Will the Tesla Gigafactory have the largest rooftop solar system in the world?

The new Tesla’s American gigafactory located in Austin, USA. Texas is the most modern factory and the largest of Tesla’s facilities in the world, as confirmed by Elon Musk during its April inauguration.

This industrial site is also expected to set multiple records, including the highest production capacity in America and the production of the Cybertruck. In addition, it is expected to house the largest volume of battery production. Over the long term, the Tesla Giga Texas site is poised to achieve another remarkable feat: becoming the location of the world’s largest rooftop solar system.

Tesla Gigafactory in Texas: an impressive solar roof system

No official information has been disclosed, but even before the official opening of the factory, the first photovoltaic modules were visible on the roof of the new Tesla Gigafactory as of September 2022. The installation has since expanded, with panels strategically placed to showcase the “TESLA” logo on the roof of the Texas factory, visible in satellite images.

The installation now appears to be complete, with the Tesla logo extending from north to south on the long Texas Gigafactory building. However, there is still ample free space on the roof of the industrial site, indicating that it will not remain unused for long. After the initial phase of the photovoltaic system with a capacity of approximately 10 megawatts, the installation is expected to be expanded to achieve a total capacity of 30 megawatts on the factory’s roof.

A world record in sight?

At its current capacity of 10 MW, Tesla’s solar system stands as one of the largest installations of its type in the world. Among the record holders, a warehouse in Los Angeles leads with a power of 16.4 MW, followed by two photovoltaic systems on roofs in India, and a fourth solar roof system with a 10.1 megawatt capacity installed on the buildings of the Gloucester marine terminal in New Jersey. The world’s fifth most powerful solar array, located in Whirlpool, California, matches Tesla’s installation in Texas at 10 MW… for now.

During a recent event, Tesla presented computer-generated images depicting the roof of its Gigafactory in Texas entirely covered with solar panels, with the exception of the areas denoting the company’s logo. Ultimately, Tesla’s Texas factory will cover an area of about 930,000 m² and will house 70,000 photovoltaic modules. The prominent marking of the Tesla logo on the roof of the building, visible from the sky and even space, is expected to be retained, even if it entails sacrificing a few extra watts.

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