Powering GigaTexas
Work at GigaTexas is coming along, as more upgrades to the facility are breaking ground or coming online. One of the most important new additions to the gigantic factory is a dedicated Megapack energy storage facility - the details of which were just discovered.
Prolific drone operator Joe Tegtmeyer was able to dig up a filing receipt from the Lower Colorado River Authority which documents the station’s power capacity and number of units.
According to the filing, Tesla plans on installing 68 units, with a power rating of 131 MegaWatts. Some quick napkin math shows that this roughly corresponds with the Megapack’s 2-hour duration settings - meaning the entire station should be putting out about 262 MegaWatt Hours or so once it’s fully operational.
That would make the GigaTexas battery storage site one of the largest Magapack installations in the world - and it could still be scaled up without much effort.
The site itself started construction around mid 2022. The electrical switchyard itself will be laid out in three long bays, and is intended to be hooked up to the solar panel array that’s being built on the factory’s roof. There’s about 30,000 panels active right now, with a planned 70,000 panels once it’s complete.
That many panels could supply the MegaPacks with about 30 MegaWatts of power - but since solar energy is inconsistent, it’s hard to get an accurate read on the Megawatt hours. Using some meteorological data, some helpful community members were able to estimate about 375 Megawatt Hours max per day on average once the roof is covered in panels. Not bad for running the factory and filling the energy storage yard.
The original construction date in the permits shows that the installation should be finished by June 15th, but Joe’s analysis of the site and document shows that they seem to be a little behind. That certainly happens with any construction project - but it’s not likely to set Tesla back more than a month or so.
This has got to be pretty satisfying for Tesla. The company has wanted to transition to fully self-sustaining energy for years now. GigaTexas requires a lot of power, and the Texas power grid is notoriously unstable. The sooner this switchyard can be completed, the better.