Illawarra residents had the opportunity to learn how to produce and store energy in their own home at an event in Wollongong on Thursday.
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The Tesla Tiny House visited the University of Wollongong’s Innovation Campus as part of a national tour.
This free event, attended by an estimated few hundred people, allowed community members to tour the Tesla Tiny House.
The Tesla Tiny House is powered by 100 per cent renewable energy via a 2kW solar system and Powerwall.
The Tiny House weighs two tonnes, and has dimensions of six metres by 2.2 metres by four metres.
The public were also able to have their home solar and battery storage questions answered by experts from the Tesla team, Sustainable Buildings Research Centre representatives, the Illawarra Alternative Technology Association and Illawarra/Shoalhaven-based solar and battery installer Simmark.
Simmark solar and battery installer Matt Simms said they were aiming to educate the public “about how solar and batteries can still benefit them”.
“We are seeing an unprecedented uptake of solar and battery storage systems in the small scale residential market across the Illawarra, Shoalhaven and Southern Highlands,” he said.
“The main driver is cost of energy. The size of the systems has also increased substantially as home-owners look for reliable energy delivery and costs.
“The Tesla Tiny House is a interactive opportunity for the community to learn how to generate, use and store power.”
Tesla Tiny House specialists were on hand to explain how a home can generate clean energy from the sun using solar panels, store it in the 13.5kWh Powerwall to use through the day and night, and how it can all be monitored and controlled via the Tesla App.
The Tesla Tiny House is being towed around the country by a Tesla Model X and is built from “locally sourced, chemical-free, sustainable timber”.
It's powered by a 2kW, six-panel system that's backed up by a Powerwall.
Tesla Powerwall is a rechargeable lithium-ion battery designed to enable self-consumption of solar power and reduce reliance on the grid, as well as for full home backup, load shifting and other grid service applications.
Mr Simms has previously attended other such events showcasing the Tesla Tiny House in the Shoalhaven and Southern Highlands.
He said there were some common questions attendees typically asked.
“From a customer’s perspective, they’re asking, ‘my existing solar system, would it be large enough to cover a battery?’” he said. “Or ‘is it large enough for my particular usage?’
“(Other common questions) are about what size solar system they would need, what size battery they would need and what the typical returns on the battery would be.”
The Tesla Tiny House will also make its way to the Shellharbour Civic Centre.
It will be on display on Friday (August 24) from 12pm to 4.30pm.
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Brendan Crabb
I'm a member of ACM's national property team, covering the Illawarra and South Coast. Based in Albion Park, NSW, I write about exciting, interesting or just downright quirky properties that have been listed for sale, major sales, market trends, auctions and more. One of my favourite aspects of being a journalist is I believe everyone has a story to tell. What's yours?
I'm a member of ACM's national property team, covering the Illawarra and South Coast. Based in Albion Park, NSW, I write about exciting, interesting or just downright quirky properties that have been listed for sale, major sales, market trends, auctions and more. One of my favourite aspects of being a journalist is I believe everyone has a story to tell. What's yours?
