Vector installs Asia Pacific’s first grid-connected Tesla Powerpack

Case Studies Innovation




Background:

Auckland is in an era of huge growth. In a typical week, there are 825 new residents and 278 new dwellings required1. To support this growth, Auckland is investing in infrastructure, from transport to housing to energy distribution networks. 

The Challenge:
Growth in and around Glen Innes in East Auckland meant that the existing power supply was being put under pressure, and increased capacity was required. 

Traditionally this would have involved an upgrade to the existing substation, but new technology meant there were more options to consider to provide the most cost efficient and future-proofed solution.


Vector’s Solution:
Vector’s solution was to install Asia Pacific’s first grid-connected Tesla Powerpack at Glen Innes substation, which opened on 20th October 2016.

This solution allows us to continue to provide a secure, reliable power supply and defer a conventional and costly upgrade to the substation. The technology is modular and moveable, so the Powerpack can be relocated to another site if future growth in Glen Innes means a conventional network upgrade is required. 

The battery stores energy during low demand and discharges during high demand to even out demand curves (peak shaving). 

Battery Specifications:
Tesla Powerpack totalling 1MW/2.3MWh – the equivalent of powering 450 average homes for 2.3 hours.  

Results:



Reduction of peak demand

In the first 6 months, the Glen Innes Substation shaved peak demand for well over 90 days, during which the battery discharged energy equivalent to 37 times its rated capacity.



Cost effectiveness

The Powerpack installation resulted in 70% cost savings ($5 million vs. $12 million of conventional upgrade) Upgrading the substation at this time may have resulted in stranded assets and wasted investment. These savings are to the benefit of all Auckland electricity lines customers as they are re-invested back into the network.

        

 

Future learnings

Since deployment, large amounts of usage data have been collected allowing us to fine-tune the system to perform in different modes, depending on what is best suited to demand patterns at the time. The data gathered in this ‘real world’ deployment is also used in future scenario modelling.

       
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What makes it unique

This is Asia Pacific’s first grid scale Tesla Powerpack battery storage system to be integrated into a public electricity network. 
 

The opening of the first grid level Tesla Powerpack in Asia Pacific at the Glen Innes substation, October 2016:

Vector installs first grid level Tesla Powerpack in Asia Pacific from Vector Ltd on Vimeo.