Automobile giant Tesla and the Australian government have come together to install solar energy and Powerwall battery to 50,000 homes. The initiative is done at no cost for the select households.
This initiative ready to be introduced in South Australia is termed as ‘virtual power plant’ is the world’s biggest set-up that started a trial with 1,000 homes.
Now, the plan is to promote the initiative a step further involving at least 50,000 homes as part of the scheme. This will be carried out over the next four years.
According to CNBC, Jay Weatherill, said in a statement, “We will use people’s homes as a way to generate energy for the South Australian grid, with participating households benefiting with significant savings in their energy bills.
“Our energy plan means that we are leading the world in renewable energy and now we are making it easier for more homes to become self-sufficient.”
The state government will grant US$2mn funds and the Renewable Technology Fund will ensure US$30mn loan for the initiative. Each household involved with the scheme will be supplied with a 5kW solar panel system and a 13.5kWh Tesla Powerwall 2 battery at zero cost.
Energy Minister Tom Koutsantonis, said, “What this project will do is connect thousands of solar and battery systems to make one giant, coordinated virtual power plant.”