Tesla, Brookfield Partner To Build Solar-Powered Neighborhood In Austin
Tesla Energy, the clean energy subsidiary of Elon Musk's electric vehicle company, is launching its first partnership for a residential development.
The company announced a partnership Friday with Brookfield Asset Management and Dacra to build a sustainable neighborhood that will feature Tesla's solar panels and electric vehicle charging stations in each home.
The project, branded as SunHouse at Easton Park, is part of Brookfield Residential's 2,300-acre Easton Park master-planned community in southeast Austin. It sits about 2 miles west of Route 183 and about 7 miles from Austin-Bergstrom International Airport.
The team said it aims to establish an energy-neutral community and become a global model for the construction of sustainable housing projects. It plans to install Tesla V3 solar roof tiles with Powerwall 2 battery storage at the homes, a system that it anticipates will produce enough energy for residents' daily needs.
Residents will have backup power storage and could be compensated for returning power to the grid. The partnership began installing solar panel and battery systems in June with a sample of under-construction homes.
Each home will also have electric vehicle charging stations. Tesla in April began seeking real estate property owners to partner with to help expand its network of charging stations.
Tesla is also building a $1.1B manufacturing facility near Austin, part of its efforts to speed up vehicle production. Musk said he moved to Texas last year, and on a podcast in February he predicted that Austin will become the "biggest boomtown that America has seen in 50 years."
“Neighborhood solar installations across all housing types will reshape how people live,” Tesla CEO Elon Musk said in a release. “The feedback we get from the solar and battery products used in this community will impact how we develop and launch new products.”
