Tesla Megapacks Power Nexamp's Solar-Plus-Storage Expansion Project in Watertown, New York

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Tesla Megapacks power Nexamp and National Grid expansion for the solar-plus-storage project at the Watertown, New York substation. The project includes over 20,000 solar panels and 10 Tesla Megapack systems.

Nexamp and National Grid are deploying an 8.4 megawatts (MW) solar power system as well as 31-megawatt hours (MWh) of storage at a substation in Watertown, New York, according to a press release. The project is intended to eliminate the need for additional power lines or substation upgrades through a Non-Wires Alternative (NWA) approach.

The Watertown Renewables project includes more than 20,000 solar panels generating 8.4 MW of renewable energy and 10 Tesla Megapack systems providing 31 MWh of energy storage. Together, the solar and storage components of Watertown Renewables are engineered to give National Grid the ability to call on the system for up to 5.7 MW / 29 MWh up to 25 times per year either from the panels or the batteries.

“This project is significant because it represents a number of important firsts,” explained Chris Clark, Chief Development Officer, Nexamp. “It is our first NWA project and is the result of a lot of hard work and collaboration between Nexamp and National Grid. With solar + storage technology advancing so quickly, NWA projects represent new opportunities to innovate the way we solve demand issues on the grid. As we work on additional NWA solutions in other locations, we anticipate many exciting milestones ahead.”

The project is able to offset the energy needs of more than 1,000 customers who receive electricity from the National Grid. Watertown Renewables is expected to be completed early next year.

“National Grid is committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by increasing the amount of renewable energy on the grid while improving reliability and affordability for customers," said Brian Gemmell, National Grid's Chief Operating Officer for Electric in New York. "Our recently released Clean Energy Vision plan outlines a pathway to achieve a fossil-free future to our energy systems that incorporates renewable sources of energy and storage solutions such as this non-wires alternative in Watertown. Nexamp's expertise in developing and operating energy storage solutions that benefit utilities and communities made them a natural fit for this project.”

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