xStorage Home uses second life or new batteries and can be used as a standalone unit or with an existing solar installation. Image: Nissan/Eaton.
Nissan and Eaton have opened pre-orders for the xStorage Home portfolio in the UK, Norway and Germany as the partnership looks to make a splash in these residential storage markets.
The range now includes six product configurations and uses second life batteries from Nissan’s electric vehicles to offer homeowners a range of capacities. Pricing starts at €3,500 (c. £3,000) for a 3.5kW system plus VAT and installation costs, rising to €3,900 (c. £3,300) for 6kW.
It also includes units with brand new batteries from Nissan which will start from €5,000 (c. £4,200) rising to €5,580 (c. £4,700) for the highest capacity and will come with an extended warranty period of ten years.
xStorage Home can be used either as a standalone system to draw down from the grid during periods of reduced prices, or can be integrated with an existing solar installation due to the inverters included in the system to power homes with renewable energy.
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This is intended to give consumers greater control over how and when they use their energy, avoiding expensive tariffs and boosting their self-sufficiency.
Nissan and Eaton say the technology is also ‘fit for the future’ by enabling customers to sell energy back to the grid in countries where this is feasible. A number of UK companies are exploring the potential of this service, with UK manufacturer Moixa seeking to aggregate energy from households through its GridShare platform.
Paul Willcox, chairman for Nissan Europe, said: “Energy pricing and availability have long been concerns for all of us, and with this product, consumers will finally be able to take control of how and when they use energy in their homes.
“We have already seen overwhelming interest for this product, so we’re excited to be able to offer consumers even greater choice with our wider portfolio of xStorage products. With the launch of xStorage Home, we’re fast approaching a consumer energy revolution.
“xStorage Home will deliver real world benefits for smarter, more affordable and more sustainable energy management.”
The partnership between Nissan and Eaton is aiming to take advantage of growing demand in Europe for alternative energy sources and awareness of environmental issues. A study by Nissan found an overwhelming majority of surveyed European consumers (91%) were excited to see more alternative energy sources developed in the future, with 89% wanting to see recycled materials used in more innovative ways.
Frank Campbell, president of Eaton Electrical and Corporate EMEA, said: “European consumers are increasingly demanding alternative energy management solutions. Working in partnership with Nissan, we have developed a range of affordable, ready to use home energy storage solutions, giving consumers a choice of six options.
“While other home energy storage products are available on the market, we aim to avoid hidden extra costs and achieve the lowest possible total cost of ownership.”
The companies are also seeking to take on the commercial storage market with its xStorage Buildings range. They have announced a major collaboration with Ajax Football Club which will see the largest energy storage system in a commercial application in Europe using second life electric vehicle batteries integrated into Amsterdam ArenA.
xStorage Buildings system comprises Eaton bidirectional inverters and the equivalent of 280 Nissan LEAF second life battery packs. It will make the energy supply to Amsterdam ArenA more efficient, sustainable and reliable through additional back-up power, replacing diesel generators and grid stabilisation services.
