Will Tesla Solar power Ta'u in American Samoa?

Tesla has announced their solar panels are nearly entirely powering the island of Ta'u in American Samoa. The island used to depend entirely on imported diesel fuel for its electricity, but a new initiative has seen the islanders build a 1.4-megawatt microgrid that absorbs and stores solar power for all their energy needs.

How much solar power does American Samoa have?

In 2021, solar power accounted for about 11% of American Samoa’s electricity generating capacity. American Samoa is less than 1,000 miles south of the equator and has abundant solar energy resources.

How much does electricity cost in American Samoa?

Electricity prices in American Samoa vary with world petroleum prices. In 2021, the territory's average electricity price was more than 31 cents per kilowatthour, about 3 times higher than the U.S. average.

How many solar panels does Ta'u have?

In 2016, the founders of Maui, Hawaii-based company Mana Pacific helped design and implement Ta’u’s solar-energy microgrid composed of over 5,300 solar panels. This vast solar farm amounts to 1.4 megawatts of power generation capacity.

How much power does a solar farm have?

This vast solar farm amounts to 1.4 megawatts of power generation capacity. Six megawatt-hours of battery storage and load balancing systems enable the microgrid to store excess energy for deployment when the sun isn’t shining. As a result, the island can stay powered for three full days with no sunlight.