Nissan and Eaton develop home energy storage solution

AUTOMOTIVE leader Nissan and power management leader Eaton, have joined forces to unveil a new residential energy storage unit – designed to be the most affordable in the market today.

Available to pre-order from September 2016, the ‘xStorage’ solution will give consumers the power to control how and when they use energy in their own homes.

Connected to residential power supply or renewable energy sources such as solar panels, the unit can save customers money on their utility bills by charging up when renewable energy is available or energy is cheaper (e.g. during the night) and releasing that stored energy when demand and costs are high. If a home is equipped with solar technology, this means that consumers can power their homes using clean energy stored in their xStorage system, and be rewarded financially for doing so by avoiding expensive daytime energy tariffs.

The home energy storage system also provides the ultimate back-up solution to consumers, ensuring that the lights never go out – ideal at a time when energy grids are coming under enormous strain. Moreover, customers can also generate additional revenues by selling stored energy back to the grid when demand and costs are high.

The xStorage unit will be the first device of its kind in the market to provide a fully integrated energy storage solution for homeowners. This means, unlike other storage devices, this factory made integrated unit ensures safety and performance when storing and distributing clean power to consumers. Once set-up by a certified installer, it is ready to go, giving consumers the ability to plug in and power up easily. It will also have smartphone connectivity to allow consumers to flick between energy sources at the touch of a button.

Paul Willcox, Chairman, Nissan Europe said: “It is high time consumers were given the flexibility and power to control how and when they use energy in their own homes. The new xStorage solution combines Nissan’s expertise in vehicle design and reliable battery technology with Eaton’s leadership in power quality and electronics, resulting in a formidable second life battery solution. We want to make energy storage exciting and affordable to everyone, not least because it delivers real consumer benefits whilst ensuring smarter and more sustainable energy management for the grid.”

Beyond its high specification functionality, the xStorage system has also been designed with aesthetics and usability in mind to ensure it fits seamlessly into the home environment. This design expertise comes directly from the brains at Nissan Design Europe, UK who are renowned for their world-class vehicle design and styling.

Providing a sustainable ‘second life’ for Nissan’s electric vehicle (EV) batteries after their first life in cars is over, the new unit is powered by twelve Nissan EV battery modules and has the potential to revolutionise the way people manage energy usage in their own home, providing added flexibility and multiple cost savings.

Cyrille Brisson, Vice President Marketing, Eaton Electrical EMEA said: “The collaborative development between Eaton and Nissan enabled us to optimize development and production costs and deliver a well-integrated offer to consumers. Our system will be provided to end-users completely ready to use, with all required elements including cabling and installation by a certified professional, at a starting price of €4,000 (£3200) for 4.2KWh nominal. Our policy is to avoid hidden extra costs and achieve a lower total cost of ownership than other major offers already announced.

Both companies have a well-established footprint in Europe, Africa and the Middle-East. At Eaton, we have a network of over 1,000 distributors working with qualified installers in 77 countries. We ensure that consumers access, store and use clean power safely and efficiently in the comfort of their own home.”

The new xStorage system unveiled today marks the start of a longer-term commitment by Nissan and Eaton to widen the portfolio of energy storage solutions available to both private and commercial customers. Nissan and Eaton expect to sell more than 100,000 xStorage units within the next five years as the consumer appetite for this type of technology continues to grow.