Can Tesla power its charging stations with solar arrays?

[Big Earl]

Which means on a 8 hour day I get to charge around 6 cars? With angle of sun and other efficiency losses, it is probably even less

That's only two out of the five arrays, but you're general observation is correct - the solar arrays are not capable of replacing the grid at Tesla's Supercharger stations even on the sunniest of days. This will be particularly interesting when it comes to the semi and Megachargers since Elon claims that they'll be sun-powered. I expect them to be grid-tied just like Supercharger stations. The solar panels will help reduce the peak, but they aren't enough to offset the entire operation unless you're attaching acres of panels to a charging location. Who knows - that might be exactly what they plan on doing.

 

[Pollux]

Electricity, sunlight and money are all fungible.

The grid is a major asset.

Tesla could... put up panels overhead and around a charging site. Could put up a solar array in some unused acres not far away. Could do some kind of power purchasing agreement with an otherwise-endangered nuclear facility (or, if you prefer, instead of nuclear read "new humongous solar and/or wind array") on one side of the state and take it out of the grid on the other side.

Alan

 

[Electroman]

This will be particularly interesting when it comes to the semi and Megachargers since Elon claims that they'll be sun-powered.

This is where Elon loses credibility, when he says things like that. I was cringing when I heard him say during the truck unveil that , "Tesla trucks through Megacharger will be powered by Sun". Really Elon? I understand we are all sheep, but even for sheep it is just too much of a claim.

But you cant haul him in a court for that statement. After all all energy including fossil fuels are in a way powered by our sun.

 

[chateauoaks]

That's only two out of the five arrays, but you're general observation is correct - the solar arrays are not capable of replacing the grid at Tesla's Supercharger stations even on the sunniest of days. This will be particularly interesting when it comes to the semi and Megachargers since Elon claims that they'll be sun-powered. I expect them to be grid-tied just like Supercharger stations. The solar panels will help reduce the peak, but they aren't enough to offset the entire operation unless you're attaching acres of panels to a charging location. Who knows - that might be exactly what they plan on doing.

This is exactly what I don't understand. Certainly if you covered the entire footprint of the property (or close to it) you would more than double the power generated. Cemented I-beams are more than strong enough to secure them from the wind and, personally, I don't think they'd be unsightly and may even look better than the boring, conventional, angled parking lot arrays. I have attached a photo of a parking structure rooftop in Austin. Where am I wrong on this?

 

[Big Earl]

That's only two out of the five arrays, but you're general observation is correct - the solar arrays are not capable of replacing the grid at Tesla's Supercharger stations even on the sunniest of days. This will be particularly interesting when it comes to the semi and Megachargers since Elon claims that they'll be sun-powered. I expect them to be grid-tied just like Supercharger stations. The solar panels will help reduce the peak, but they aren't enough to offset the entire operation unless you're attaching acres of panels to a charging location. Who knows - that might be exactly what they plan on doing.

Your, not you’re.

 

[Rocky_H]

Electricity, sunlight and money are all fungible.

Absolutely this. Generating the net amount of energy the charging stations use is the goal, not a requirement that they be vertically above the stalls. A net metering agreement that works out close to break even accomplishes what they want to do.
*Side note* "fungible" is a fantastic word everyone should familiarize themselves with, partly just because it sounds cool, but also because it's very important and practical with respect to opportunity cost in personal finance. I've heard things when people don't get this idea of the fungibility of money, where they say things about how this money was from a side job or overtime, so it's different than that money that they need to budget toward things. Also, spending all comes from the same pool and relates to opportunity cost. Money spent on cigarettes or lattes is money you don't have to save for an emergency fund or retirement.

 

[Lloyd]

Solar panels don't necessarily have to be on site. Remote net metering allows electricity generated at one location to be applied against electricity across the grid at another location.

 

[mspohr]

This is where Elon loses credibility, when he says things like that. I was cringing when I heard him say during the truck unveil that , "Tesla trucks through Megacharger will be powered by Sun". Really Elon? I understand we are all sheep, but even for sheep it is just too much of a claim.

But you cant haul him in a court for that statement. After all all energy including fossil fuels are in a way powered by our sun.

That's the difference between you and Elon and it's why Elon is a successful multibillionaire. You have a stunted imagination.
He didn't say "powered by solar panels on the roof of the truck" or "powered by solar panels at the Megacharger station". Elon understands better than you how much power is required for the Megacharger and he has no illusions about powering it at the site. He does happen to own a company which makes and installs solar panels and one which makes battery storage so it's easy to arrange enough solar power to power the Megacharger.

 

[Electroman]

Oh I know.. you can always put solar panels in Mojave desert and feed it to the grid with clean electrons, to offset the dirty electrons the Trucks will be consuming. A similar concept called Community solar has been implemented in Vermont.

 

[arnis]

But you cant haul him in a court for that statement. After all all energy including fossil fuels are in a way powered by our sun.

Good point

Though we can be sure Supercharging in the middle of city can't be totally locally powered.
There is no room for solar arrays as there are businesses all around.
Though if Megachargers are in-the-middle-of nothing, that could happen.
As those chargers likely will also have lot's of buffering Powerpacks, it will make economical sense as well.
One truckfull of electrocity requires 800 regular solar panels. Two trucks per day 1600 regular panels.
Ten truckfulls of juice requires just 8000 panels.

So, 800 panels look like this, remember, one truckfull of juice, summer only

 

[Electroman]

Given that the efficiency of solar cells have only marginally increased over the last decade, and is not expected to double or so in the near future, the number of panels required to, say, charge up 20 trucks in a day is simply GINORMOUS. A football field size may be? One is, getting space to install it near by to feed your powerwalls, two is the cost of it.

You can get around the space by doing 'community solar', but thats not the same as saying, 'Tesla trucks are powered by the Sun'. The correct way to phrase it is, 'We will offset the CO2 emissions of our truck's energy production'.

Playing loose with the words..?

 

[mspohr]

Given that the efficiency of solar cells have only marginally increased over the last decade, and is not expected to double or so in the near future, the number of panels required to, say, charge up 20 trucks in a day is simply GINORMOUS. A football field size may be? One is, getting space to install it near by to feed your powerwalls, two is the cost of it.

You can get around the space by doing 'community solar', but thats not the same as saying, 'Tesla trucks are powered by the Sun'. The correct way to phrase it is, 'We will offset the CO2 emissions of our truck's energy production'.

Playing loose with the words..?

Nothing to do with "offset CO2". There is no CO2 from solar. You're conflating concepts.
None of us knows the details now but as long as you put the same amount of electricity from solar into the grid as the trucks take out, you're powering the trucks with solar.
I power my Tesla with solar 100%. I put much more solar power into the grid than the car uses. My solar power displaces dirty electricity 100%.

 

[Electroman]

Nothing to do with "offset CO2". There is no CO2 from solar

Is that what you understood on what i was trying to say in my post? sigh..

 

[mspohr]

Is that what you understood on what i was trying to say in my post? sigh..

That is what you said in your post.

 

[Electroman]

Please google on 'community solar'.

Solar panels don't necessarily have to be on site. Remote net metering allows electricity generated at one location to be applied against electricity across the grid at another location.

I put much more solar power into the grid than the car uses

These are all good things and achieve more or less the net end result as powering your home or truck directly from your solar panels - but that is not the same as saying 'my house/truck is powered by the sun'. Because your neighbor can claim the same, that your panels are powering his house.

 

[mspohr]

Please google on 'community solar'.





These are all good things and achieve more or less the net end result as powering your home or truck directly from your solar panels - but that is not the same as saying 'my house/truck is powered by the sun'. Because your neighbor can claim the same, that your panels are powering his house.

Can't claim the same power twice. It's my power, not his.
My solar energy powers my car wherever I am.

 

[igotzzoom]

I am a big proponent and fan of solar technology. With current efficiencies, yes, it would be impractical to cover the power needs of superchargers with on-site solar. Will that always be the case? Who knows. Could superchargers be 100% renewable-powered? Yes, but it would be dependent on off-site generation with current technologies.

 

[GreenT]

Your, not you’re.

The solar panels will help reduce the peak, but they aren't enough to offset the entire operation unless you're attaching acres of panels t

Did I miss a joke? Big Earl ... he had it correct. It is you're. As in replace you're with you are.

but they aren't enough to offset the entire operation unless you are attaching acres of panels

 

[Big Earl]

Please google on 'community solar'.





These are all good things and achieve more or less the net end result as powering your home or truck directly from your solar panels - but that is not the same as saying 'my house/truck is powered by the sun'. Because your neighbor can claim the same, that your panels are powering his house.

Right. The neighbor would need to purchase your RECs to say that his power came from your panels. That would also mean that your panels effectively powered the neighbor's house instead of your own (assuming all energy produced by the panels was sold to the neighbor via RECs).

Similarly, if Tesla intends to power their Megachargers from off-site solar installations, they will need to apply those RECs generated by the solar installations to the energy used by the Megachargers.

The solar panels will help reduce the peak, but they aren't enough to offset the entire operation unless you're attaching acres of panels t

Did I miss a joke? Big Earl ... he had it correct. It is you're. As in replace you're with you are.

but they aren't enough to offset the entire operation unless you are attaching acres of panels

That's only two out of the five arrays, but you're general observation is correct. I quoted myself and corrected a misspelling that I couldn't edit.

 

[scaesare]

Solar panels don't necessarily have to be on site. Remote net metering allows electricity generated at one location to be applied against electricity across the grid at another location.

Yup.

And I'm 97.32% positive I heard Elon actually say something to this effect back during the supercharger unveiling days a few years back, but I've looked and I'll be darned if I can find it again.