Tesla has over 120 operational microgrids around the world

Tesla has over 120 operational microgrids around the world using its batteries and renewable energy, according to a new comment from an executive.

Ever since the launch of Tesla Energy and its stationary energy storage products, Tesla started working on microgrid projects.

The idea is to have a self-sufficient energy system using self-produced renewable energy stored in batteries and supplying a small community or facility.

After the acquisition of SolarCity, it made even more sense for Tesla to get into the microgrid business since it now had expertise with both batteries and solar power.

The first flagship microgrid project with SolarCity was on the island of Ta’u in American Samoa, where Tesla deployed a microgrid consisting of a 1.4-megawatt solar array and a 6-megawatt hour energy storage system with 60 Tesla Powerpacks:

The microgrid saved the nearly 600 residents of the island more than 100,000 gallons of fuel per year previously used to supply them with electricity.

Tesla has kept deploying microgrids since, and we now learn that the company has over 120 of them in operations around the world.

Michael Snyder, director of engineering and construction, energy projects at Tesla, released the information in a Linkedin post about a new position on the microgrid team:

If you like solving problems at the nexus of power systems interactions, protection coordination, system and product level controls, and DERs (Powerpacks, Megapacks, solar, and generators), check out the link below for a microgrid-focused product engineer. We have 120+ operational microgrids around the world with high impact to a variety of communities/customers. This is a unique and rewarding role.

In the job posting, Tesla notes the growth of its “Microgrid Industrial Storage fleet”:

The Tesla Energy Product and Service Engineering team is looking for a passionate, collaborative, and skilled Microgrid Product Engineer to join the team to support the growth of our Microgrid Industrial Storage fleet. As more microgrids are being deployed every year, Tesla is also committed to having an industry-leading uptime in our worldwide fleet of C&I and island microgrids.

Tesla has been focusing its efforts on remote locations where it makes a lot of financial sense to move to a battery plus solar microgrid due to the cost of transporting fuel and running generators.

But the company has also deployed microgrids for backup systems of critical services.

For example, Tesla installed a microgrid at Direct Relief emergency supply warehouse in California to keep it running in case of a disaster.