https://pv-magazine-usa.com/2018/03/01/tesla-has-begun-installing-worlds-largest-rooftop-pv-system/
[What happens if you get serious about PVs, EVs, and batteries?
links and images in on-line article]
Tesla has begun installing world’s largest rooftop pv system
The battery, solar and EV maker’s Gigactory in Nevada is projected to be
the world’s largest building by footprint when its completed, and its
rooftop can fit roughly 100,000 solar panels.
March 1, 2018 John Weaver
Tesla seems to have begun installing the world’s largest rooftop pv
system. Images shown on BuildingTesla.com (found via Electrek) show what
looks like a solar panel installation just beginning.
pv magazine has sent an email to Tesla asking for a comment and will
update once we have new information.
At first glance, the ’70MW’ value on a 43 acre rooftop seems like a
strong number. The structure is projected to have a 1.9 million square
foot footprint. Roughly, 100,000 pv modules – if lain flat, and fairly
tight – would fill that space up. A high-efficiency product from solar
panel partner Panasonic at 325W would allow for a 32.5MW installation,
under 1/2 of the projected 70MW project.
Per Tesla’s description of the project:
"GF1 is an all-electric factory with no fossil fuels (natural gas or
petroleum) directly consumed. We will be using 100% sustainable energy
through a combination of a 70 MW solar rooftop array and solar ground
installations. The solar rooftop is ~7x larger than the largest rooftop
solar system installed today."
Reading into that quote just a bit we see an out for the rooftop being
less than 70MW – if it were built in combination with a ground installation.
The current world’s largest pv rooftop installation on a single roof is
an 11.5MW plant in India on a 42 acre rooftop. That rooftop is part of a
larger 19.5 MW, 82-acre project spread across eight rooftops.
