The solar power firm has provided details of a solar panel and battery storage microgrid it rolled out on Ta'u in American Samoa, which is powering the island almost entirely.

SolarCity describes the deployment as "one of the world's most advanced microgrids." It features a 5,328 solar panel array that covers 3.5 ac (1.4 ha) and has an output of 1.4 MW. The array is coupled to 60 Tesla Powerpacks that provide 6 MWh of battery storage. These can be fully recharged by seven hours of sunlight and can keep the island powered for three full days without sun.

Prior to the microgrid, Ta'u had been using diesel generators for power, the diesel for which has to shipped to the island. Not only were both aspects of this environmentally-unfriendly, but it meant that the island was at the mercy of shipping deliveries.