is big enough, adding that they can simply coexist with other companies offering similar products.
Mercedes-Benz Battery Vs Powerwall
The Mercedes-Benz Energy Storage Home is actually the size of a personal fridge. While it does not look as sleek as the Powerwall 2, it is customizable and can power an entire home and electric vehicles without any problems. It is also less expensive.
The Mercedes-Benz modular system offers 2.5kWh batteries that can be combined, as needed, to create larger systems of up to 20 kWh. Compared to the $5,500 Powerwall 2 batteries with 14 kWh capacity, Vivint's $5,000 system will already include the basic 2.5 kWh battery pair with solar panels. A full 20 kWh battery package will cost $13,000 and already includes installation fees.
Additional Service From Vivint Solar
Vivint Solar is already powering up over 100,000 homes across the United States. For its partnership with Mercedes-Benz, however, the company will go the extra mile for interested customers.
How? Vivint Solar will customize the energy storage system itself based on an individual home's energy consumption. This means home owners will be able to maximize the use of their stored energy and have a more efficient storage system.
