Tesla, the electric car manufacturer and solar panel developer, will power an entire community of several thousand people in 2017…with batteries. Located just south of Melbourne’s city center, the suburb of YarraBend, Australia, will feature Tesla’s Powerwall technology that incorporates rooftop solar panels to gather energy that is then stored in the home’s battery packs.
The Tesla philosophy centers on harnessing solar energy to the financial and environmental benefit of all and this project is a testament to this belief. YarraBend will be one of the most environmentally sustainable communities on earth, with a water reduction of 43 percent, landfill reduced by 80 percent and the potential to reduce energy use by 34 percent compared to other Australian communities.
“The Powerwalls…will mean that future residents will be able to benefit in a variety of ways, including dramatically smaller power bills and knowing that the majority of their energy usage is coming from a clean and renewable source,” says Danni Addison, Chief Executive of the Urban Development Institute of Australia.
The first round of homes are expensive by comparison to other homes in Australia, but forthcoming townhomes will be more affordable to more people. Tesla’s goal is to produce this technology in such quantities that battery-powered homes become the industry standard, reducing our dependence on fossil fuels.
