World's Largest Battery Is Turned On In Australia As Tesla Ties Into Power Grid

[Quantum]

Worth it?

"South Australian taxpayers will be subsidizing its operation with up to $50 million over the next 10 years," ABC reports.

The battery can store enough energy to power around 30,000 homes for more than an hour. But officials are hoping it can help stabilize the system and ease the power load during peak demand — key goals in South Australia, where the entire state endured a blackout in September 2016.

(via npr: World's Largest Battery Is Turned On In Australia As Tesla Ties Into Power Grid http://n.pr/2iwlQ1m)

[Graeme]

My guess is that it will not work. SA will still run into at least one major power blackout this summer.

Australia's electricity system has been degraded and destabilised over the last few decades by decision makers who have no real understanding of the technologies they are dealing with.

More blackouts will need to be experienced before people begin to admit they may have made some rash and ill-informed decisions.

[Ian]

I can't see any really good reason to build such a thing, unless you are preparing for very large scale solar power, and intend to use it as a buffer through the night. I think that would be a very bad idea.

[Graeme]

In the event of a state wide power outage like last summer, the battery would last less than 2 minutes before discharging.