Tesla will no longer be known as a company that just makes electric cars because following the acquisition of SolarCity, it’s now a proper clean energy company with a host of products under its belt. To show off its clean energy capabilities, Tesla today revealed that it has been setting up a microgrid of solar energy panels and batteries that will supply the entire island of Ta’u in American Samoa with clean, renewable energy.
The announcement and the short video feature comes a day after Tesla officially confirmed that its acquisition of SolarCity has been closed. The island project is no small feat and is certainly impressive.
Ta’u was previously powered using diesel generators but as you can imagine that’s not a very clean way of producing energy. Tesla’s microgrid will simply absorb solar energy and dispatch it through the network. Batteries will be hooked up to provide power when the sun goes down. Tesla says that its microgrid is going to supply “nearly 100 percent” of the power required by Ta’u’s 600 residents.
Tesla’s microgrid is made up of 5,328 solar panels as well as 60 Powerpack batteries for storage. The project was funded by American Samoan and U.S. authorities. It’s going to help offset Ta’u’s use of more than 109,500 gallons of diesel per year. The entire island can be fully powered for three days straight without sunlight while the system can be recharged to capacity within seven hours.