One of the drawbacks of solar energy is the difficulty in storing it, so the power can be used even when the sun is not shining.

Bermuda Alternate Energy Ltd (BAE) said today that it will be offering a solution to that problem following the announcement last week of the collaboration with electric car maker Tesla Motors and SolarEdge, a solar energy systems maker for which BAE is the Bermuda distributor.

SolarEdge will be supplying an inverter system that will enable photovoltaic (PV) and grid integration with Tesla’s new Powerwall home battery — an energy storage pack for homes.

Tesla launched the wall-mounted battery pack last week and said it would be available in two models, a seven-kilowatt-hours daily cycle version for everyday use and a ten-kWh weekly cycle version for backup in the event of a power failure or disaster.

Nick Duffy, divisional manager at BAE, said: “We have had great success with the SolarEdge technology in Bermuda since we introduced it almost two years ago. Unlike traditional solar systems, the SolarEdge technology makes each PV panel a ‘smart panel’ and enables them to produce more power at all times.”

Mr Duffy said PV storage solutions have traditionally been a weak link in solar energy systems with bulky, expensive battery banks being an unattractive option for most homeowners. The lack of integration of the storage components with the rest of the system has also raised challenges for installers.