Battery storage systems and Virtual Power Plants
Megapacks
Power around the world can be seen struggling to keep up with increased demand and aging infrastructure. On top of this, generation is switching from fossil fuels to renewables and to manage that kind of intermittent supply it's necessary to have a place to store it. Batteries soak up electricity when there's a surplus and redistribute it when needed, and as such are an essential part of the new-age grid being built today.
Tesla have been working on this problem for a while and already have many successful stationary battery packs deployed around the world, contracted by businesses or governments for mega installations.
Their product is literally called a Megapack and they can be placed almost anywhere. Capable of storing 3 MWh per unit, with an infinitely scalable design that allows completely bespoke installations which are upgradeable as required. Demand is soaring, with over 5 GWh deployed so far, since every completed project gives incredibly good returns and energy stabilisation - natural disasters are a key example of when a backup like this is essential, to keep people as safe as possible.
Some notable projects thus far are;
Victoria, Australia's 'Big Battery' is a 212-unit, 350 MWh system - Read More
Hawaii have already retired their final coal plant in favour of Megapacks - Read More
The UK is now the proud owner of Europe's largest battery storage system in Cottingham, England, which is able to store enough electricity to power 300,000 homes for two hours (198 MWh) and came online on 21st Nov 2022 - Read More
Tesla aims to achieve a production rate of 1,000 GWh per year of battery production in the US, with cells at $70 per kWh by 2022 and 3 TWh by 2030. Order your Megapack today at https://www.tesla.com/megapack/design!
VPP - Virtual Power Plants
On a smaller scale, they've got your house and neighbourhood covered too. Naturally if you have an E.V. you’ll want to charge at home, ideally using your own solar. Tesla make this a breeze by providing the complete package, with Solar Roof - a beautiful, seamless roof tile that’s three times stronger than conventional products and also generates your household power. That can be handily saved up in your home battery system - Powerwall - which have been available since early 2017 and as of this time last year, they hit 250k installs globally:
This system is great to power your house, charge your vehicle and basically provide an energy buffer, or enable off-grid living and self-sufficiency for the most part. They even have the ability to sell excess power back to the grid at peak times, for a small, but not insignificant profit.
Clearly this is a brilliant idea and it's catching on fast. Sadly though, the availability of Tesla's products has been limited, caught in competition with their vehicles who also require the cells. Naturally one had to wait and the entire solar division took a large hit to it's staffing and resources for a while, but it seems now they've finally reached a turning point. It was announced recently by Martin Viecha, the vice president of investor relations at Tesla, that there's sufficient supply of batteries across the board and that's great news for the world, as they've already increased Powerwall production to 6,500 units per week, that’s 87 MWh per week.
In relative obscurity, known mostly just to those who are involved in the program, Tesla have developed an AI bidding software using machine learning to predict and automatically manage energy sales to and from the grid - Autobidder. Especially helpful to catch the best moments to sell for maximum profit, but also to buy at the cheapest off-peak prices far better than any human could do. In combination and at the owner's consent, they are linking up local Powerwalls into a virtualized, distributed power plant - a VPP.
Instead of a coal or gas peaker plant firing up, usually taking minutes (which is an age in the energy supply game) to assist the grid, individual people's houses are creating stable and efficient mini networks capable of supporting entire neighbourhoods in times of crisis.
Extrapolate this a few years into the future and it's likely the majority of the population will be on board. The system is massively helpful for remote, rural areas, but equally effective in highly populated suburbs and city centres. With enough of these around the place there'll be less need to designate large swathes of space for in-land generation, allowing it to be built offshore. VPPs will not only help make blackouts a thing of the past, but gradually Tesla will become one of the largest energy providers globally, on top of all their other business ventures.
Texas has an infamous reputation in terms of energy management with residents suffering days without power in the winter of 2021, during the coldest weather it was regretfully fatal for hundreds and these kinds of things can, and have already been avoided thanks to Tesla Powerwalls and Ford F-150 trucks picking up the slack when the utilities fail to deliver.
YouTuber Chris from the Dirty Tesla channel (who makes excellent videos challenging the Full Self Driving software) explained how his Powerwall saved him and his family from a 51-hour blackout in their area:
As an example of what can be achieved in terms of self-sufficiency and it's benefits to your lifestyle and finances, check out Robert Llewellyn's guided tour of his zero-emissions home:
The needle pushes ever further towards a world powered by renewables and the advantages continue to stack up, making it increasingly embarrassing to try and defy the change. The future continues to look ever more exciting, healthy and prosperous for humanity.