Work continues on Tesla Solar at Gigafactories in Reno, Austin

Tesla Inc. has completed construction of another 1 MW of solar capacity at its giant gigafactory in Reno, Nevada, as part of ongoing efforts to dramatically increase both the reach and efficiency of clean energy sources.

A new report from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) shows that construction of the additional megawatt (1,000 kW) rooftop has been completed, although the project has not yet been put into operation.

This work follows on from the numerous rooftop solar installations that previously housed the Reno gigafactory known as Gigafactory Nevada, though so far the whole thing pales in comparison to what Elon Musk’s company promised a few years ago. According to reports, original projections called for 70 MW of future solar capacity, but solar installed so far is less than one-tenth of that.

Gigafactories produce vast amounts of battery storage equipment and integration technologies for utility-scale projects, microgrids and electric vehicles. Production of Powerwall batteries began almost ten years ago.

Tesla also reportedly has two other solar panels with a total capacity of 1.9 MW each under construction as part of the company’s mammoth project in Austin, Texas, according to EIA’s Electric Power Monthly update. This is where Musk and the leadership team moved the company’s global headquarters from its former operations center of Palo Alto, California.

Tesla is also working on another portion of a 1-MW solar installation at its Austin headquarters. According to reports, all projects in Austin are under construction but are less than 50 percent complete.

The electric vehicle, battery storage and software company hopes to complete several of them by the end of 2024. Tesla’s Megapack battery storage technology is used in numerous microgrid and off-grid energy projects, including with end customers such as PepsiCo and Pacific Gas and electricity.