Sophisticated battery systems aren't just for driving anymore. A leading electric car maker, Tesla Motors, has come up with large, high-tech batteries to power homes during blackouts or perhaps full-time. They store solar power during the day so it can continue being used at night, company founder Elon Musk says at his at his team's design studio in Hawthorne, Calif.

The development is good news for the environment. "It enables more people to liberate themselves from the electrical grid and fossil fuels at home," says an article at Slate, a news site. The news is encouraging because coal and oil are among fuels used to generate electric power, and the plants burning those fossil fuels generate emissions that are widely linked to climate change – also called global warming.

Buyers of Tesla's new "Powerwall" can connect up to nine battery packs to store larger amounts of power. The system isn't cheap -- $3,000 to $3,500, plus installation. Still, The New York Times notes, it "will make a lot of sense for people in places like Hawaii, where the cost of electricity from the grid is expensive." Tesla is taking orders already and expects to start deliveries by fall. The company plans to develop larger batteries for businesses and utilities. It already has deals with power companies in Texas and Southern California.

Company founder says: "We have this handy fusion reactor in the sky called the sun. You don't have to do anything; it just works." – Elon Musk

Blogger says: "It remains to be seen whether, for many people, Tesla's starting price of more than $3,000 will be low enough to make the economics of solar energy add up." – Bill Chappell, National Public Radio

Journalist says: "Tesla isn't the only company in the battery game. . . . This market is expected to grow. . . . That can only be good news for the planet." – Chris Mooney, The Washington Post