Do small residential batteries make sense?

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.volts.wtf/subscribeHome batteries like the Tesla Powerwall are nice, but what about people who can’t afford them, or renters who aren’t allowed to install them, or people who just don’t want the hassle of dealing with a permit and an electrician? A company called Pila is selling small (1.6 kWh) batteries that simply plug into a normal electrical socket. They can serve as backup for a refrigerator or other appliance in the event of a blackout, but they can also “mesh” with one another to form a network, pair with rooftop solar, or participate in VPP programs. CEO Cole Ashman explains the value proposition.Chapters:00:00 Introduction02:26 Lessons from Powerwall and Span05:33 What Pila is and how it works07:14 How long a fridge runs on one battery09:28 Fire risk, LFP chemistry, and New York City16:02 Why the price went up, and cost per kilowatt hour19:55 Who is actually buying Pila23:00 Financing models and free batteries27:04 Do the bill savings add up?32:05 Why utilities want small batteries in VPPs36:58 Pilots with Holy Cross Energy and Brooklyn SolarWorks41:09 Solar pairing and the Pila mesh network47:14 Camping batteries and built-in storage54:19 Utilities and visibility at the grid edge55:58 Bidirectional outlets and the next five years1:00:10 Clean energy as invisible infrastructure