Musk promised to build the 100-megawatt battery within 100 days of the contracts being signed at the end of September or the company would hand it over to the South Australia state government for free.
South Australia Premier Jay Weatherill announced that the battery began dispatching power into the state grid on Nov. 30, providing 70 megawatts as temperatures topped 86 degrees.
"South Australia is now leading the world in dispatchable renewable energy, delivered to homes and businesses 24/7," Weatherill said.
The official launch came a little over 60 days after the deal was signed. But crucially, it came on the first day of the Australian summer — the season when power usage soars due to air conditioning use.
Tesla says the battery has the capacity to power 30,000 homes for up to an hour in the event of a severe blackout, but is more likely to be called into action to boost supply during peak demand periods.
