SpaceX’s Starbase facility in Boca Chica, Texas.
Michael Sheetz | CNBC
SpaceX is expanding its solar farm at Starbase in Boca Chica, Texas document obtained by CNBC from the US Fish and Wildlife Service.
The FWS documents, known as a bioconference and opinion draft (BCO), reveal that SpaceX is increasing the size of its on-site solar farm to 1.7 acres, equivalent to about 30%, making the solar array a total of 7.1 acres. The company has started clearing and leveling the ground for construction at the construction site.
Elon MuskThe space company used solar panels and large batteries at its South Texas vertical launch facility to power its day-to-day operations. It also operates a natural gas power plant in Boca Chica.
As of the end of 2021, the solar farm there covers 5.4 acres and provides about 1 MW of electricity, with 3.87 MW of battery hours for energy storage according to the BCO.
The expansion is underway, with construction expected to take place over two years, which will provide an additional 750 kilowatts of electricity for a total of 1.6 MW of power and an additional battery system that allows for storage. up to 8 MW-hours, the documents say.
They also point out that SpaceX is using panels made by Chinese manufacturer Trina Solar at the launch facility instead of photovoltaic due to Tesla, The electric vehicle and energy businesses are also led by Musk.
The solar farm battery, however, is Tesla’s Power Pack energy storage system, designed for businesses and utilities. Tesla also offers a residential battery, Powerwall, and a grid-scale energy storage system called the Megapack.
Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, with the Powerpack unit as the foundation for launching battery packs for homes, businesses and utilities.
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In first quarter of 2022a record quarter for Tesla overall, the company’s energy division accounted for more than 10% in the red, with $616 million in revenue (and $688 million in revenue expenses).
Tesla’s solar deployment has nearly halved to 48 MW year-on-year in 2021. But the battery business has offset that somewhat. Tesla deployed 846 MWh of lithium ion battery energy storage systems in the first three months of 2022, up 90% year-over-year.
Cooperation among Elon Musk’s companies is not newbut has increased slightly over time by the numbers.
As CNBC previously reported, SpaceX not only has a CEO, but also past and current board members with Tesla. In 2020, SpaceX purchased about 4 million dollars value of Tesla’s energy systems, parts, components and services, including labor.
