10MW / 20MWh of Tesla Megapacks used for Alberta’s first-ever large-scale battery energy storage system have gone into action as TransAlta Renewables announced the project has reached commercial operation.

In this episode of the Solar Media Podcast, Liam Stoker and Andy Colthorpe take a deep dive into what Elon & Co. presented at Tesla’s Big Battery Day, assess what the recent spate of solar manufacturing expansion announcements mean for the sector, and discuss the current state of energy politics.

Tesla hosted its Battery Day yesterday in California before a socially-distanced audience all sat in various electric cars from the company’s range and revealed its ambitious plans for more than halving the cost of battery production.

Whatever technology or strategy announcements come from Tesla’s Battery Day, speculation that the company will reduce purchases of battery cells from partners as a consequence is incorrect, CEO Elon Musk has said.

In an effort to make it easier for smaller participants to bid into the Balancing Mechanism (BM), National Grid ESO has introduced a new interface.

Tesla has come under fire for its employment practices once more, with reports of discrimination complaints laying bare worries over profitability at the firm’s very top.

Susan Kennedy has stepped down as CEO of Advanced Microgrid Solutions (AMS), with chief product officer Seyed Madaeni appointed to take her place.

Australia’s national Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC) has said it will commit AU$50 million (US$34.14 million) to help fund expansion of landmark Hornsdale battery project in South Australia.

Tesla will “build batteries, powertrains and vehicles” at its European gigafactory, which company CEO Elon Musk has tweeted will be in the Berlin area of Germany.

NGEN, a developer based in Slovenia, has celebrated the installation of a 22MWh grid-scale battery energy storage system (ESS) supplied by Tesla in what is thought to be the product’s first deployment in the Balkans.