When Elon Musk (Tesla Motors CEO) announced last Thursday (April 30th) its new – and surprising – project, the Tesla Powerwall, surely this innovation has brought a global new look to the way we all store and use energy.
Musk’s launch has, in fact, much of what was Nicola Tesla’s early dream, a nineteenth century American inventor originally from Croatia, considered one of the fathers of the Second Industrial Revolution.
Tesla had revolutionary contributions in the fields of electromagnetism, electrical potency and alternating current, also considered the inventor of the radio. These and other various legacies were recognized by the International System of Units (SI) giving Tesla’s surname to an unit which measures the magnetic flux density and electromagnetic induction (“B”).
Nikola Tesla dreamed of taking energy to the whole world, and – somehow – this is the spirit of Musk’s new project, through his company that not coincidentally bears Nikola’s honorary surname.
The concept of Tesla Powerwall is to bring energy independence to homes and businesses that aim the use renewable energy, in order to reduce the consumption of fossil fuels on the planet, through the micro / mini potency & distributed self-generation (solar or wind power).
In practice, Musk’s concept follows the same philosophy of Steve Jobs “Apple” brand, which makes global scaled consumers realize value on their products, and exactly based on that same mindset, Musk aims to transforming the cities energy ecosystems through self-generation combined with “friendly designed” energy accumulators.
Matter of fact, to there be a real global energy revolution, it is essential that each energy consumer become minimally self-sufficient in energy generation, allowing the large scaled generated energy (Hydro, Thermal, Nuclear Power Plants, for example) to be used on “more noble” purposes, as industrial use.
Another advantage of this new reality is that micro and mini distributed generation (self-sufficient homes, for instance) with local storage can significantly reduce transmission and distribution losses for the same consumer, simplifying & cheapening the energy systems of cities.
Nikola Tesla died penniless at the age of 86, mainly because his brilliant mind was far ahead of its time and the global technology could not accompany him in his accomplishments, but his legacy to mankind endures, and certainly through entrepreneurs – like Elon Musk and many other enthusiasts – we shall achieve not only the long awaited energy self-sufficiency, but also other innovations such as wireless large scaled power transmission (WiTricity), as well as devised by Nikola almost a century ago.
A sustainable future depends on visionary men, focused not only on design but also on achievement, and specially having overall sensitivity for the good of humanity.
Benyamin Parham Fard
Engineer & Enterpreneur
Specialist on Sustainability Management
DINÂMICA SUSTENTÁVEL 