A Tesla Battery Storage Facility Ignites – IOTW Report

A Tesla Battery Storage Facility Ignites

electrek

A Tesla Megapack has caught on fire at a giant battery project operated by PG&E in Monterey County in California.

In April, PG&E launched the Elkhorn Battery Storage facility in Monterey County, the largest Tesla Megapack project to date. The project consists of 256 Tesla Megapack battery units on 33 concrete slabs for a total capacity of 730 MWh.

Early this morning, a fire was reported at the facility, and PG&E confirmed the fire originated in one of the Tesla Megapack.

Fortunately, the safety systems worked, and the fire didn’t propagate to other battery packs. More

10 Comments on A Tesla Battery Storage Facility Ignites

  1. I guess the batteries got too hot. Maybe they should crank-up the AC. I recently bought a Dewalt 60 volt lithium battery for some power tools. The instructions warn that the battery must be stored below 104 degrees F. What the hell? How hot does the average contractor’s tool box get on a summer day?

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  2. that’s the major problem w/ storage batteries … the need to keep them charged.
    most electrical distribution stations & substations use a substantial number of batteries to ensure trip capacity & reset capability for main station circuit breakers & other critical sub-circuit breakers.
    back in my Electrical Technician days w/ a major Water/Wastewater utility, we would, as a routine maintenance procedure … every month!, service the batteries in all the major plants & water/wastewater pumping stations, taking reading, testing trip capacity & ensuring the batteries were maintaining a ‘trickle charge’ to assure proper voltage was always maintained.
    even then, a lot of $$$ spent for maintaining a backup storage system

    of course, the chargers ran on AC current

    today, huge battery storage systems are also maintained because wind & solar systems are unreliable & must have back-up capacity in order to produce reliable power w/ minor fluctuations. electrical systems cannot run when the voltage fluctuates more or less than a certain percentage. it will damage the equipment that runs of a set voltage.
    in your house the voltage usually fluctuates between 150 & 80 volts, hence the 120V

    gotta admire & understand why Musk is the world’s richest man … he gets Kali govm’nt to foot the bill for experimenting on his battery systems … all the while buying his product … genius

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  3. I think we ALL appreciate advancements in technology that benefit mankind but this whole battery based power infrastructure concept, along with mass EV deployment, sure seems to be heading us down a path of utter failure.

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