Source: University Herald
Recently, Tesla has officially acquired SolarCity, and the world is now imagining what these combined “duo” can offer the world. Tesla has revealed that it is running the island of Ta’u in American Samoa on a solar energy microgrid that is able to cover nearly 100 percent of the islands electrical needs at 1.4 megawatts. Tesla will be making use of 5,328 solar panels, and 60 Tesla Powerpacks that will offer 6 megawatt-hours of energy storage!
This island project shows how powerful Musk’s master plan is. This project is funded by American Samoa and the United States’ Department of Interior. Tesla said that by doing this project, they are getting rid of sing almost 110,000 gallons of diesel each year. The grid is also able to save the island money since they won’t be needing to transport mass quantities of fuel to a small island.
Source: Solar City
The island of Ta’u is usually very sunny, but the Tesla battery packs can keep the island running for three days without sunlight! Therefore, they won’t have to worry about a cloudy day that can lead to blackouts. The batteries can be fully recharged in just seven ours. The local business and other services such as hospitals, police stations, as well as firehouses all us solar power.
The solar switch took a year to complete and has long-term as well as immediate practical benefits. The island of Ta’u, just like many remote communities had to run on diesel generators. They burn 300 gallons of fuel per day, and that is neither environmentally friendly nor cheap. By using solar energy, pollution is not only eliminated but it also saves money since the locals don’t have to continuously buy and ship barrels of diesel. More importantly, it also provides a more reliable source of electricity. Previously, the locals had to ration power or accept the fact of periodic outages when the diesel shipment wasn’t on time. Now, with solar power, they can assume that they won’t be having power outages anymore.
Source: Business Insider
Ta’u is the best place to conduct this project. Other than its beautiful weather, there are less than 600 local residents with modest power needs. If it were in a full-blown city, much more power would be needed to accommodate them. Tesla’s mission is to slowly wean the world off of fossil fuels, and this project shows that it is definitely a realistic goal at least in some parts of the world.
According to local resident Keith Ahsoon in a Tesla blog post, “This project will help lessen the carbon footprint of the world. Living on an island, you experience global warming firsthand. Beach erosions and other noticeable changes are a part of life here. It’s a serious problem, and this project will hopefully set a good example for everyone else to follow.”
Source: Twistedsifter
Tesla and SolarCity
According to Bloomberg, Musk said during a meeting with Tesla shareholders,“We’re trying to make an integrated product. So you have an integrated solar roof with a Powerwall and an electric car, and you just go into a Tesla store, just say yes, it just happens. It all works, it’s seamless and you love it.”
The two companies have already debuted solar roof tiles to become a market standard rather than just an add-on. Lyndon rive, Musk’s cousin is SolarCity’s chief executive officer.
Tesla and SolarCity hopes that with this, many people will see the how great solar energy is and all the possibilities it can give. There are other similar projects lined up, including powering the Hawaiian island of Kaua’i.
Tesla also plans to build the largest lithium ion battery storage project in the world—a 20 MW/80 MWh Powerpack System which will be used for Southern California Edison Mira Loma substation.
Article Sources:
SolarCity
Bloomberg
