Tesla Powers An Entire Island Using Solar Power, Paving The Way For The End Of Fossil Fuels

Tesla recently acquired SolarCity and to mark the occasion and show what their powers combined can do, they revealed that they're running an entire island, Ta’u in American Samoa, on a solar microgrid. The island, which has around 600 residents, is located 4,000 miles from the West Coast of the United States and so, Tesla notes, is often susceptible to power rationing and outage.

But no more because the island now has its solar power and battery storage-enabled microgrid, which can boast 1.4 megawatts of power and six megawatt hours of battery storage from 60 Tesla Powerpacks.

"That can supply nearly 100 percent of the island’s power needs from renewable energy, providing a cost-saving alternative to diesel, removing the hazards of power intermittency and making outages a thing of the past." says Solar City.

The packs mean that, although the island is mostly always sunny, if they do have some cloud cover for a few days they can keep the island running for three days without sunlight. The grid can then be totally recharged in seven hours when the sun does return.

The project was funded by the American Samoa Economic Development Authority, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Department of Interior. It's hoped the island can now save huge amounts on energy costs by offsetting the use of more than 109,500 gallons of diesel per annum.

“This is part of making history." said local resident and store owner Keith Ahsoon. "This project will help lessen the carbon footprint of the world. Living on an island, you experience global warming firsthand. Beach erosions and other noticeable changes are a part of life here. It’s a serious problem, and this project will hopefully set a good example for everyone else to follow.”