The Tesla big battery is not only up and running in South Australia, it’s already kicked in and saved the day.
It took just 140 milliseconds for the new battery to respond when a major coal-fired power plant failed in mid-December.
The transition was so seamless, the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) failed to successfully record it.
The Tesla mega-battery delivered 100 megawatts into the national electricity grid in record time.
Elon Musk’s controversial experiment in energy storage batteries has therefore proved it’s the real deal.
The project is part of a $550 million state government plan to stabilise power in the wake of last year’s Summer blackouts.
Tesla big battery offers demand response power
When Victoria’s coal-fired Loy Yang power plant tripped in mid-December, the Tesla battery had its first chance to silence its critics.
It proved its worth using smart, demand response technology.
SA State Minister Tom Koutsantonis told 5AA Radio it has exceeded expectations since going online on 1 December.
The battery complex is paired with Neoen’s Hornsdale wind farm, 230km north of Adelaide.
Tesla founder Elon Musk threw his weight behind the infrastructure project after taking up a Twitter bet with Atlassian’s Mike Cannon-Brookes in March.
The US entrepreneur agreed to fix SA’s blackout problems in record time. He pledged to build the $200 million Tesla battery plant in 100 days, or give it for free.
Musk made the 1 December deadline with time to spare. And the battery has subsequently justified its South Australian government subsidy.
The result? The world’s biggest lithium-ion battery with the largest penetration of wind and solar power anywhere on the globe.
Other Tesla products making a clean energy mark
It’s not just SA’s Tesla battery project making renewable energy waves in Australia.
Tesla lead the charge in state-of-the-art electric cars designed to give a smooth ride as well as optimum power efficiency.
The company also offers products to help householders with solar power installation and clean energy storage.
Powerwall batteries store solar power efficiently, becoming your home’s main energy source.
They can also protect your home from peak-time power outages. This keeps your lights on, phones charged and refrigerated food cool.
