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Sunday, October 6, 2019

Tesla / Solar City battery system installed on the island of Ta’u

From an analysis 
by Roger Andrews, of a 
Tesla/Solar City system 
installed on the island 
of Ta’u. 

The island is in 
American Samoa, 
near the equator. 

It received a grant 
for solar panels, 
plus 3-day battery 
backup, to provide 
electricity for 
the tiny island. 

Any outages longer 
than 3 days would be
handled by a diesel 
generator. 

Adding just a 3-day battery 
backup, more than doubled 
the cost of the solar panels.

That cost does NOT 
include at least one set 
of replacement batteries, 
likely to be needed 
during the lifetime 
of the system. 

On Ta’u, which is 
near the equator, 
even with the
diesel power backup, 
the solar system was 
designed to produce 
40% more power than 
the island's average 
daily needs for
electricity.

Other areas, not near the
equator, are likely to need
even more surplus 
solar energy capacity.