Engineering:Tesla Megapack

From HandWiki
Short description: Large-scale battery energy storage product manufactured by Tesla Energy
Tesla Megapack
Tesla Megapack set of 4 with solar canopy.webp
Tesla Megapack set of 4 with solar canopy 3D sketch
TypeGrid energy storage
InceptionJune 2019; 5 years ago (2019-06)
ManufacturerTesla Energy
Websitetesla.com/megapack

The Tesla Megapack is a large-scale rechargeable lithium-ion battery stationary energy storage product, intended for use at battery storage power stations, manufactured by Tesla Energy, the energy subsidiary of Tesla, Inc.

Launched in 2019, a Megapack can store up to 3.9 megawatt-hours (MWh) of electricity. Each Megapack is a container of similar size to an intermodal container. They are designed to be deployed by electric utilities. The energy stored can be used as required, for example during periods of peak electricity demand or when grid power is disrupted.

Tesla Energy also offers the Powerwall, a smaller energy storage device intended for home use.

History

Tesla Gigafactory 1
Tesla Giga Nevada, where the Megapack was designed and is manufactured, along with Lathrop

On April 30, 2015, Tesla announced that it would sell standalone battery storage products to consumers and utilities.[1] Tesla CEO Elon Musk stated that the company's battery storage products could be used to improve the reliability of intermittent renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind.[1]

Prior to the Megapack launch, Tesla used its 200 kilowatt-hour (kWh) Powerpack energy storage product to meet the needs of utilities with large-scale storage requirements. During 2015 and 2016, Tesla deployed a combined 300 MWh of Powerwall and Powerpack technology, including an 80 MWh deployment of Powerpacks at the Mira Loma substation in Southern California.[2] In 2017, Tesla used Powerpacks to deploy 129 MWh of battery storage at the Hornsdale Power Reserve in South Australia,[3] the biggest deployment of lithium-ion grid battery storage in the world at the time.[4]

Design work, at Giga Nevada, began on the Megapack project at least as early as the first half of 2018.[5]

In July 2019, Megapack launched.[6] It was described by Tesla as a utility-scale energy storage product, suitable for power stations and utilities.[6] Tesla claimed that Megapacks would be compatible with Tesla power station monitoring and energy control software, Powerhub and Autobidder.[6] The company stated that Megapack was designed to meet the needs of large-scale battery storage projects, as with the Hornsdale Power Reserve.[6]

Tesla acquired a former JC Penney's distribution center in Lathrop, California, in 2021 and converted it into a battery plant called Megafactory,[7] with a target capacity of 40 GWh/year when finished.[8] Next-generation Megapacks use prismatic lithium iron phosphate cells,[9] for example in the 585 MWh Kapolei, Hawaii facility.[10]

Tesla’s record energy deployment was achieved in Q1 2023, adding 3.9 GWh in a single quarter, a 360% year-over-year increase.[11][needs update]

In 2023, Tesla announced a new “Megafactory” in Shanghai to manufacture Megapacks, with the goal of producing about 10,000 packs per year.[12]

Specifications

Model Unit Cost Capacity Power Round Trip Efficiency Dimensions (W x H x D)[13] Weight[13]
Megapack $1.24M 2.6 MWh[14] 1 MW[15] 23.52 ft × 8.27 ft × 5.44 ft
(7.168 m × 2.522 m × 1.659 m) 		56,000 lb
(25,400 kg)
Megapack 2 $1.47M 3.854 MWh 1.927 MW 92.0% 23.79 ft × 8.22 ft × 5.37 ft
(7.25 m × 2.506 m × 1.637 m) 		67,200 lb
(30,500 kg)
Megapack 2 XL $1.39M 3.916 MWh 979 kW 93.7% 28.87 ft × 9.14 ft × 5.41 ft
(8.8 m × 2.785 m × 1.65 m) 		84,000 lb
(38,100 kg)

Megapacks are assembled at the Tesla Megafactory in Lathrop, California.

Terms

Each Megapack comes with a 15-year "no defect" and "energy retention" warranty.[15] A 10 or 20 year "performance guarantee" is available for an additional cost.[15] Once a Megapack has reached the end of its useful life, Tesla says they can be returned for recycling.[16]

Megapacks are pre-assembled, including "battery modules, bi-directional inverters, a thermal management system, an AC main breaker and controls."[17]

Tesla requires customers to purchase a maintenance service agreement. Each Megapack receives a minor annual service, and a major service every ten years. The annual maintenance includes inspections and cleaning. The ten-year maintenance includes activities such as replacing the pump and fan for the thermal management system and refilling the coolant fluid.[18] Maintenance is expected to take about an hour per Megapack.[16]

Design

The Megapack thermal management system is located at the top of each unit.[16] It uses coolant fluid, made of an equal-parts mixture of ethylene glycol and water, to keep the battery at operating temperature.[16]

Each Megapack weighs approximately 51,000 pounds (23,000 kg) and the enclosure is built to a similar size as an intermodal container and includes twistlock fittings to allow automated handling.

Applications

Tesla Megapack site with solar canopies[19] 3D sketch

Grid batteries are used for ancillary services such as control of frequency and phase, black start, operating reserve etc.

Peak power

Megapacks are designed for large-scale energy storage. Megapacks are used by utilities to replace peaker power plants,[20] which generate energy during periods of peak demand. Megapacks store grid energy rather than generating it from fuel.[21]

Powerpacks continue to be used by utilities to meet smaller-scale grid energy storage requirements. For example, a 25 MW / 52 MWh deployment of Powerpacks is in use at the Lake Bonney Wind Farm in South Australia.[22]

Time shifting

Energy storage has become a requirement to help convert intermittent energy sources such as wind and solar into firm power.[23]

Other energy storage solutions, such as pumped hydroelectric storage, dominate the time-shift market. As of 2019, pumped hydroelectric storage accounted for 96% of global energy storage capacity.[24] Pumped hydroelectric storage systems have lower efficiency, but longer lifetimes than battery storage.[24]

Megapack can be deployed more quickly than other storage technologies.[25]

Supercharger stations

3D sketch of Tesla Supercharger station with solar canopies and 8 Megapack set for close to 32 MWh

Megapacks have been installed at Tesla Supercharger stations that also have solar canopies to help power the Megapacks.[26] Megapacks can smooth out electric demand on the local power grid and use the stored Megapacks electricity during peak demand so there aren't excessive surcharges on electricity to charge the electric vehicles.[27]

Deployments

Completed

In November 2019, Tesla used a Megapack to power a mobile recharging station for Tesla electric vehicles in California.[28] The mobile Supercharger was reported to deliver 125 kW, and was transported on a flat trailer attached to a truck between deployment locations.[28]

In December 2019, Tesla delivered a 1.25 MW/2.5 MWh Megapack to the Millidgeville Substation in Saint John, Canada for peak shaving.[29][30] The battery is estimated to save owner Saint John Energy CA$200,000 per year.[31] It became operational on April 3, 2020.[32]

The 300 MW Victorian Big Battery stores 377 to 450 MWh[33] near Geelong constituted the largest battery in the southern hemisphere[34] The commissioning process resumed in late September after being halted due to a fire (see "Safety" below), and the lessons learned were applied to other batteries.[35] The battery was commissioned on time in December 2021, a year after contract,[36] with an estimated return on investment of 2.4.[37]

Strata Solar, an American commercial solar services provider engaged Tesla as the battery provider for a 100 MW/400 MWh energy storage facility in Ventura County, California, using 142 Megapacks.[38] The deployment replaced a natural-gas powered peaker power plant. In 2023 Strata announced its Scatter Wash project, a Megapack-powered 255 MW / 1 GWh project in Phoenix, Arizona.[11]

Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) operates a 182.5 MW / 730 MWh 256-Megapack system at Moss Landing, in Monterey County.[39][40][6][41]

Safety

Grid-scale battery standards and fire containment practices are at an early stage of development.[42]

Fire risks are one factor that has delayed the deployment of some utility energy storage systems. Battery fires cannot be extinguished with water, which is the primary firefighting technique in most communities. A fire in a single cell can cascade to others via thermal runaway, possibly in milliseconds, potentially creating a major hazard. [42]

Preventing fires involves multiple layers of protection. First, is to prevent fire in a single cell, by eliminating sparks and short circuits. However, grid-scale systems face potential problems such as coolant leaks and faulty installation. Venting flammable gases and improved insulation reduce cascade risks. Placing controls outside of the container gives more management options. Instead of suppressants, monitoring the situation while watering surrounding areas can help contain the fire. Sensors that track local weather conditions can help avoid overheating. Lithium-free designs with lower fire risks are possible.[42]

“Plume modeling” attempts to predict how gases from burning battery chemicals might travel. The gases produced vary across battery types, hydrogen fluoride (HF) are of particular concern even at low concentrations. A later plume analysis by Vistra reported that concentrations of HF above California exposure limits could spread across an area 1300 feet in diameter under wind conditions that occur 7 percent of the year.[42]

In Raquette Lake, New York, the town passed a one-year moratorium preventing battery installation in response to protests citing fires at three New York battery installations. Protestors cited a fire in Lyme New York that burned for four days.[42]

A Megapack ignited at PG&E's Moss Landing facility in September 2022. The fire led to a day-long shelter-in-place advisory. PG&E stated that safety measures included thermal alarms that can shut down the system, an incident command center, an audible evacuation alarm, pre-fire planning with local fire crews and emergency shut down protocols. Heat-suppression systems, intended to curb thermal runaway, were accidentally triggered, dousing batteries in water that caused arcing and short circuiting. The plant was shut down for months.[43] Vistra's third installation in Moss Landing adopted the outdoor container model instead of putting the racks under a single roof. (Vistra stated that the outdoor design was chosen to expedite construction.)[42][44]

In July 2021, one of the 212 Megapack modules at the Victorian Big Battery project caught fire[45] due to a coolant leak while the battery was unmonitored. That ignited the adjacent Megapack.[35] Three days later, the fire had burnt itself out as preferred by the fire department.[46][47][42]

A 50 MW / 100 MWh battery project using Tesla Megapack 2 is under construction in Bouldercombe near Rockhampton, Queensland.[48] The alternating current section caught fire in September 2023 and spread to the cells of one Megapack module, also damaging the adjacent module. Both modules are being replaced by Tesla. Other 36 modules were operational a couple of days later.[49]

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Castelvecchi, Davide (May 1, 2015). "Will Tesla's battery change the energy market?" (in en). Nature: nature.2015.17469. doi:10.1038/nature.2015.17469. ISSN 0028-0836. http://www.nature.com/articles/nature.2015.17469. 
  2. ↑ Lambert, Fred (January 23, 2017). "Tesla quietly brings online its massive – biggest in the world – 80 MWh Powerpack station with Southern California Edison" (in en-US). https://electrek.co/2017/01/23/tesla-mira-loma-powerpack-station-southern-california-edison/. 
  3. ↑ Wahlquist, Calla (September 27, 2018). "South Australia's Tesla battery on track to make back a third of cost in a year" (in en-GB). The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2018/sep/27/south-australias-tesla-battery-on-track-to-make-back-a-third-of-cost-in-a-year. 
  4. ↑ Normile, Dennis (July 7, 2017). "Tesla to build titanic battery facility". Science. doi:10.1126/science.aan7072. ISSN 0036-8075. https://www.science.org/content/article/tesla-build-titanic-battery-facility. 
  5. ↑ Lambert, Fred (October 30, 2018). "Tesla is working on a new 'Megapack' energy module at Gigafactory 1" (in en-US). https://electrek.co/2018/10/30/tesla-megapack-energy-module-gigafactory/. 
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 "Introducing Megapack: Utility-Scale Energy Storage" (in en-AU). July 29, 2019. https://www.tesla.com/en_AU/blog/introducing-megapack-utility-scale-energy-storage. 
  7. ↑ Campbell, Jason (September 23, 2021). "Lathrop Lands Tesla Mega Battery Plant". Mantica / Ripon Bulletin. https://www.mantecabulletin.com/news/local-news/lathrop-lands-tesla-mega-battery-plant/. 
  8. ↑ "Tesla ramps up hiring for Megafactory". September 8, 2022. https://motonewstoday.com/tesla-ramps-up-hiring-for-megafactory/55719/. 
  9. ↑ Lee-Jones, Sarah (September 22, 2021). "New Tesla Megafactory Breaks Ground in Lathrop, California". Tesla North. https://teslanorth.com/2021/09/22/new-tesla-megafactory-breaks-ground-in-lathrop-california/. 
  10. ↑ "Plus Power switches on 185 MW battery in Hawaii". 12 January 2024. https://renewablesnow.com/news/plus-power-switches-on-185-mw-battery-in-hawaii-845477/. 
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 Lambert, Fred (May 31, 2023). "Tesla to power new massive $500 million energy storage project". https://electrek.co/2023/05/31/tesla-power-massive-500-million-energy-storage-project/. 
  12. ↑ Shakir, Umar (2023-04-10). "Tesla’s next Megapack battery storage factory will be in Shanghai" (in en-US). https://www.theverge.com/2023/4/10/23676930/teslas-megafactory-megapack-shanghai-china-announcement. 
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 "Industrial Lithium-Ion Battery Emergency Response Guide". November 11, 2022. https://www.tesla.com/sites/default/files/downloads/Lithium-Ion_Battery_Emergency_Response_Guide_en.pdf. 
  14. ↑ Lambert, Fred (July 29, 2019). "Tesla launches its Megapack, a new massive 3 MWh energy storage product" (in en-US). https://electrek.co/2019/07/29/tesla-megapack-massive-energy-storage-product/. 
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 "ANNUAL REPORT ON FORM 10-K FOR THE YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31". https://ir.tesla.com/node/20456/html. 
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 16.2 16.3 "MITIGATED NEGATIVE DECLARATION". https://ceqanet.opr.ca.gov/2019079016/2/Attachment/cFUVBH. 
  17. ↑ O'Kane, Sean (July 29, 2019). "Tesla's Megapack battery is big enough to help grids handle peak demand" (in en). https://www.theverge.com/2019/7/29/20746170/tesla-megapack-battery-pge-storage-announced. 
  18. ↑ Tesla (March 18, 2022). "Megapack Maintenance Agreement". https://tesla-cdn.thron.com/static/TX9EDA_210714_Megapack_Web_Maintenance_Agreement__Clean_vF_EBL8HO.pdf?xseo=&response-content-disposition=inline%3Bfilename%3D%22megapack-web-maintenance-agreement.pdf%22. 
  19. ↑ https://www.tesmanian.com/blogs/tesmanian-blog/tesla-megapack-with-solar-canopy-launched-by-ninedot-energy-in-new-york
  20. ↑ Vorrath, Sophie (February 28, 2020). "World's largest Tesla megapack battery project approved for California" (in en-AU). https://reneweconomy.com.au/worlds-largest-tesla-megapack-battery-project-approved-for-california-14525/. 
  21. ↑ Krawczyk, Piotr; Śliwińska, Anna (March 16, 2020). "Eco-Efficiency Assessment of the Application of Large-Scale Rechargeable Batteries in a Coal-Fired Power Plant" (in en). Energies 13 (6): 1384. doi:10.3390/en13061384. ISSN 1996-1073. 
  22. ↑ Parkinson, Giles (November 5, 2019). "Lake Bonney battery charges up for first time in South Australia" (in en-AU). https://reneweconomy.com.au/lake-bonney-battery-charges-up-for-first-time-in-south-australia-37264/. 
  23. ↑ "Grid-Scale Battery Storage Frequently Asked Questions". https://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy19osti/74426.pdf. 
  24. ↑ 24.0 24.1 "U.S. Grid Energy Storage Factsheet | Center for Sustainable Systems". http://css.umich.edu/factsheets/us-grid-energy-storage-factsheet. 
  25. ↑ "Batteries vs pumped storage hydropower – a place for both?" (in en-AU). June 21, 2017. https://reneweconomy.com.au/batteries-vs-pumped-storage-hydropower-place-87554/. 
  26. ↑ "First Known Tesla V4 Supercharger with Solar Panels & Megapack Is Coming to Arizona". https://www.tesmanian.com/blogs/tesmanian-blog/first-known-tesla-v4-supercharger-with-solar-panels-and-megapack-is-coming-to-arizona. 
  27. ↑ https://chargedevs.com/newswire/new-tesla-v4-supercharger-site-to-feature-megapack-battery-storage-and-solar-generation/
  28. ↑ 28.0 28.1 Lambert, Fred (November 29, 2019). "Tesla deploys new mobile Supercharger powered by Megapack instead of diesel generators" (in en-US). https://electrek.co/2019/11/29/tesla-mobile-supercharger-megapack/. 
  29. ↑ "Saint John Energy adding money-saving battery power to its energy grid" (in en). https://globalnews.ca/news/6379160/saint-john-energy-adding-money-saving-battery-power-to-its-energy-grid/. 
  30. ↑ McCreadie, Danielle. "Saint John Energy Joins Partnership With Tesla" (in en). https://www.country94.ca/2019/08/26/saint-john-energy-joins-partnership-with-tesla/. 
  31. ↑ Lambert, Fred (March 9, 2020). "Tesla deploys new Megapack in Canada, could save small utility $200,000 per year" (in en-US). https://electrek.co/2020/03/09/tesla-megapack-canada-savings/. 
  32. ↑ "Saint John Energy" (in en). https://www.facebook.com/saintjohnenergy/posts/2882863735090856. 
  33. ↑ "The Victorian Big Battery Q&A". Victorian Government. November 5, 2020. https://www.energy.vic.gov.au/renewable-energy/the-victorian-big-battery/the-victorian-big-battery-q-and-a. 
  34. ↑ "Victoria to house largest battery in southern hemisphere" (in en-AU). November 5, 2020. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-11-05/new-tesla-battery-for-moorabool-victoria/12851698. 
  35. ↑ 35.0 35.1 Parkinson, Giles (September 27, 2021). "Australia's biggest battery given all clear after Tesla Megapack fire investigation" (in en-AU). https://reneweconomy.com.au/australias-biggest-battery-given-all-clear-after-tesla-megapack-fire-investigation/. 
  36. ↑ Parkinson, Giles (December 7, 2021). "Australia's biggest battery officially opened, 12 months after contract awarded" (in en-AU). https://reneweconomy.com.au/australias-biggest-battery-officially-opened-12-months-after-contract-awarded/. 
  37. ↑ Colthorpe, Andy (December 8, 2021). "Victorian Big Battery: Australia's biggest battery storage system at 450MWh, is online". https://www.energy-storage.news/victorian-big-battery-australias-biggest-battery-storage-system-at-450mwh-is-online/. 
  38. ↑ Fox, Eva (December 18, 2021). "142 Tesla Megapacks Replace Fossil Fuel-Powered Peaker Plant in California, Shows Company Video" (in en). https://www.tesmanian.com/blogs/tesmanian-blog/142-tesla-megapacks-replace-fossil-fuel-powered-peaker-plant-in-california-shows-companys-video. 
  39. ↑ Lambert, Fred (June 29, 2018). "Tesla and PG&E are working on a massive 'up to 1.1 GWh' Powerpack battery system" (in en-US). https://electrek.co/2018/06/29/tesla-pge-giant-1-gwh-powerpack-battery-system/. 
  40. ↑ Lambert, Fred (February 27, 2020). "Tesla's massive 1GWh Megapack battery project with PG&E is approved" (in en-US). https://electrek.co/2020/02/27/tesla-1gwh-megapack-battery-project-pge-approved/. 
  41. ↑ "California ISO – A golden age of energy storage". June 14, 2022. http://www.caiso.com/about/Pages/Blog/Posts/A-golden-age-of-energy-storage.aspx. 
  42. ↑ 42.0 42.1 42.2 42.3 42.4 42.5 42.6 Barber, Gregory. "Big Batteries Are Booming. So Are Fears They'll Catch Fire" (in en-US). Wired. ISSN 1059-1028. https://www.wired.com/story/big-grid-batteries-are-booming-so-are-fears-fire/. 
  43. ↑ Balderas, Christian (2022-09-22). "Residents left worried after PG&E's Tesla-powered battery plant catches fire." (in en). https://www.ksbw.com/article/moss-landing-residents-worried-for-their-safety-after-pgandes-tesla-battery-fire/41323388. 
  44. ↑ Murray, Cameron (September 21, 2022). "Fire at PG&E's Tesla battery storage facility in Moss Landing under control, authorities lift closures". https://www.energy-storage.news/fire-at-pges-tesla-battery-storage-facility-in-moss-landing-under-control-authorities-lift-closures/. 
  45. ↑ "Fire breaks out at giant battery project near Geelong" (in en-AU). July 30, 2021. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-07-30/tesla-battery-fire-moorabool-geelong/100337488. 
  46. ↑ Parkinson, Giles (August 1, 2021). "Tesla Megapack still burning, no word if any delays to Victoria Big Battery" (in en-AU). RenewEconomy. https://reneweconomy.com.au/tesla-megapack-still-burning-no-word-if-any-delays-to-victoria-big-battery/. "no point trying to put the fire out, merely contain it and stop it from spreading to other containers" 
  47. ↑ Morgan, Lucy Battersby, Cassandra (August 2, 2021). "Blaze at Tesla Big Battery extinguished after three days" (in en). https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/blaze-at-tesla-big-battery-extinguished-after-three-day-battle-for-control-20210802-p58f6x.html. 
  48. ↑ "50MW/100MWh Bouldercombe Battery Project" (in en-AU). https://genexpower.com.au/bouldercombe-battery-project/. 
  49. ↑ Peacock, Bella (7 November 2023). "Queensland Bouldercombe battery fire ignited on grid side, not within Megapack, analysis finds" (in en-AU). https://www.pv-magazine-australia.com/2023/11/07/queensland-bouldercombe-battery-fire-ignited-on-grid-side-not-within-megapack-analysis-finds/. 

External links



Retrieved from "https://handwiki.org/wiki/index.php?title=Engineering:Tesla_Megapack&oldid=3230947"