The Tesla Megapack is modeled after the company’s successful giant battery system called Powerpack, it built as part of the Hornsdale wind farm in South Australia. Each Powerpack battery has a storage capacity of 210 kWh and power output at 50kW.
According to Tesla, each Megapack unit will have up to 3MWh of storage and 1.5MW of inverter capacity. The units can directly connect to renewable energy sources providing a constant source of power when the sun sets or the wind stops. Megapack offers 60 percent greater energy density than the Powerpack.
The new Megapack units come fully-assembled, and can be installed more rapidly (up to ten times as fast) and at a lower cost than most battery storage units – or new fossil-fuel generation facilities of comparable size and capacity. Each pre-assembled unit includes the battery modules, bi-directional inverters, a thermal management system, an AC main breaker, and controls.
No assembly is required, all you need to do is connect Megapack’s AC output to your site wiring. The website also claims the units take up 40 percent less space than comparable battery storage solutions, requiring one-tenth of the number of parts typically needed.
The Megapack is the third and largest energy storage solution Tesla has to offer. Tesla also offers its residential-scale system called Powerwall and the commercial-scale version Powerpack.
The Megapack will provide a much-needed boost to the company if it can convince utilities companies to opt for this solution rather than the more common natural gas peaker plants, according to Forbes. And apparently, it seems to be successful as Tesla’s Megapack will provide 182.5 MW of the upcoming 567 MW Moss Landing energy storage project in California with PG&E.
Other major utility-scale battery projects, some coupled with solar farms, are planned around the country, including in Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Hawaii, Nevada, New York, and Utah, according to the IEEFA.
