Sixty years ago, giant mainframes dominated computing. Today, everyone has a supercomputer in their pocket. Something similar may be about to happen to our electrical grid. At the moment, we depend on massive centralized power plants analogous to the old, room-size mainframes. But a new generation of household appliances, like stoves with batteries inside, could distribute energy sources all around us, creating a cleaner, more efficient grid.
So far, only a tiny number of these appliances are on sale: a few induction stoves and AC models powered by batteries big enough to last a few hours to a few days. Yet, within a few years, water heaters, dryers and heat pumps may all come with batteries included that store electricity and talk to the grid. “Everything that has a plug has a battery attached to it,” said Wally Nowinski of Impulse Labs, a battery-powered stovetop start-up. For the right homeowner, it could make sense today. The reason is that the value of storing power inside the home has risen, for both grid operators and people just trying to cook or stay cool. Appliances with built-in batteries can charge from the grid when power is cheap and clean, soaking up wind and solar energy, and draw down when it’s dear. They can also help homeowners avoid expensive, 240-volt wiring upgrades for high-powered devices like stoves. Battery-enhanced appliances run off a standard 120-volt outlet and tap their energy stores for extra juice when needed. Utilities can draw on these appliances to curb demand at peak times, or even pay homeowners to send electricity back to the grid. For now, the challenge for homeowners is cost. Appliance batteries are roughly where Tesla was in 2008, when it released its first car, the Roadster. The company set out to prove that people would pay a premium for an unfamiliar but attractive technology, building a path toward the mass market. It worked. Tesla’s modified $99,000 Lotus, powered by repurposed laptop batteries, led to the far more affordable and (still) wildly popular Models 3 and Y.
Today, Impulse and Copper, a competing start-up making induction stoves, are betting that sizzling-hot performance, without rewiring your kitchen, will attract buyers despite hefty price tags of around $6,000 to $7,000, roughly double the cost of a high-end gas or electric stove. That, they argue, could pave the way for mass adoption as the cost of adding batteries — which have seen prices fall more than 90 percent since 2010 — declines further. Onboard storage could then become a standard feature, not a luxury. “As a start-up, we’re making a product that’s designed for people to fall in love with,” said Sam Calisch, Copper’s co-founder and CEO. “Later, by working with others, we will make products that are more optimized for cost.” I took a look at the Copper and Impulse battery-powered induction stoves and asked the experts what they portend about the future of home appliances. Here’s what I found. Write to me at climatecoach@washpost.com. I read all your emails.
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