In the first quarter of 2015, 5.8 megawatts of energy storage systems were installed across the US, 16% higher than the same period in 2014 – according to a report released by GTM Research and Energy Storage Association last week. The US is forecast to deploy a total of 220 megawatts in 2015, more than three times that of 2014, and growth should continue at an increasing rate thereafter. Much of the hype, and sales activity, is taking place in the home energy storage market, where firms like Tesla Energy have marketed in-home batteries in the style of consumer electronics. Sleek designs and Apple-esque advertising campaigns have earned the nickname “iBattery”, but have also spurred significant interest. Initial demand for Tesla’s home batteries surpassed 38,000 queries in the first week, and while that may seem like a great start consider that, even in the best-case scenario, those orders would take more than a year to […]