Tesla Is Powering Buildings As Well As Cars

A U.K. property company is planning to use battery technology from Elon Musk’s Tesla to power one of its buildings and eliminate its energy costs.

Industrial developer IM Properties is planning to use Tesla technology at its 69K SF HUB69 building in the West Midlands.

It is one of the first times the technology will be used in a U.K. building, and is being used as a case study by Tesla as to how its technology can save tenants money as well as save the planet.

Tesla said the technology will give the building an energy performance rating of A+ and essentially make it energy cost neutral. IM said this would save an occupier £37K/year, which could feed through to an increased capital value for the building.

Photovoltaic cell panels on the roof will send power to Tesla Powerpack batteries, which will either go immediately to powering the building, or store energy for use at night or on the rare occasions when the sun is not shining in the U.K.

"In reality, this means that the main electricity supply will largely be used for backup only," a spokeswoman for Tesla said.

“It is practical. If you can say to someone, your cost of electricity is X, but if you have this technology and this package your cost comes down to zero, that is quite a compelling argument," IM U.K. Development Director Kevin Ashfield told Estates Gazette. "We have certainly dealt with people, such as John Lewis, where sustainability is important. If they had the choice of two buildings … If the two were like for like, I know which one I would go for, all things being equal.”

Other buildings around the world are also using Tesla battery technology.

Home of MLS’s LA Galaxy, the StubHub Center uses a Tesla system to help the stadium manage energy costs and reduce its impact on the Southern California power grid. The system enables StubHub to store electricity during off-peak times, when the grid is more capable and favours delivering excess electricity, then discharges to the stadium during peak evening hours when the grid is under its heaviest load.

The Singita Lebombo and Sweni Lodges in Kruger National Park, South Africa, have an off-grid Powerpack system tied to on-site solar panels from SolarAfrica and will ensure that electricity for the lodges is generated locally, efficiently and sustainably from renewable energy.

Further reading: Elon Musk Wants To Add Storage Units To Solar Buildings