Tesla
Tesla is preparing to launch its biggest battery project yet.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk said Friday that it’s halfway done building the world’s biggest battery in South Australia. Tesla will build the 100 MW system using several of its massive commercial battery pack, the Powerpack. It will draw energy from Neoen’s Hornsdale wind farm that’s 142 miles north of Adelaide, ultimately storing enough electricity to power up to 50,000 homes.
Since acquiring SolarCity in November, Tesla has been doubling down on its renewable energy efforts.
Tesla has been selling the Powerpack and its at-home battery, the Powerwall, since 2015. The company released upgraded versions of both the Powerwall and Powerpack and also unveiled its solar roof product last year. Tesla began accepting orders for the solar roof in March.
South Australia is far from the only place relying on Tesla’s giant commercial batteries. Here’s a look at some of the biggest projects — from resorts to entire islands — that are currently using Tesla’s Powerpacks to help keep the lights on:
Tesla is helping power a luxury lodge located sitting on the outskirts of Kruger National Park in South Africa.
Singita
The luxury resort, Singita Lodge, privately owns 33,000 acres of land in Kurger National Park, which is home to buffalo, leopards, cheetahs, elephants, and more. The resort itself has on-site solar panels running on Tesla’s 3,150 kilowatt-hours Powerpack system.
Singita Lodge practices ecotourism, though it’s certainly a pricier form. According to Travel + Leisure, the resort has 15 loft suites, spa, fitness center, smoothie and espresso bar, and gym. A villa costs 17,9025 rand ($ 13,285) a night.
The resort says team members lead conservation efforts like the rehabilitation and maintenance of land, wildlife monitoring, and fencing security to initiate anti-poaching methods.
Tesla is also powering another luxury resort on Malolo Island, a volcanic island in Fiji.
Vimeo/PowerSmart Solar
Called Vunabaka, the resort sells properties priced as high as $ 2.5 million. A 2014 New Zealand Herald article said the properties were sold largely “through word of mouth” to people from New Zealand, Australia, and the United States.
The resort generates electricity via a 1-megawatt solar array powered by 20 Tesla Powerpacks.
Tesla was selected by energy company Southern California Edison to build a 20-megawatt battery system that can power 2,500 households a day.
SCE
The battery project was built at Southern California Edison’s Mira Loma substation and is the largest lithium ion battery storage project in the world. The system doesn’t run on solar power, but is meant to offset the energy grid by taking charge during off-peak hours, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Tesla was chosen to build the substation after the Aliso Canyon natural gas reservoir suffered a massive rupture in 2015 that displaced more than 8,000 California residents. Los Angeles wanted an electric energy solution that could be more reliable during peak times.
See the rest of the story at Business Insider
