Supercharger - Memphis, TN

[mikes_fsd]

My understanding is that the usually fenced in part of the supercharger site contains inverters to convert the AC from the grid to DC where it is then stored in battery packs. When a car is charged, DC electricity is transferred from the site's battery packs directly into the car's packs. What is your understanding?

Aside from maybe a couple test Supercharger locations in Cali, none of the existing superchargers have "on site" battery packs.
You are correct, that the fenced in part holds the inverter cabinets that - in real time - take AC from the grid and convert to DC for the car, based on the demand (i.e. cars hooked up for charging)

Each cabinet powers/services 2 charging stalls.

 

[Rocky_H]

My understanding is that the usually fenced in part of the supercharger site contains inverters to convert the AC from the grid to DC where it is then stored in battery packs. When a car is charged, DC electricity is transferred from the site's battery packs directly into the car's packs. What is your understanding?

My "understanding" is that I KNOW most of the sites do not have any battery packs. You know how there is the charging unit in the car that converts for instance the 240V and 40A of AC electricity into the DC to put into the battery pack? They use those exact same units, stacked and wired together (12 of the 10kW units that the car uses) to convert the very high power AC electricity from the electric grid to connect to all of the charging stalls. It is those stacked charging units in housings with some cooling equipment that is the stuff enclosed in the wooden fencing. That is actually what is in there.

 

[flyeyes]

Stopped by twice today. Concrete placed, steel verticles for walls in place, hand digging tunnel to pole / feed, backfilling all the other trenches. Sorry, no time to photo today. Will tomorrow.

Here ya go

 

[johngratcliff]

Thanks to both of you for the correction. I am not sure exactly where I got my information (probably from the blog at what is now tesla.com a couple of years ago, but I am not sure). I am sure I didn't just make it up. In any case, the breakdown of the items to be constructed remains the same with the correction about the internals of the fenced in area. The reason I provided that was because some individuals bird dogging the construction sites fail to photograph one or more of the items which makes it hard for reader-viewers to gauge the construction progress.

New question: At one time Tesla stated that it was planning to put back into the grid an equal amount of electricity as the amount taken out of the grid when a car was charged and that replacement electricity was to be from solar (or perhaps some other renewable source. Do you know whether that is being done? And do you know whether Tesla still plans to add solar panels at or near supercharger sites where feasible? I believe that was an early plan as well.

 

[mikes_fsd]

New question: At one time Tesla stated that it was planning to put back into the grid an equal amount of electricity as the amount taken out of the grid when a car was charged and that replacement electricity was to be from solar (or perhaps some other renewable source. Do you know whether that is being done? And do you know whether Tesla still plans to add solar panels at or near supercharger sites where feasible? I believe that was an early plan as well.

Some superchargers have solar canopies over the stalls that generate electricity (probably on a net-metering setup). As I mentioned before, there was a pilot supercharger station that Tesla was going to Test with batter storage for the solar setup, not sure what happened to that one.

 

[Rocky_H]

New question: At one time Tesla stated that it was planning to put back into the grid an equal amount of electricity as the amount taken out of the grid when a car was charged and that replacement electricity was to be from solar (or perhaps some other renewable source. Do you know whether that is being done? And do you know whether Tesla still plans to add solar panels at or near supercharger sites where feasible? I believe that was an early plan as well.

I do remember when that was stated, but I think it has fallen to the back burner, with so many other things going on, so I do not believe they have gotten around to it yet. I'm not going to make any predictions of whether they will eventually follow through on that.

 

[flyeyes]

I guess it would help if I actually uploaded the pics

 

[CSFTN]

Adding to the photos of flyeyes ...
At 6 PM: conduit thru to sidewalk:

Markings show fiber optic cables run under sidewalk. So, it will be interesting to see how they make the connection.


Superchargers and switching cabinets INSTALLED, on concrete, as viewed from street:

View from South side, install in profile. Note that the conduit is run for the transfer, and all poles in place, awaiting concrete for transformer:

View from parking lot:

They are still working, looks like they are getting ready for concrete pour for the transformer pad. Lastly, to be clear, no batteries or solar at this location.

Sorry about the blurry pictures, overcast near sunset and to be honest, I try not to make a spectacle of myself. When they are working, I get in and get out quickly.

 

[TMC Bubba]

My understanding is that the usually fenced in part of the supercharger site contains inverters to convert the AC from the grid to DC where it is then stored in battery packs. When a car is charged, DC electricity is transferred from the site's battery packs directly into the car's packs. What is your understanding?

Negative on those battery packs, that doesn't make sense. Can you cite your source?

 

[johngratcliff]

Negative on those battery packs, that doesn't make sense. Can you cite your source?

I conceded this point earlier in the thread. I also indicated that I wasn't sure what my source was, but that I was sure I hadn't made it up. Finally, a version of this arrangement, according to others in this thread, has been used but very infrequently.

 

[CSFTN]

Once, again, not great pictures ( I had to pick up child). But, at 755 AM Saturday Oct 22 2016, they had the guts of the connectors installed, and were running wires thru the conduits - I missed the electricians in these pictures, but they were over by the transformer pad pulling wire off a tractor.

I did notice that there remains no actual connection to the service feed at the street. The feed and the station remain separated by the sidewalk, and the buried fiber optic cables there. But, this was before 8 AM today. I bet they finished that off today.

 

[theslimshadyist]

This is exciting and thank you again @CSFTN for all of the wonderful build-out updates with pics!

 

[CSFTN]

Sunday morning update. Looking good ...

About to install privacy fencing?

Profile view:

Security screws not yet installed:

No connection to power service yet:

Surprisingly, no concrete pad for the transformer, yet. Maybe it will sit directly on the ground?

135 kW chargers, not some newer and improved models (from what I can tell):

 

[gallen511]

Sunday morning update. Looking good ...
View attachment 199744


About to install privacy fencing?
View attachment 199745

Profile view:
View attachment 199746

Security screws not yet installed:
View attachment 199747

No connection to power service yet:
View attachment 199750

Surprisingly, no concrete pad for the transformer, yet. Maybe it will sit directly on the ground?
View attachment 199749

135 kW chargers, not some newer and improved models (from what I can tell):
View attachment 199748

Looks like they are on track to be complete within a couple weeks. I hope so planning a trip through Memphis next month...

 

[corlow]

Question: I took a few road trips in my S over the summer. Some SC require you to pull in fwd while a majority require you back in. Anyone know why? Is simple because some site don't have appropriate space?

 

[HillCountryFun]

Sunday morning update. Looking good ...
View attachment 199744


About to install privacy fencing?
View attachment 199745

Profile view:
View attachment 199746

Security screws not yet installed:
View attachment 199747

No connection to power service yet:
View attachment 199750

Surprisingly, no concrete pad for the transformer, yet. Maybe it will sit directly on the ground?
View attachment 199749

135 kW chargers, not some newer and improved models (from what I can tell):
View attachment 199748

How long has the nameplate said Supercharger II?

 

[Ric2014]

This is off topic, but several people have posted comments indicating interest in battery-backed SC installations. Here are a couple of pictures taken of the solar powered SC in Barstow, Cal. We charged there one night in September, 2015 and noted that the SoCal Edison meter box was still blanked off, so at that time the station was fully operational using solar energy. I've included a couple of pics of the station so you can see the difference in configuration.

 

[mikes_fsd]

This is off topic, but several people have posted comments indicating interest in battery-backed SC installations. Here are a couple of pictures taken of the solar powered SC in Barstow, Cal. We charged there one night in September, 2015 and noted that the SoCal Edison meter box was still blanked off, so at that time the station was fully operational using solar energy. I've included a couple of pics of the station so you can see the difference in configuration. View attachment 199923 View attachment 199924

Thank you for posting this, I knew these were out there, but have not heard or seen any updates lately.

 

[jdo]

Question: I took a few road trips in my S over the summer. Some SC require you to pull in fwd while a majority require you back in. Anyone know why? Is simple because some site don't have appropriate space?

I don't know how the decision is made at any one particular station. The pull-ins have the advantage that you can have something like a bike rack. The back-ins can be easily cleared in case of snow.

There are probably other pros and cons of each configuration that people can come up with.

 

[Ad_Astra]

I don't know how the decision is made at any one particular station. The pull-ins have the advantage that you can have something like a bike rack. The back-ins can be easily cleared in case of snow.

There are probably other pros and cons of each configuration that people can come up with.

From what I hear, it has to do with permitting issues.