How Tesla is Partnering with Jackson Family Wines to Disrupt the Energy Market
The world was rocked earlier this spring with Tesla’s announcement that it would begin marketing a stationary energy storage solution to both residential and corporate energy buyers.
As we have identified in a previous post, the growth of renewables has been inhibited by issues with the storage and recycling of renewable energy. Tesla’s solution, however, is a revolutionary breakthrough: the Powerwall and Powerpack will prove instrumental in helping homes, businesses, and utilities take advantage of renewable energy production to their greatest capacity.
Tesla’s innovation addresses the two primary barriers to realistic renewable energy dependency: intermittency and energy waste. Since the sun doesn’t always shine and the wind doesn’t always blow, it has been difficult to conceptualize of a future where our energy infrastructure could be fully dependent on these sources. In the past, storage options have been very costly, both in terms of economics and environmental damage, but the solution that Tesla has developed is more efficient and is already showing promise to save individuals and companies money in the long term.
Tesla’s solutions use a rechargeable lithium ion battery that seamlessly integrates with the power grid, allowing customers more flexibility and control over their energy usage. By taking energy produced during the day, for example, and storing it to be used at night, Tesla’s energy storage units allow customers to save money by drawing energy from the grid during off-peak demand times. This control over peak-load demand also alleviates grid stress and minimizes operational costs for a business. When integrated with onsite energy sources such as solar, the Tesla units will conceivably allow customers to leave the grid entirely.
To strategically explore the viability of its technology, Tesla has collaborated with several key early adopters, including Renewable Choice client Jackson Family Wines (JFW). A family-owned, US-based company, the Jackson brand is synonymous with wines of unparalleled quality. Since 2008, when it completed its first corporate environmental impact baseline, JFW has been on a direct and engaged sustainability journey, with the goal of leading the wine industry in responsible winemaking.
To date, JFW has saved nearly $15 million in energy costs through comprehensive efficiency audits and retrofit projects, reinvesting this net gain in onsite solar development. The collaboration with Tesla was a natural one, and the company is already reaping the benefits of Tesla’s energy storing devices. JFW has installed 21 of Tesla’s battery systems across six wineries, amounting to a combined energy capacity of 4.2MW. JFW projects that the Tesla system used in conjunction with JFW’s 6.5 MW of onsite solar will save approximately $2 million in electricity costs next year alone—a 40% reduction in energy costs–by allowing JFW to draw from the grid at night, rather than at peak demand times.
Tesla’s demonstrated viability in the wine industry is just one indicator that its energy storage technology could be implemented endlessly in other commercial operations to improve internal efficiency while simultaneously reaping the benefits of energy cost savings and stability. This new technology not only improves the capacity and sustainability of participating companies, but also lends itself to the long-term viability of renewable energy by addressing the major problems holding businesses back from fully investing in clean energy production.
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