SpaceX to increase capacity of Tesla Powerpack solar panels and batteries at its Starbase – pv magazine USA

May 9, 2022Ryan Kennedy

Based at its star base in Boca Chico, Texas, SpaceX is expanding its own solar and energy storage facilities to support operations. The project will add 750 kW of Trina solar modules and approximately 4 MW of battery power from Tesla Powerpack batteries.

In total, the site will increase by 1.7 hectares, increasing capacity by about 30% and expanding the total area of ​​the array to about 7.1 hectares. Upon completion, the system will become a 1.6 MW solar facility with a rechargeable battery capacity of up to 8 MW. It is expected that the accumulation of battery energy will help with the periodic cycles of solar photovoltaic generation and provide additional services such as reducing peak demand for SpaceX.

Powerpack Tesla

Tesla has been building integrated battery systems for over fifteen years, and the Powerpack is a large-scale analogue of the Tesla PowerWall home battery. Batteries are modular and range from small commercial to largest utility projects. Each unit contains 16 separate batteries, each with an isolated DC-DC converter. The architecture of the pods makes it easy to swap places, Tesla said.

Powerpacks have been deployed worldwide, running more than 2 GWh of deployment. The internal temperature of liquid cooling and heating allows you to accurately control the temperature. The dual cooling and refrigerant circuit system, adapted from the Tesla Model S, provides improved efficiency over air cooling, the company said.

The Powerpack has 380 to 480 V and three phases. Each battery can provide up to 130 kW of AC power up to 232 kW. The scaled power of the inverter ranges from 70 kVA to 700 kVA at 480 V. The company reports efficiencies of 88% for two-hour applications and 89.5% for four-hour applications.

The battery is designed to operate from -22 F to 122 F, has a housing designed for a wide range of environments, and has nationally accredited certificates in accordance with international safety, EMC, utilities and environmental legislation. Each Powerpack measures 50.9 x 38.1 x 86.1 inches and weighs 4,847 pounds. The inverter measures 41.1 x 54.9 x 86.2 inches and weighs 2,470 pounds.

One Tesla Powerpack customer, Advanced Microgrid Services (AMS), installed 16 Powerpacks on its building to reach peak levels and conserve power. The project was 1.5 MW / g / 250 kW.

“At AMS, we need state-of-the-art energy storage to use more than a million square feet of building load to power the grid. Tesla Energy has consistently provided excellent reliability and technological innovation in our projects, ”AMS said.