Nissan’s new affordable xStorage energy storage system was just revealed in East London, which will be produced in conjunction with Eaton, a power management firm. Made from the company’s recycled electric vehicle batteries, the system has 12 LEAF battery modules and charges from both renewable energy and practical energy sources.
The system connects to either residential power supply or renewable energy sources such as solar panels. The energy is stored when costs and demands are low and released when demand or costs are high. This stylistic and home-friendly system allows buyers to save money on utility bills. There are many other neat perks as well: the system serves as a back-up when needed, maintaining light supply, and its stored energy can be sold by buyers back to the energy grid.
Nissan isn’t the only company that offers home energy storage systems and electric vehicles. Competitors Tesla and Daimler have initiated the move towards home energy storage systems, however Nissan remarks on its unique offerings and financial perks. Unfortunately for interested American consumers, xStorage will only be available in the UK come September, costing in U.S. dollars about $4,600.
Nissan is not planning to distribute the system in the U.S. at the current time. Nissan claims of its xStorage battery that it is “the first… to provide a fully integrated energy storage unit for homeowners.” The system is unique and user-friendly, as buyers can also connect their smartphones to the system and through a button, select and choose between multiple energy sources.
The hope for the next five years includes selling 100,000 systems. The ready-to-use system, according to Eaton’s Electrical EMEA’s Vice President of Marketing Cyrille Brisson, will also be of lower cost than other offers on the market. Given that the purchase includes converters and installation, the outlook is favorable.
