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We’re seeing battery-powered products everywhere, constantly expanding their role. After all, if you have ever used a cordless drill, you’re not going back to a corded one. Battery power is the answer anywhere that mobility is mandated, such as for a car, or offers genuine convenience, such as at a construction site or on a workshop project.
But why stop there? Recently, I have seen several articles citing a possible emerging “trend” of using batteries for home appliances. These are not the small convenience appliances, such as handheld mixers, which are already widely available, nor scaled-down versions of larger ones targeting camping or use in an RV, but full-sized, fixed-in-place units, such as induction-based cooking stoves.
(Note: I say “trend” with caution, as journalists are always looking for that next trend to talk about, even if it is a crude picture stitched together from a few disparate anecdotes or observations.)
For example, Channing Street Copper is developing an induction range with four burners plus a convection oven, along with a 5-kWh lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4) battery that can be charged from a standard 120-V outlet. The $5,999 list-price range, which the company estimates will cost about $4,000 after tax credits and rebates, will start shipping this summer (that top-line price is much higher than a non-battery unit, but the net price is only slightly higher than a roughly similar non-battery unit). Another vendor, Impulse Labs, has a similar product at that approximate price, which they say will ship in late 2024 (Figure 1).
By EDAC 06.11.2024
By Nisshinbo Micro Devices Inc. 06.10.2024
Among the presumed advantages of these ranges is that they allow the batteries to operate from a standard North American 120-V outlet rather than a 240–V outlet, easing the way toward an all-electric household. Further, it can keep the range running even when the power is out—at least for a while. Its battery chemistry is claimed to offer a long lifetime; the company maintains it will last roughly 4× longer than conventional lithium batteries and will retain 80% of its capacity for about 20 years, even with daily use.
All of this sounds interesting, but why stop there? Once you have that larger capacity in-house, you can use it to power other things, right? That cooking-range battery may be asked to power or back up other items. Should each appliance have a battery, or would a centralized battery make more sense? Soon, you could have a homemade version of a Tesla Powerwall or similar (Figure 2).
The battery-operated/-backed appliance is an interesting premise but with lots of ripple-effect implications. Batteries of this capacity need careful management and attention, starting with their own sophisticated battery management system (BMS). This will likely need to be integrated into a smart-home controller as well as the owner’s home network and smartphone. Larger battery setups also make physical demands for access, a strong floor and code-approved cabling; there are maintenance, repair and related spare parts issues as well.
I can see the point for those who live partly or largely “off the grid” and will charge those batteries from a local source, but charging them from the grid may bring headaches larger than the problem it is trying to solve. Don’t let anybody think otherwise: Batteries are only temporary power sources, as they must be recharged or replaced. The actual energy source is “somewhere else”—a generating station, solar, wind or geothermal, among many possibilities.
The charging system may have to be synchronized to periods when electricity pricing is lower rather than relying just on constant connection and trickle charge. It quickly gets complicated and means another thing to worry about when all you really want to do is cook a nice dinner. Then add a vehicle-to-grid (V2G) aspect and it gets really complicated to manage and keep running. Blend “mission creep” and “the law of unintended consequences” and things could easily get messy, time-consuming and frustrating.
My final concern is this: We are concerned about the availability of rare Earth and other materials needed for batteries, along with what it takes to mine, refine and process these elemental substances. Although battery prices are falling—and unlike semiconductors, there is no Moore’s law and assurance that those prices will continue to drop—there is rising demand for batteries in autos (pure EVs as well as battery EVs) (Figure 3), off-road equipment and perhaps even locomotives.
Is adding large battery packs to houses a good use of battery resources? Will batteries really last 15 to 20 years? Will replacement battery packs and electronics be available for a reasonable period? Or will this become yet another case of an otherwise good product being tossed because the battery has reached end of life but can’t be replaced?
Is the home user ready for yet another complicated device that needs setup, software upgrades and occasional restarts but replaces a hassle-free one? Some ovens in the GE Café series require a Wi-Fi connection for its air-fry function to work (a requirement that is getting pushback, according to some stories). In short, are the presumed benefits and implications of battery power for full-scale home appliances worth the cost and ongoing headaches?
Check back in a few years to see if this fills a genuine need or if it is yet another technology advance that solves a problem that most people don’t have or is not worth the cost in dollars and effort. Will it be viable only within niche situations?
Related content
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Lithium Batteries for EVs: NMC or LFP?
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