Solar Industry's Next Frontier may be Battery Systems that Store Electricity

Some companies are selling lithium ion battery systems to store

electricity generated by residential solar systems. Above, workers

install solar panels at a home in Pompton Lakes in 2010.

Star-Ledger file photo

The electric vehicle maker Tesla is among several companies now offering lithium ion battery systems to capture and store the electricity generated by residential solar panel systems, according to a report in Fortune.

The benefit of such systems is that in power outages, there remains a day or two storage supply of electricity to power a home's lights and appliances.

But the storage systems are expensive, and it remains unclear what the payback is or even whether there is one, Fortune reported.

New Jersey has been a leader in solar energy, with more than 20,000 solar projects installed statewide. But the installations have come with the help of subsidy credits, and have yet to prove a consistent return on investment.

The U.S. currently has no subsidies for solar storage.

Source: http://www.nj.com/business/index.ssf/2013/11/battery_systems_that_store_sol.html