Pilot project using Tesla powerwalls to power 10 N.S. homes a success

A pilot project that introduced a renewable energy battery storage system to 10 homes in Elmsdale, N.S., could eventually change how people power their homes. The project, which is a joint effort of Nova Scotia Power, clean energy company Tesla and Ontario energy company Opus One Solutions, was launched in 2017. A grid-size battery was installed at Elmsdale's substation and 10 Tesla powerwalls were installed in homes nearby. "Customers enjoy the reliability that the batteries provide [and] that all the cases we were testing were successful and so the batteries can do what we want them to do," said Jill Searle, the smart grid program manager for Nova Scotia Power. "The next question is where would we deploy them that it's effective for the grid and effective for customers."