Will “Plug-and-Play” Technology Revolutionize Home Battery Backup?
In sunny San Diego, there’s a hot startup developing some intriguing new solar battery backup technology. Imagine, instead of one large, centralized battery in your garage, your home contained multiple batteries in every room that plugged into wall outlets.
They have a sleek, modern look and are all connected via the cloud to optimize for the lowest utility bill possible. Of course, in the event of a blackout, you could keep your lights and appliances running on their charged energy as well.
Brand New Home Battery Backup Technology
Meet Orison, the developer of the new plug-and-play, distributed batteries. Unlike Tesla, LG, and Sonnen, which are trending towards larger 
capacity units, Orison instead envisions smaller batteries with only a couple kilowatt hours each that are set to charge specific appliances.
While at first, it may seem troublesome to have these devices in every room taking up plug space, there are some incredible benefits for this format — and they’re also stunning.
For starters, true plug-and-play tech means that these batteries can be easily ordered online, shipped to your door, and installed immediately. This process saves on installation and permitting costs, which for a Tesla Powerwall can be up to 50% of the price of the net cost of the system.
This also saves an incredible amount of time — waiting for a utility representative to come and approve an installed centralized battery can take as long as a month.
The concept of smaller, distributed batteries also makes Lithium-ion storage technology accessible for a greater number of individuals. Given the high cost of centralized batteries and other practical considerations, this technology is currently only truly suitable for high energy users (aka, mansions).
These Orison batteries will cost less than $2000, making the technology much more appropriate for condo-owners and smaller homes.
For individuals interested in energy storage but not willing to put down ten thousand dollars or more on a large battery, these smaller systems could be a great way to understand how it works with significantly lower initial investment.
The Origin of Orison’s Home Battery Backup Technology
Even Orison’s origin story has a democratic twist. After two years of development, they launched via a hugely successful Kickstarter campaign in early 2016, raising almost $350,000 from a goal of only $50,000. Since then, they’ve been busy developing production units and acquiring
the certification they need to begin shipping product.
Customers can still reserve a battery for a refundable $100 payment on their website.
Orison’s Kickstarter stated that products would ship Summer 2016, so there is some concern as to why there is an almost yearlong delay.
Orison has been developing two distinct products: the Panel and the Tower. The Panel is a simple rectangle panel mounted onto a wall, available in white, black, and gray and includes LEDs for a nice ambient effect. It’s 2.2 kWh in size and 1.8 kW in power and can be combined with the Panel + products for a maximum capacity of 13.2 kWh with five panels.
The Tower resembles a standing tower fan and includes LEDs and a Bluetooth speaker. Like the Panel, the Tower has the same power and capacity ratings and is also expandable in a similar manner.
When You Are Ready To Explore Your Solar Battery Options
We’re excited about Orison’s energy storage concept and can’t wait to see it in person. If you’re curious whether other battery systems like the Powerwall or Sonnen Eco are right for you, reach out to one of our solar gurus for help!
