Pila Energy has been making headlines since raising $4 million late last year to manufacture its Mesh Home Battery. It's being called a "DIY" solution for blackout protection, "pretty," and even "sexy." 

The most apt descriptor for the San Francisco-developed product might be safeguard. Mesh simply plugs into a wall outlet to charge with solar or utility power. Devices and appliances can plug straight into the pack to ensure electricity is always flowing. 

What's more, the batteries are designed to be stacked, working together if you need more juice — with no special wiring or installation. But only one is needed to protect your core appliances. It's all managed by an app, according to Pila. 

"We want to bring forward this notion that you don't have to compromise on the not-so-smart battery or overspend on the primo solution," Pila CEO Cole Ashman told Canary Media.

Mesh can be programmed to charge from the grid when rates are low and use the juice to power appliances when they are high. The pack comes in four color selections and starts at $1,299. 

There are cheaper portable batteries on the market, but not with the constant protection offered by the briefcase-sized Mesh. And it's far cheaper than a Tesla Powerwall, which can cost from $8,400 to around $13,500, depending on the type, according to CNET. While Powerwalls have more capacity, they also require more legwork to install. 

Ashman's experience as a Powerwall engineer provided unique insight into how to improve home energy storage. Unlike Tesla's product, no special permits are required to install Mesh. Ashman told Canary that it's a "permissionless" solution for homeowners and renters alike. 

"This is a middle ground," he said. 

The extra layer of protection is available at an opportune time. Politico Pro reported that large portions of the country could face "rolling blackouts" during the next decade because of capacity shortfalls during storms. Data center power demand is also expected to increase 175% by 2030. 

In answer, solar and wind are the cheapest, fastest energy sources to deploy, analysts at New York financial advisory firm Lazard reported last year. 

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Mesh provides a way for ratepayers to find relief independent of the grid when it's storing solar energy. It needs no approval or special knowledge to install, and the high-tech device can sit on a counter or atop a fridge, working out of sight.

Pila's first shipments were expected to head out in February, PV Magazine reported. 

"We really think this is more like the Apple Watch era of home batteries," Ashman said.

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