Tesla battery keeps lights on

The windstorm that swept through Vermont last week left many homes powerless. Solar panels connected to homes couldn’t be used — except by a lucky few who had already taken advantage of Green Mountain Power’s Tesla Powerwall battery lease program.

Andy McMahan, owner of Ripanco Kennel in Duxbury, signed up for the lease program as soon as she heard about it. She runs her business out of her home and needs lots of water for all the animals, and when the power shuts off, so does the well water.

Days before the windstorm, Tesla employees were at her house up on Camel’s Hump installing the Tesla Powerwall 2, a sleek white rectangle about 4 feet tall.

The large battery sits in McMahan’s basement, hooked up to the solar panels and her home’s circuit. The battery charges from the solar panels, and if the demand for power is high on the grid, Green Mountain Power can pull from the battery’s supply. But, when the power goes out the battery kicks in, providing 8 to 12 hours of power for the home, and will last for up to seven days without being recharged. Solar energy recharges it, though, so as long as it was sunny McMahan said the battery will just keep going.

McMahan has had solar at her house for years because she sees importance in clean energy, but “in the past when the power went out we went out,” McMahan said. “Now when we lose power it’s seamless, clean and free” to keep the lights on.

“There were some bugs early on, but that’s to be expected,” McMahan said. It only took her a little time on the phone with Tesla to get the battery to kick in and ‘talk’ to the power system.

Typically Tesla batteries cost $7,000 to $9,000, but Green Mountain Power offers a lease for $30 per month over 10 years.

“It was a good test,” McMahan said. “It showed us what we can do.”

Without a blip in service, all the animals got their water and baths. Though the storms keep getting worse and worse, with seemingly more power outages this year than last year, McMahan sees a bright future.

— Maddie Hughes

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