Tesla, Australia to Turn 50,000 Homes into Power Generators

Megalith

Megalith

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Tesla is creating the world’s largest virtual power plant in South Australia by installing 5 kW solar arrays and 13.5 kWh Powerwall 2 battery systems in 50,000 homes. Unlike the company’s Powerpack, the Powerwall system allows for residential, decentralized storage, hence “virtual.” It will allow for 650 MWh of energy storage.

A trial phase will begin with 1,100 public housing properties, each supplied with a 5kW solar panel system Tesla battery. Following the trial, the systems will be installed at a further 24,000 public housing properties before the scheme is opened up to other South Australians over the next four years.
 
They can fit one of these systems in my house !! I could charge the model X for free ;);)
 
Australia has a poor record on renewable energy due to the coal usage. To me they are the perfect place to perfect solar.
 
solar just wont work well in some parts of the world at certain times of the year. it just cant be helped. Australia is low hanging fruit from a solar trial point of view.
 
bigdogchris said:
Australia has a poor record on renewable energy due to the coal usage. To me they are the perfect place to perfect solar.
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Wow, I didn't know they were that dependent on coal. (US is 30%) Quote from the article:

More than 60 percent of electricity generation in Australia is from coal, with 14 percent from renewables, according to government data published in 2016.​
 
dangerouseddy said:
solar just wont work well in some parts of the world at certain times of the year. it just cant be helped. Australia is low hanging fruit from a solar trial point of view.
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Solar doesn't have to be a vacuum you know, there is also wind and hydro.
 
WhoMe said:
Solar doesn't have to be a vacuum you know, there is also wind and hydro.
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Hydro requires building a dam in a suitable location and is even more restrictive than solar.
Wind requires lots of room in a windy location.

Dams are the most destructive to local habitats. Wind has the nasty habit of killing a bunch of birds.
 
MrDeaf said:
Hydro requires building a dam in a suitable location and is even more restrictive than solar.
Wind requires lots of room in a windy location.

Dams are the most destructive to local habitats. Wind has the nasty habit of killing a bunch of birds.
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My point is their are alternatives. Nothing is perfect, but hey let's just keep using fossil fuels until nobody can live on the planet but a few heat loving microbes For runaway greenhouse effect, see Venus. There are also apparently ways to reduce bird deaths (like not putting them in major migratory bird flyways).

Edit: most of my power comes from hydro--and the dam is quite far away BTW. That's what transmission lines are for...it doesn't have all be local.
 
We need more
Nuclear - Fast Breeders
Solar - Better Grid Mgmt. Needed and by 2030 [All newly constructed / replaced roofs should attain for a minimum of >= ~25% solar]
Winds - Off Shore / On Shore needed
BioMass - We need more bioMasspower station, this reduces the landfill
Geotherm - Only where feasible
LEGALLY MANDATED RECYCLING
 
They're going to put them into public housing? I hope they have a significant budget for repairs and replacements...
 
Jon855 said:
We need more
Nuclear - Fast Breeders
Solar - Better Grid Mgmt. Needed and by 2030 [All newly constructed / replaced roofs should attain for a minimum of >= ~25% solar]
Winds - Off Shore / On Shore needed
BioMass - We need more bioMasspower station, this reduces the landfill
Geotherm - Only where feasible
LEGALLY MANDATED RECYCLING
Click to expand...

Recycling anything but metals actually uses more power then just growing new trees / making new plastic. There was a big push to recycle 30-40 years ago because of deforestation, but we largely have sustainable tree farms setup at this point. If it's not metal it's just a waste of energy to recycle.

Hawaii is pretty smart about power/waste. Pretty much everything thrown in the recycling bin and/or dumpsters is burned for power except for metals. Additionally they are working on harnessing waves to power the island, and also have geothermal loops that go way deep into the ocean as well. Still reliant on coal to produce some energy, but ultimately the way they do it is smart.
 
Good God people! Come on! Tesla is no more government subsidized than other energy infrastructures or car manufacturer. Corporate bailouts. GM? Anyone remember GM? Jesus. How is generating power renewably any worse than fossil fuels? Yes, solar doesn't generate power at night. Why does that mean we should shit on it? Most power is consumed during the day. Wind power kills less birds than domestic cats do. I'm all for the wholesale extermination of cats. We could feed all of the dogs.
 
Jon855 said:
We need more
Nuclear - Fast Breeders
Solar - Better Grid Mgmt. Needed and by 2030 [All newly constructed / replaced roofs should attain for a minimum of >= ~25% solar]
Winds - Off Shore / On Shore needed
BioMass - We need more bioMasspower station, this reduces the landfill
Geotherm - Only where feasible
LEGALLY MANDATED RECYCLING
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Who is going to pay for the upkeep of the solar panels and batteries on all these roofs? I certainly am not going to do it. Are you going to send me a monthly check to pay for the panels and for replacements when they get damaged by really bad weather? What about when the batteries go bad? What about all the extra wiring and other equipment for installation and use?

I do agree that we need more Nuclear though.
 
cyclone3d said:
Who is going to pay for the upkeep of the solar panels and batteries on all these roofs? I certainly am not going to do it. Are you going to send me a monthly check to pay for the panels and for replacements when they get damaged by really bad weather? What about when the batteries go bad? What about all the extra wiring and other equipment for installation and use?

I do agree that we need more Nuclear though.
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You're talking as if solar panels are fragile... lol

People have house insurance and if you need to file a claim for damaged solar panels, those are probably the least of your concern as you'll have damage to the entire roof and windows. Before you ask: No, my house insurance didn't go up after putting in a 7 kW solar array on my roof



For others who don't realize how much cheaper solar, wind, and batteries are please watch this video for a better understanding about what's happening:

 
hmmm....

FTFA

We will use people's homes as a way to generate energy for the South Australian grid
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so, the power generated by the panels is to go to the grid itself, and i am guessing, if enough need, then it will also pull power from the batteries to power the local grid as well?
 
katanaD said:
hmmm....

FTFA



so, the power generated by the panels is to go to the grid itself, and i am guessing, if enough need, then it will also pull power from the batteries to power the local grid as well?
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It's a distributed grid as opposed to the traditional centralized grid. The power is generated everywhere and used everywhere with distributed batteries to supply power locally, as needed, distributed.

 
Nukester said:
They are so heavily gov't subsidized they are a Charity.
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Really? I'd love to see some documentation on how much direct government subsidies they receive. I hear this claim all the time, but never any data to back it up.
 
PaulP said:
Really? I'd love to see some documentation on how much direct government subsidies they receive. I hear this claim all the time, but never any data to back it up.
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i hear the same thing about spacex, and what do they point out.. the contract money they get from NASA.. Which boggles the mind, how is being paid for work a government subsidy??
 
why can't we just have nuclear and move on.

in terms of square area nothing beats it.

6a010536b58035970c019b00555b6d970b-pi
 
travisty said:
For others who don't realize how much cheaper solar, wind, and batteries are please watch this video for a better understanding about what's happening:
Click to expand...
What's really happening is that the places that invested heavily in solar and wind and account for a major percentage of generation (Germany, Denmark, California, Australia) have the most expensive electricity in the world. The interesting paradox is the more shills claim that solar and wind are getting cheaper, the more expensive electricity gets for consumers.

The places that have cheap electricity get it from nearby hydro, coal or natural gas.
 
Master_shake_ said:
why can't we just have nuclear and move on.

in terms of square area nothing beats it.
Click to expand...

Density, sure.

Not in cost though. It's very, very, very expensive. Because you have to be very, very, very careful. Know that I'm not a NIMBY person - I lived close to NC's Shearon Harris plant for ~25 years. If the breeder Thorium reactors can be brought online as safe and economically as promised, go for it. But they're not there yet.

And we have a ton of space here in the US. So many wind farms are actually IN crop fields, so you really only lose the area the size of the footprint of the tower. Solar can be installed on roofs which are otherwise doing nothing.

Offshore wind has no real footprint.
 
CombatChrisNC said:
Density, sure.

Not in cost though. It's very, very, very expensive. Because you have to be very, very, very careful. Know that I'm not a NIMBY person - I lived close to NC's Shearon Harris plant for ~25 years. If the breeder Thorium reactors can be brought online as safe and economically as promised, go for it. But they're not there yet.

And we have a ton of space here in the US. So many wind farms are actually IN crop fields, so you really only lose the area the size of the footprint of the tower. Solar can be installed on roofs which are otherwise doing nothing.

Offshore wind has no real footprint.
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how much is land these days?\

what is the price of a mass as big as texas?
 
A Little Teapot said:
They're going to put them into public housing? I hope they have a significant budget for repairs and replacements...
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Why? It's on the roof... You make it sounds like people in public housing go around trashing roofs or something, or are going to break their own means of energy production. Sounds like spoiled rich kids to me...
 
tempertantrum said:
Why? It's on the roof... You make it sounds like people in public housing go around trashing roofs or something, or are going to break their own means of energy production. Sounds like spoiled rich kids to me...
Click to expand...

You ever see what a rented place looks like after a horrible tenant leaves or is evicted?

Have you ever actually been to a "public housing" area?

If copper is used for wiring and not super hard to get to, you have a really good chance that it will be ripped out and sold for scrap. You also have a good chance of batteries and other stuff being stolen.

Maybe I am wrong about this instance, but it would not surprise me one bit if that also happens to solar/battery installations in public housing.
 
cyclone3d said:
You ever see what a rented place looks like after a horrible tenant leaves or is evicted?

Have you ever actually been to a "public housing" area?

If copper is used for wiring and not super hard to get to, you have a really good chance that it will be ripped out and sold for scrap. You also have a good chance of batteries and other stuff being stolen.

Maybe I am wrong about this instance, but it would not surprise me one bit if that also happens to solar/battery installations in public housing.
Click to expand...

I was born and raised in Detroit. Copper theft generally only happens in unoccupied houses - with the power off. Stealing from an actively used power grid generally gets one dead. Also, you'll pretty much know immediately is someone is stealing from a power grid in an actively occupied house.
 
SLee said:
What's really happening is that the places that invested heavily in solar and wind and account for a major percentage of generation (Germany, Denmark, California, Australia) have the most expensive electricity in the world. The interesting paradox is the more shills claim that solar and wind are getting cheaper, the more expensive electricity gets for consumers.

The places that have cheap electricity get it from nearby hydro, coal or natural gas.
Click to expand...

Of course it has cost more for Germany and Denmark initially as they were at the forefront of the exponential technology. They made it cheaper for everyone else in the long run. Do some research on Ca and learn about the cross-state power sharing deals the power corporations have - they are basically monopolies milking the customers

Cities throughout the US are committing to green energy, realizing that they are exponential technologies and that they are already cheaper than even natural gas and will continue to get cheaper into the future unlike all other hydro-carbon and nuclear which will become more expensive
 
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travisty said:
I can tell you only know how to parrot what you've heard, well done Polly!

Of course it has cost more for Germany and Denmark initially as they were at the forefront of the exponential technology. They made it cheaper for everyone else in the long run. Do some research on Ca and learn about the cross-state power sharing deals the power corporations have - they are basically monopolies milking the customers

Cities throughout the US are committing to green energy, realizing that they are exponential technologies and that they are already cheaper than even natural gas and will continue to get cheaper into the future unlike all other hydro-carbon and nuclear which will become more expensive
Click to expand...


hahahahhhaha

TOU_Prices_web-01.png


welcome to ontario.

where green energy has made rates rise skyrocket.

it's so bad that dip at the end is the government spending money they don't have on subsidizing it.

but tell me again that it gets cheaper over time.
 
Master_shake_ said:
hahahahhhaha

View attachment 53111

welcome to ontario.

where green energy has made rates rise skyrocket.

it's so bad that dip at the end is the government spending money they don't have on subsidizing it.

but tell me again that it gets cheaper over time.
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... Do some simple research dude

"About half of our electricity comes from nuclear power. The remainder comes from a mix of hydroelectric, coal, natural gas and wind. Most of Ontario's electricity generating stations are located in the southern half of the province close to where the demand for power is greatest."

5% of ontario's power comes from solar and wind (the only exponential power technologies). The main reason for the cost increase for power is coal and nuclear - which are very expensive and continues to become more expensive.

https://cns-snc.ca/media/ontarioelectricity/ontarioelectricity.html
 
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travisty said:
... Do some simple research dude

"About half of our electricity comes from nuclear power. The remainder comes from a mix of hydroelectric, coal, natural gas and wind. Most of Ontario's electricity generating stations are located in the southern half of the province close to where the demand for power is greatest."

5% of ontario's power comes from solar and wind (the only exponential power technologies). The main reason for the cost increase for power is nuclear - which is very expensive and continues to become more expensive.

https://cns-snc.ca/media/ontarioelectricity/ontarioelectricity.html
Click to expand...


nuclear-expense-michelle-01-1024x788.png


um... you know that 13.3, 48.1 is more than 6.8 right?

gas is way high because of 2 cancelled billion dollar plants that and to be relocated and only needed to fill in the gaps solar and wind leave.

https://cna.ca/news/cost-nuclear-power-ontario/
 
Ah i see the link i used was the current power generation - gotta say that's cool. I posted before the sun was up and wind was producing 5%. Now solar's going up and wind has stayed more-or-less constant (slight tenth of a percent fluctuations)

In either case you've proved my point, even 13% will not caused huge spikes in price. What will is the investment in nuclear power plants that have huge cost overruns.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/darlington-nuclear-refurbishment-1.3395696
 
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travisty said:
Ah i see the link i used was the current power generation - gotta say that's cool. I posted before the sun was up and wind was producing 5%. Now solar's going up and wind has stayed more-or-less constant (slight tenth of a percent fluctuations)

In either case you've proved my point, even 13% will not caused huge spikes in price. What will is the investment in nuclear power plants that have huge cost overruns.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/darlington-nuclear-refurbishment-1.3395696
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so the province is paying for the repiars.

12.8 million for 58 percent of all ontarios generation.

how about

For all the costs of going green — estimated by Ontario’s auditor general to total $170 billion over 30 years—none of the alleged economic and social benefits have materialized. Claims by former premier Dalton McGuinty and current leader Kathleen Wynne, repeated in a recent speech from the throne, that closing coal plants dramatically reduced smog and saved $4.4 billion in health care and other costs are demonstrably untrue.
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170 billion for 10 percent.

that's exaclty 13 repairs.

http://business.financialpost.com/o...energy-broke-the-provinces-electricity-system

how about 6 billion to samsung?

https://globalnews.ca/news/658399/ontario-samsung-deal-slashed-by-3-7-billion/

green energy is a joke.

face it.
 
MrDeaf said:
Dams are the most destructive to local habitats. Wind has the nasty habit of killing a bunch of birds.
Click to expand...


I hate reading\hearing this shit tier claim over and over. They kill a fuck all who gives a shit number of birds.

[...]though wind turbines contribute relatively insignificantly to anthropogenic avian mortality. For every bird killed by a wind turbine in the US, nearly 500,000 are killed by each of feral cats and buildings.
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wind_turbine#Disadvantages
 
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Master_shake_ said:
so the province is paying for the repiars.

12.8 million for 58 percent of all ontarios generation.

how about



170 billion for 10 percent.

that's exaclty 13 repairs.

http://business.financialpost.com/o...energy-broke-the-provinces-electricity-system

how about 6 billion to samsung?

https://globalnews.ca/news/658399/ontario-samsung-deal-slashed-by-3-7-billion/

green energy is a joke.

face it.
Click to expand...

Check your numbers for the first point, it's billion, no million. 12.8 Billion.

As for the 170 billion quote, i'd like to know where that came from and when. If it was ~2005 that'd be quite a few doubling times old - note that most economists still factor in solar/wind/battery costs as static. It's probably closer to 30-50 billion. If it's gradual the price will be closer to 20-25 billion over a period of ten years. (most solar/wind installations do not run into cost overruns due to legislation/safety concerns)

Reading more it sounds like Ontario's main problem is incompetence at the top

https://globalnews.ca/news/3272095/ontario-energy-minister-admits-mistake-with-green-energy-program/
 
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