Tesla batteries will help power California office buildings
Tesla is about to prove that its energy storage batteries aren't just meant for saving money (and possibly, the environment) at home. The Irvine Company plans to outfit office buildings across California with Tesla battery farms that, in an initial phase, will both reduce electricity demand at peak hours and give Southern California Edison up to 10 megawatts of reserve power. That's enough to light up 10,000 homes, folks. Up to 24 buildings in Irvine will get the upgrade in this first wave, and there are hints of more in the long run.
This is just one deal in a very large state, and Tesla may have a fight ahead as it competes with energy storage rivals like Bloom Energy. Even so, it suggests that Elon Musk and crew could play a significant role in modernizing California's power grid and hastening the state's shift to clean energy sources. If buildings can already store the energy they don't use and feed some of it back to the grid, it's that much easier for building owners and utilities to switch to green tech that makes better use of batteries.
