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Can Tesla's Batteries Power Puerto Rico? (electrek.co)
An anonymous reader quotes Electrek:
Almost 1 million ratepayers of the Puerto Rican Electric Power Authority on the island of Puerto Rico were reportedly without power Wednesday during an island-wide blackout. But a few hundred locations with Tesla Energy storage systems were able to keep the lights on, according to CEO Elon Musk... Some of those locations include very critical services. For example, Tesla deployed a series of Powerpack systems on the Puerto Rican islands of Vieques and Culebra for a sanitary sewer treatment plant, the Arcadia water pumping station, the Ciudad Dorada elderly community, the Susan Centeno hospital, and the Boys and Girls Club of Vieques. Furthermore, the automaker's energy division also deployed a solar+battery system at a hospital in Puerto Rico...
It was also reported that the Puerto Rican government was considering Tesla's plan for a series of microgrids to help bring back power on a larger scale. The government has confirmed that they "presented several projects in remote areas that would allow entire communities to be more independent" and they also "presented a proposal to the Authority for Public-Private Partnerships for the deployment of a large-scale battery system designed to help stabilize the entire Puerto Rico electricity network."
The proposal, involving de-centralized local solar farms, "should prove more resilient to natural disaster," Electrek reported earlier, adding " and of course, it would be a lot cleaner than their currently mostly fossil fuel-based power generation." Already Tesla batteries are "live and delivering power" at 662 locations, Elon Musk tweeted Wednesday.
Meanwhile, CNN reports that one Puerto Rico resident spent three weeks building his own solar power system using $7,500 in parts -- which will ultimately prove cheaper than the $350 a month he was spending to run a gas generator (and waiting as long as six hours in the long gas lines).
They're not revealing his name "because he's concerned someone may try to steal his new system."
It was also reported that the Puerto Rican government was considering Tesla's plan for a series of microgrids to help bring back power on a larger scale. The government has confirmed that they "presented several projects in remote areas that would allow entire communities to be more independent" and they also "presented a proposal to the Authority for Public-Private Partnerships for the deployment of a large-scale battery system designed to help stabilize the entire Puerto Rico electricity network."
The proposal, involving de-centralized local solar farms, "should prove more resilient to natural disaster," Electrek reported earlier, adding " and of course, it would be a lot cleaner than their currently mostly fossil fuel-based power generation." Already Tesla batteries are "live and delivering power" at 662 locations, Elon Musk tweeted Wednesday.
Meanwhile, CNN reports that one Puerto Rico resident spent three weeks building his own solar power system using $7,500 in parts -- which will ultimately prove cheaper than the $350 a month he was spending to run a gas generator (and waiting as long as six hours in the long gas lines).
They're not revealing his name "because he's concerned someone may try to steal his new system."
Of course they can't power Puerto Rico because they require generation in order to be charged. What they can do though is increase the resilience of the power system by making the frequent power disruptions less of a problem and reduce the cost of power by smoothing out the intermittent nature of less expensive solar and wind systems. Right now PR is heavily dependent on diesel and fuel oil power generation which is one of most expensive ways to generate electricity.
It would be good if some other companies got involved in most things that Tesla does.
This makes zero sense. The government of Puerto Rico is looking for a solution to the power problem, so they are looking after themselves.
Besides, I'm pretty sure that they have learned that they cannot expect anything good from mainland USA a long time ago.
They're not revealing his name "because he's concerned someone may try to steal his new system."
This is a common problem in the third world. Doesn't matter how much infrastructure one puts up. It's one's capacity to keep people from stealing it, that's important.
I've been off-grid for a few years now... A $5000(~1800W panels are now half the cost) system. Meets my power needs except for being in Canukistan, my heat. I have fridge/freezer/40" tv, computer/router/security system(24/7), lights,washer, microwave, electric pressure cooker, window AC unit, power tools, yada yada..
It meets the basic needs, only.. I have a really crappy battery; $1500 for a new one(only get flooded, leadacid industrial 2500+-cycle life; by far best bang for buck)... But it's been fine for years, why? because of a change in attitude about using power.
I can run my basics for 4-5 days off the battery and overcast alone(2KWh/day avg). But heres what I do.. When I want to use an electric chainsaw or other heavy tool, what do I do? I wait for the sun to come out! Nothing needs to be done immediately. For virtually everyone with their own roof/unobstructed sun, we could be off-grid now, solar now.. It's the regulations and forced 'technical workers and inspectors required in most states that drive the cost of solar through the roof.
As usual, the government makes everything worse.
Ever try keeping a gas turbine plant running? Not so simple. Or cheap. Solar cell / battery plants are quite a bit easier to maintain than 30 foot tall jet engines.
Both do require access to high tech manufacturing and support but especially for a small island, solar / wind / battery combos seem to make quite a bit more sense than fossil fuel thermal plants. Right now, solar / wind / battery systems are equal priced to cheaper than thermal plants at the small sizes we're talking about in PV.
One of the big issues with power in PV is that the generation facilities are sited on the other side of the island from most of the the users. That requires expensive and fragile transmission lines (that still haven't been completely fixed). Small scale solar / wind /battery sited where the demand is makes a whole lot more sense than what they are doing now.
Putting a bunch of panels and batteries in a local field is quite a bit easier for locals to agree to than a brand new steam belching, noisy thermal plant.
Faster! Faster! Faster would be better!
Yeah I can see that working out well. Oh that was decentralized solar farm ? Toss in transmission lines and it looks that much better.
Puerto Rico is a perfect argument for small nukes 50 MW on sealed reactor that only needs to be refueled every few years perfect.
Nice how they slipped in the "Public-Private Partnerships" bit so nobody seems to be calling attention to it. Where I come from (UK), they're used to extract/extort tax-payer money out of the public and funnel it into private pockets. Sounds like Puerto Rico is rapidly turning into Puerto Pobre and Bancos Ricos.
Debate is a form of harassment. Do not question my truth.
I deal with UPS's as well. Not really the same thing as the utility batteries. UPS's have not changed much in decades. Most of them still use lead acid batteries. They don't last very long even when maintained. When looking at the cost, size, weight, maintenance and reliability I have to question why we keep doing it the same way with UPS's.
Ever try keeping a gas turbine plant running? Not so simple. Or cheap. Solar cell / battery plants are quite a bit easier to maintain than 30 foot tall jet engines.
30ft tall jet engines? I think you've never tried to do maintenance on a solar system that big either. You're talking about two different levels of scale. Little microturbines on the other hand seem to require a similar level of maintenance as a typical house gas hot water system.
You fucking kidding me? The first thing any of those red state governors do is declare state of emergency to unlock federal funds.
Dipshit.
The electricity consumption of the average Canadian household is 11,879 kWh/yr, or 32.5 kWh/day. You're able to live off the grid with your system because your electricity consumption is 1/16th that of the average Canadian home. Your electricity consumption is 21% the world's household average, and 40% the household average for the thriftiest OECD member nation (Mexico, which has a 46% poverty rate).
Any typical household in the developed world would have to make serious and drastic compromises to their lifestyle to live off a system such as yours.
In a total micogrid there's the example of a Puerto Rican flower farmer who installed solar panels several years ago. After Hurricane Maria he was still in operation with most of his solar panels still in operational condition so he could run his well pumps.
How solar energy saved a Puerto Rican farm from Hurricane Maria
The new model the distributed suburban power station is likely the way to go. Basically put a full array of solar panels over every domestic roof, with double the size battery pack required for each property. So houses produce more energy than they need, with half the battery pack to supply them and half the battery pack to out energy back into the grid (for commercial and medium density housing). So the power station is already built and it just needs the generators, solar panels, and the storage system for out of solar hours power. Some will buy, some will lease and some will just provide access to their roof for the electric suppliers system and just buy supply for a discount. The idea, to get every roof generating electricity in an entirely distributed power generation, storage and supply system.
Of course some big players are blocking everything they can, with a single focus on buying up properties cheap after driving out the local population.
Chaos - everything, everywhere, everywhen