By Katie Fehrenbacher, Fortune
Tesla’s batteries aren’t just for cars anymore. They’ll be used in battery farms at buildings around California. A big real estate developer and a well-connected tech startup have a plan to install batteries from electric car company Tesla at office buildings in a Los Angeles suburb.
On Monday, developer The Irvine Company and startup Advanced Microgrid Solutions announced that they plan to build large battery farms —each the size of about five parking spaces—at buildings in Irvine, Calif. The startup’s software can switch the buildings to battery power when electricity demand on the power grid is high like during hot summer afternoons when air conditioners are blasting. This relieves some of the stress on the power grid during peak times.
The deal is part of Advanced Microgrid Solution’s work with the local utility Southern California Edison to provide it with the equivalent of 50 megawatts of battery systems. As part of that, Advanced Microgrid Solutions plans to install about 10 megawatts of batteries in Irvine in 2016. Ten megawatts is enough energy to power about 10,000 homes.