With its acquisition officially confirmed, SolarCity is now part of Tesla as a full subsidiary, though the relationship between the two companies has been solid for a long time. Their latest project involves the Ta'ū island in American Samoa. Until recently, the island depended on diesel to generate energy, but now a new 1,410-kilowatt station has the capacity to cover almost 100 percent of the electrical demand using only solar energy.
The intention was revealed to the public in August, but directors and shareholders gave the thumbs up last week. 2.6 billion dollars later, SolarCity became a Tesla subsidiary, expanding Elon Musk's strategy to offer a complete solar energy solution for homes, companies, and why not, entire governments.
Tesla announced the construction of a storage platform very close to the city of Los Angeles that will serve as the world's largest lithium battery backup system, courtesy of Powerpack modules. With SolarCity in the equation, Tesla can now develop projects similar to the one carried out on Ta'ū island.
From Diesel to Sunlight on Ta'ū
To generate electricity, the island's inhabitants were forced to use diesel generators, burning more than 1,100 liters per day. To the average cost of fuel we must add transportation costs, delays (after all, navigation isn't always possible), and of course, the inevitable environmental damage.
After the construction of the new Tesla and SolarCity solar farm, the diesel system became backup. 1,410 kilowatts, 5,328 solar panels, and six megawatt-hours of storage distributed among 60 Powerpacks cover almost 100 percent of the island's energy needs, which is equivalent to running three full days without sunlight.
A Proof of Concept with Real Benefits
Now, we must acknowledge that the solar farm is essentially a proof of concept working under ideal parameters. Ta'ū has 600 inhabitants, and the sunlight it receives is abundant, to the point that the Powerpacks recharge in seven hours.
Still, consider the benefits. The island has suffered outages of up to two months due to transportation problems, but the impact isn't limited to homes; it also affects the distribution of safe water. With the solar farm, that's in the past, and it will allow the local government to avoid importing 414,000 liters of diesel annually.
SolarCity's message is clear: this isn't about “the future”, it can be done today.
SolarCity
