Elon Musk Wants to Power Puerto Rico

http://money.cnn.com/2017/10/05/news/economy/elon-musk-puerto-rico-tesla-power-grid/index.html

Musk, the CEO of electric-car maker Tesla (TSLA), suggested his company's solar power unit could be a long-term solution.

"The Tesla team has done this for many smaller islands around the world, but there is no scalability limit, so it can be done for Puerto Rico," Musk tweeted Thursday morning, adding that the decision is up to Puerto Rican government officials.

They didn't take long to respond.

"@elonMusk Let's talk. Do you want to show the world the power and scalability of your #TeslaTechnologies? PR could be that flagship project," Puerto Rico Governor Ricardo Rosselló tweeted Thursday night.

A Tesla-powered system would be a complete reversal for Puerto Rico's energy grid. Right now, the island imports and burns oil to generate electricity.
 
I guess it kind of stuns me that they don't already have solar power.

There could be a number of reasons. 1st off, "if it ain't broke..." Before the storm, the infrastructure was working, and would have cost money they didn't have. A 2nd reason could be because it's an island, and land space is at a premium. Solar farms can take up vast amounts of land.
 

vraiblonde

Board Mommy
PREMO Member
Patron
sounds like a good way to make lemonade out of all the lemons they've been handed (assuming there isn't an astronomical price tag that goes with it.)

It would pay for itself in the long run. I'm still amazed that a Caribbean island isn't already employing solar power. It's an abundant natural resource.
 

DEEKAYPEE8569

Well-Known Member
sounds like a good way to make lemonade out of all the lemons they've been handed (assuming there isn't an astronomical price tag that goes with it.)
You know that he (Musk) won't do it out of the kindness of his heart. He's an entrepreneur after all.....
 

itsbob

I bowl overhand
There could be a number of reasons. 1st off, "if it ain't broke..." Before the storm, the infrastructure was working, and would have cost money they didn't have. A 2nd reason could be because it's an island, and land space is at a premium. Solar farms can take up vast amounts of land.

I disagree..

Imagine the Solar Farm in Hughesville (?) instead of taking up all that land put the panels on proper facing roofs.. giving people grants, or reduced electric (like Solar City, a Tesla Company does).. I think to make palatable you'd have to offer more than just $25 a month in savings, and MD would have to change the laws so you can produce MORE than you need.

You don't need land for solar.. just a platform or a place to put it.

I always thought Hughesville a HUGE waste of land and opportunity.. all the money they spent for it, and the maintenance probably could have 2 or 3 times as many panels on either private or commercial properties..

Even Land though.. I have a 4 acre flat lot that would be perfect.. I can't load the land with Solar Panels because I'm NOT allowed to make a profit off of energy production (another Brilliant Liberal Law).. but if SMECO came and said HEY, we'll give you a percentage of the profit made on the energy produced by the panels we'll install out here.. I'd be all for it.. I'd even agree to do basic maintenance.. like keeping the grass down, and rinsing the panels in June..
 
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itsbob

I bowl overhand
if it does work out well, he has a solid way to advertise his product. Could result in m/billions of dollars in future sales for him.

If he uses the Solar City business model Puerto Rico would be worth billions to him in "free Solar Panels!"
 
PR is frequently visited by hurricanes. How would solar panels be expected to make it through hurricane after hurricane?
 

itsbob

I bowl overhand
PR is frequently visited by hurricanes. How would solar panels be expected to make it through hurricane after hurricane?

Good question.. Panels themselves are pretty robust, but if they are on roofs, probably tear the roofs off.

I'm sure they'd have to something in place to put them in a stow mode to ride out the storm, and re-deploy after..

There are a few on the market like that, but they are HUGELY expensive.

Maybe make them like shutters.. easy on and off, and store.
 
You don't need land for solar.. just a platform or a place to put it.

They have no roofs. Got blown away. Have to rebuild all the buildings before panels could be considered.
And then their construction is not what we here in the States are accustomed to, so it would all just blow away in the next hurricane if roof mounted. That will be one of the first considerations for going solar: will it survive another storm?
 

b23hqb

Well-Known Member
PREMO Member
They have no roofs. Got blown away. Have to rebuild all the buildings before panels could be considered.
And then their construction is not what we here in the States are accustomed to, so it would all just blow away in the next hurricane if roof mounted. That will be one of the first considerations for going solar: will it survive another storm?

To remind a lot of people that I have no doubt do not know who's is the government that actually runs and pays for PR, that govt would be the US and we US citizens that actually pay taxes
 

glhs837

Power with Control
It would pay for itself in the long run. I'm still amazed that a Caribbean island isn't already employing solar power. It's an abundant natural resource.

Yeah, that assumes that you could do that and not have it be a boondoggle of epic proportions....... see below twitter quote of musk after finding out that installers were doubling the standard charge.

https://electrek.co/2017/10/06/tesla-powerwall-installers-price-gouging-puerto-rico/

Tesla always charges the same price for a Powerwall (only taxes & shipping costs vary), so something is messed up here. I've asked my team to stop shipment to any installers charging excessive premiums.




I disagree..

Imagine the Solar Farm in Hughesville (?) instead of taking up all that land put the panels on proper facing roofs.. giving people grants, or reduced electric (like Solar City, a Tesla Company does).. I think to make palatable you'd have to offer more than just $25 a month in savings, and MD would have to change the laws so you can produce MORE than you need.

You don't need land for solar.. just a platform or a place to put it.

I always thought Hughesville a HUGE waste of land and opportunity.. all the money they spent for it, and the maintenance probably could have 2 or 3 times as many panels on either private or commercial properties..

Even Land though.. I have a 4 acre flat lot that would be perfect.. I can't load the land with Solar Panels because I'm NOT allowed to make a profit off of energy production (another Brilliant Liberal Law).. but if SMECO came and said HEY, we'll give you a percentage of the profit made on the energy produced by the panels we'll install out here.. I'd be all for it.. I'd even agree to do basic maintenance.. like keeping the grass down, and rinsing the panels in June..


Bob, the Solar Farm in Hughesville isnt a waste of land. As a source of economical energy sure, but that's not it's purpose. It's a PR show, plain and simple.




if it does work out well, he has a solid way to advertise his product. Could result in m/billions of dollars in future sales for him.

I think the Australian job might do him better.
 

vraiblonde

Board Mommy
PREMO Member
Patron
PR is frequently visited by hurricanes.

Are you sure? Because the San Juan mayor clearly has never seen one before and had no idea how to react and deal with it. The lefty news people are pretty much saying that as well. I thought that all the hurricanes down there every year bypassed PR and hit everywhere else.
 
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