Featured image: Neoen / Twitter

Datacenter technology company Switch will use new large-scale energy storage technology from Tesla to boost its use of solar energy for its massive data center campuses in Las Vegas and Reno.

Switch and Capital Dynamics announced the develop one of the largest solar footprint and battery storage projects in the technology industry—a huge solar power project that will use First Solar photovoltaic panels to generate a total of 555 megawatts of renewable power at three locations. The project will use the Tesla Megapack to create more than 800-megawatt hours of energy storage capacity.

Switch and its partners are investing $1.3 billion, creating more than 1,000 new jobs and strengthening Nevada's leadership in the global renewable energy economy.

Source: Switch

The massive scale of these phases of Gigawatt 1 will use thousands of solar panels from First Solar, and battery storage utilizing Tesla Megapack, via the Tesla Nevada Gigafactory.

The project ensures that Switch's electricity costs remain at 5 cents per kilowatt-hour and that Switch customers enjoy low-cost, 100% renewable energy for decades.

Thanks to these achievements, Gigawatt 1 will soon generate a total of 555 MW of solar power and create 800 MW hours of battery storage. Additionally, the Storey County location will be the largest behind-the-meter solar project in the world producing 127MW and will include a 240 MW hour battery storage system. Behind-the-meter projects generate power off the public grid, placing no burden on legacy public utility production.

Source: Tesla

“The Capital Dynamics Clean Energy Infrastructure team is delighted to work closely with Switch who has demonstrated extraordinary leadership as a technology company in sustainability both in Nevada and nationwide,” said Benoit Allehaut, Managing Director on Capital Dynamics’ Clean Energy Infrastructure team.

“We are also pleased to have collaborated with Tesla to install Megapack energy storage systems on four hybrid solar and storage projects in California and Nevada. This selection was the result of a comprehensive due diligence process. We believe that industry leadership is achieved through scale and innovation and are pleased with the tremendous progress we have made in combined solar and storage plants thanks to Switch and Tesla,” he continued.

“We are pleased to play a significant role in this groundbreaking initiative,” said Mark Noyes President and CEO of Con Edison Clean Energy Businesses. “The innovative partnership between all parties involved will continue to drive the sustainability agenda for Switch and the State of Nevada.”

Article edited by @SmokeyShorts, you can follow him on Twitter