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Tesla Powerwall owners provide showers and other services during extended outage

Thanks to Tesla solar and  Powerwall, homeowners in Australia managed to keep the lights on during the extended power outages that followed the bushfires and provided services to the neighbors.

The 2019–20 Australian bushfire season was particularly devastating. It killed many people, destroyed thousands of houses and buildings, and left many people without power for extended periods of time.

This week, Andy McCarthy, chief executive officer at RACV Solar, a solar installer, visited couple Kate and Phil from Mallacoota, Victoria, a region affected by the fires.

Last year, he installed a solar system and Tesla Powerwall at their home.

He wrote on Linkedin:

We installed a solar power system with battery storage for Kate and Phil last year. They wanted to be more self-sufficient; in a town with regular grid outages, peace of mind was important to them.

McCarthy said that the bushfires were “the ultimate test for this system.”

The couple managed to save their house from the fire, but the power was cut in their neighborhood for two weeks.

With the solar panels and Powerwall, they were able to maintain power at their home during the blackout.

Kate and Phil used their power to help their neighbors:

For two full weeks, Phil and Kate were some of the few people in town with electricity. Being the amazing community-minded people they are, they threw their doors open, offering a solar-powered hot shower, a cuppa, and a shoulder to cry on.

McCarthy added:

It was harrowing to hear their stories, but satisfying to know that their renewable energy system was able to provide so much comfort during the darkest of days. Their solar and battery system kept the lights on, even with a thick smoky sky badly affecting the solar performance.

Tesla has focused Powerwall supply in Australia for years due to the region having high electricity costs and being prone to outages.

Recently, Tesla announced that it installed its 100,000th Powerwall home battery pack.

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Avatar for Fred Lambert Fred Lambert

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