2 PWs coming where should be mount them

[bkp_duke]

that one looks really neat to me... and it doesnt have all the darn red labels mine has by code.

If this were a "freshly" built house with powerwalls included from the get-go, you should be able to get things down to 3 panels. That's my ultimate goal. Right now, I have "duplicates" because things get wired from the old house panel to the new tesla panel (in a 1 to 1 fashion, etc.).

Just bugs the purist in me.

And don't get me started about the pointless NGOM meter that I have (with 2 other boxes) on the side of the house . . .

 

[JPP]

Just a data point---my install. Preexisting 2013 SolarCity 16kW PV with 4 SolarEdge inverters. 2 PW sitting on the floor (on small integral feet).

Perspective with the 2 subpanels in my house that are being backed up (house has 400A service and 4 subpanels, but only 2 backed up):

All conduits penetrate into attic above garage. Much conduit and j-boxes in attic.
Industrial art.
All good.

 

[SMAlset]

Another reason we will be putting the PW on the floor aside from expansion stacking, is that we want the vast majority of our “boxes” where at all possible to be placed above the PWs on one wall.

For a cleaner look, We paid extra to have our NEMA 14-50 wiring installed in-wall as opposed to having it run in conduit on the wall. Don’t think that will be a possibility with this install and it’s killing me inside to think we’ll have all this equipment covering walls now no matter how cleanly laid out it will be. So do understand the “purist” comment above.

 

[jboy210]

Just a data point---my install. Preexisting 2013 SolarCity 16kW PV with 4 SolarEdge inverters. 2 PW sitting on the floor (on small integral feet).

View attachment 514420

Perspective with the 2 subpanels in my house that are being backed up (house has 400A service and 4 subpanels, but only 2 backed up):

View attachment 514421

All conduits penetrate into attic above garage. Much conduit and j-boxes in attic.
Industrial art.
All good.

Wow!. That is a clean looking install.

I am going to show the installers this and say we expect our install to be this clean.

 

[jboy210]

Another reason we will be putting the PW on the floor aside from expansion stacking, is that we want the vast majority of our “boxes” where at all possible to be placed above the PWs on one wall.

For a cleaner look, We paid extra to have our NEMA 14-50 wiring installed in-wall as opposed to having it run in conduit on the wall. Don’t think that will be a possibility with this install and it’s killing me inside to think we’ll have all this equipment covering walls now no matter how cleanly laid out it will be. So do understand the “purist” comment above.

My wife wants the boxes out of the garage. She originally wanted the PWs out of the garage, but after reading about temp issues we decided to have them in the garage.

The charger is a non-issue for us. Our HPWC is mounted on a post in the garage. We had them create a wallboard cavity to hide the wiring and then run the wiring to the panel inside the ceiling. You can see a sliver of the cable at the top of the column.

It came out pretty clean and will look even cleaner when they float and paint the rest of the wallboard in the garage.

 

[Bad Horse]

Just a data point---my install. Preexisting 2013 SolarCity 16kW PV with 4 SolarEdge inverters. 2 PW sitting on the floor (on small integral feet).

View attachment 514420

Perspective with the 2 subpanels in my house that are being backed up (house has 400A service and 4 subpanels, but only 2 backed up):

View attachment 514421

All conduits penetrate into attic above garage. Much conduit and j-boxes in attic.
Industrial art.
All good.

Dear god how big is your house (not mad, just super impressed). The electricians should get many gold starts for that setup, 100% agree on industrial art, that is just a bigger version of what I want to do for my future house that I have in my head. Just beyond impressed.

 

[SMAlset]

Just a data point---my install. Preexisting 2013 SolarCity 16kW PV with 4 SolarEdge inverters. 2 PW sitting on the floor (on small integral feet).

View attachment 514420

Perspective with the 2 subpanels in my house that are being backed up (house has 400A service and 4 subpanels, but only 2 backed up):

View attachment 514421

All conduits penetrate into attic above garage. Much conduit and j-boxes in attic.
Industrial art.
All good.

Very nice clean look. One of my other issues is having my garage look like a power plant . By the time this fall when our PW portion of the install is supposed to be completed, I’m hoping Gateway 2, like the UK version, will be ready here in the U.S. for install. At least one less ugly gray big box on my wall.

Tesla Begins Rolling Out Its Sexy New "Mini-Powerwall" Backup Gateway 2 Hardware | CleanTechnica

 

[KY-Lonewolf]

My four powerwalls on the floor in an insulated garage.

 

[jboy210]

Very nice clean look. One of my other issues is having my garage look like a power plant . By the time this fall when our PW portion of the install is supposed to be completed, I’m hoping Gateway 2, like the UK version, will be ready here in the U.S. for install. At least one less ugly gray big box on my wall.

Tesla Begins Rolling Out Its Sexy New "Mini-Powerwall" Backup Gateway 2 Hardware | CleanTechnica

The Tesla guy that did our site survey said that we would get one. That would be a nice surprise, but I am not counting on it.

However, I wonder if you need one for that the rumored smart HPWC/GW integration. Where the charger and GW communicate and determine if the power is out and not charge the the car at the scheduled time, unless the charging would not deplete the battery for the next day.

Tesla Powerwall smarter integration with vehicle charging hinted at in API code

 

[jjrandorin]

Very nice clean look. One of my other issues is having my garage look like a power plant . By the time this fall when our PW portion of the install is supposed to be completed, I’m hoping Gateway 2, like the UK version, will be ready here in the U.S. for install. At least one less ugly gray big box on my wall.

Tesla Begins Rolling Out Its Sexy New "Mini-Powerwall" Backup Gateway 2 Hardware | CleanTechnica

The first time you have a power outage (either planned by PGE or not) and you have power instead of sitting in the dark, you likely wont care as much about the "grey boxes"

I love the industrial art look of @JPP 's install but it does look pretty "industrial".... .and changing one of those grey boxes for a mini powerwall looking box (gateway 2) would actually have looked of place to me in that install.

Now, @KY-Lonewolf 's install, if they had gateway 2 when that one was installed, it would make an already impressive looking install look even better, since it would be basically just 3 powerwall looking boxes there.

Its Tesla's fault for making the powerwalls themselves actually look "cool", so it makes one want to make the rest of the install near them as nice as possible too

 

[JPP]

Dear god how big is your house (not mad, just super impressed). The electricians should get many gold starts for that setup, 100% agree on industrial art, that is just a bigger version of what I want to do for my future house that I have in my head. Just beyond impressed.

Main house about 4000 sq. ft. Vintage 2010 build in NoCA to code (at that time). Black asphalt composition shingle roof--gets hot. Summer temps over 100° F. 2 separate 5 ton AC units (not backed up to PW), 2 air handlers in the attic. Radiant hydronic heat & hot water (natural gas fired boiler) so multiple pumps & valves. Lots of lighting (mostly now LED but still some halogen), lots of appliances (mostly energy efficient European marques), computers, etc. 2 Teslas and 2 black signature HPWCs (on 50A circuits). So 2 subpanels (A & B) for the main house for the loads and per code. Separate detached office with separate HVAC (where meter and disconnect are) with separate feed and sub panel C, and this sub panel has the 2-50A circuits for the main house HVAC compressors (odd...would not have been my choice to put these on a different sub panel, but we did not originally build the house). Separate feed and sub panel D to guest/pool house to back.

The original SolarCty electricians (and the whole crew) were artists. I worked with them to have the 4 strings of solar panels laid out to not be visible from the street (better curb appeal). Also no conduit on the roof--the DC feeds all punch down into the attic. They did the layout of the 4 inverters and disconnects in the garage, and fortunately there is direct attic access above for the j-boxes etc. So just the original 3 metal conduits (2 DC down, 1 AC backfeed up). The recent Tesla Energy Powerwall team also skilled artists/electricians. We mocked up the layout. They measured carefully and used a bubble level on every box. I was there to supervise ('trust, yet verify'). All good.

 

[JPP]

The first time you have a power outage (either planned by PGE or not) and you have power instead of sitting in the dark, you likely wont care as much about the "grey boxes"

I love the industrial art look of @JPP 's install but it does look pretty "industrial".... .and changing one of those grey boxes for a mini powerwall looking box (gateway 2) would actually have looked of place to me in that install.

Now, @KY-Lonewolf 's install, if they had gateway 2 when that one was installed, it would make an already impressive looking install look even better, since it would be basically just 3 powerwall looking boxes there.

Its Tesla's fault for making the powerwalls themselves actually look "cool", so it makes one want to make the rest of the install near them as nice as possible too

I was not given a choice on Gateway 1 vs. 2, and was not going to be choosy. I wanted the install ASAP and was lucky to get it done in February. In NoCA Tesla Energy is now backed up with a full book of business well towards end 2020. As noted, when your power goes out for 5 days (my last PSPS), you don't care what the install looks like, just that you will have clean uninterrupted power without needing to drag out and fuel a generator.

 

[Bad Horse]

Main house about 4000 sq. ft. Vintage 2010 build in NoCA to code (at that time). Black asphalt composition shingle roof--gets hot. Summer temps over 100° F. 2 separate 5 ton AC units (not backed up to PW), 2 air handlers in the attic. Radiant hydronic heat & hot water (natural gas fired boiler) so multiple pumps & valves. Lots of lighting (mostly now LED but still some halogen), lots of appliances (mostly energy efficient European marques), computers, etc. 2 Teslas and 2 black signature HPWCs (on 50A circuits). So 2 subpanels (A & B) for the main house for the loads and per code. Separate detached office with separate HVAC (where meter and disconnect are) with separate feed and sub panel C, and this sub panel has the 2-50A circuits for the main house HVAC compressors (odd...would not have been my choice to put these on a different sub panel, but we did not originally build the house). Separate feed and sub panel D to guest/pool house to back.

The original SolarCty electricians (and the whole crew) were artists. I worked with them to have the 4 strings of solar panels laid out to not be visible from the street (better curb appeal). Also no conduit on the roof--the DC feeds all punch down into the attic. They did the layout of the 4 inverters and disconnects in the garage, and fortunately there is direct attic access above for the j-boxes etc. So just the original 3 metal conduits (2 DC down, 1 AC backfeed up). The recent Tesla Energy Powerwall team also skilled artists/electricians. We mocked up the layout. They measured carefully and used a bubble level on every box. I was there to supervise ('trust, yet verify'). All good.

That all makes sense with the house size, was trying to fit it in my head. Agreed with the electricians being artists, the best ones are, it is a trade after all, and aesthetics and attention to detail is was separates the boys from the men in that trade. What they did there would made a lot of electricians I know very excited and proud to see that level of craftsmanship.

 

[SMAlset]

I was not given a choice on Gateway 1 vs. 2, and was not going to be choosy. I wanted the install ASAP and was lucky to get it done in February. In NoCA Tesla Energy is now backed up with a full book of business well towards end 2020. As noted, when your power goes out for 5 days (my last PSPS), you don't care what the install looks like, just that you will have clean uninterrupted power without needing to drag out and fuel a generator.

Gateway 2 isn’t available yet here in U.S. so not even a choice right now and of course having one’s PW install done before the next PSPS will be great (our Solar going in in March but PW portion not scheduled until the fall at this point). However that doesn’t mean I won’t still appreciate something that looks stylish on the wall. Gray boxes are ugly and industrial and are for basements and alleyways where they won’t be seen. Our garage has painted drywall walls, nice epoxy’d floor, wall mounted contemporary cabinets and workbench area and in-wall NEMA 14-50 outlet for charging so wanting things to look as nice as possible just makes sense. Our developer flush mounted all our utility boxes on the outer wall for a clean look and everything is painted the house color. All that looks great.

I’ve always felt good design is important and you can have it be functional as well. Good design is one of the reasons I bought my Tesla after all. But I get that’s not something everyone values. I do think your installers did a great job btw.

 

[jboy210]

I was not given a choice on Gateway 1 vs. 2, and was not going to be choosy. I wanted the install ASAP and was lucky to get it done in February. In NoCA Tesla Energy is now backed up with a full book of business well towards end 2020. As noted, when your power goes out for 5 days (my last PSPS), you don't care what the install looks like, just that you will have clean uninterrupted power without needing to drag out and fuel a generator.

Argh. 5 Days. We have almost 3 days and that was unbearable.

I think the PSPS has driven Tesla Powerwall sales to unanticipated levels. Sure hope PG&E, SCE, LA DWP own Tesla stock, since their actions are huge demand lever for Tesla's solar business.

 

[JPP]

Gateway 2 isn’t available yet here in U.S. so not even a choice right now and of course having one’s PW install done before the next PSPS will be great (our Solar going in in March but PW portion not scheduled until the fall at this point). However that doesn’t mean I won’t still appreciate something that looks stylish on the wall. Gray boxes are ugly and industrial and are for basements and alleyways where they won’t be seen. Our garage has painted drywall walls, nice epoxy’d floor, wall mounted contemporary cabinets and workbench area and in-wall NEMA 14-50 outlet for charging so wanting things to look as nice as possible just makes sense. Our developer flush mounted all our utility boxes on the outer wall for a clean look and everything is painted the house color. All that looks great.

I’ve always felt good design is important and you can have it be functional as well. Good design is one of the reasons I bought my Tesla after all. But I get that’s not something everyone values. I do think your installers did a great job btw.

My wife and I are diagnostic radiologists. By training and temperament we see things others don't. We are visually a royal PITA for every sub who comes to work on our house. Our garages (2) have smooth finish drywall walls & ceilings, nice surface mount ceiling lighting, recessed NEMA 14-50 outlets and signature black HPWCs installed. Jackshaft Chamberlain openers (so no ceiling opener clutter). Here is the wall opposite the solar inverters & PWs:

No cabinets or workbench area yet. That said, we also appreciate skilled craftsmen (craftspeople) who do their best to make the equipment they need to install look as good as possible. FWIW the wall that our solar and PW equipment is on would not be suitable for flush mount boxes, and we know that inverters need to have cooling & ventilation.

 

[SMAlset]

My wife and I are diagnostic radiologists. By training and temperament we see things others don't. We are visually a royal PITA for every sub who comes to work on our house. Our garages (2) have smooth finish drywall walls & ceilings, nice surface mount ceiling lighting, recessed NEMA 14-50 outlets and signature black HPWCs installed. Jackshaft Chamberlain openers (so no ceiling opener clutter). Here is the wall opposite the solar inverters & PWs:

View attachment 514844

No cabinets or workbench area yet. That said, we also appreciate skilled craftsmen (craftspeople) who do their best to make the equipment they need to install look as good as possible. FWIW the wall that our solar and PW equipment is on would not be suitable for flush mount boxes, and we know that inverters need to have cooling & ventilation.

I totally get you guys! and appreciate similar attention to detail (and hey have the same LED light there you have plugged in). Great floor btw. Unfortunately with our set up unless we were to rip out drywall across three garage walls to hide the conduit, we're going to end up having things wall mounted. We will have it painted to blend in better but still irksome. Love seeing your photos and thanks for sharing. It's great getting ideas from everyone.

 

[SoundDaTrumpet]

@jboy210 I doubled stacked a pair near the garage door. The location allows full clearance for use of automobile doors. I recommend pouring some concrete to create a platform.

Not shown in the photo is a curb that ends behind the PWs about 18” to the garage door. This ended up being helpful working space for the garage door technician.



I have another location outdoors on the opposite side of the garage if I decided to add a third or fourth PW. I preferred the indoors to keep the PWs protected from the weather. In terms of heat or noise generation, I don’t even notice that they are even there. The outdoor location for my home is an easier install if I ever decide to add.

 

[jboy210]

@jboy210 I doubled stacked a pair near the garage door. The location allows full clearance for use of automobile doors. I recommend pouring some concrete to create a platform.

Not shown in the photo is a curb that ends behind the PWs about 18” to the garage door. This ended up being helpful working space for the garage door technician.

View attachment 515104

I have another location outdoors on the opposite side of the garage if I decided to add a third or fourth PW. I preferred the indoors to keep the PWs protected from the weather. In terms of heat or noise generation, I don’t even notice that they are even there. The outdoor location for my home is an easier install if I ever decide to add.

That looks like the same spot we are considering. When a car is parked on that side even a rear door flung open does not hit the PWs.

Just wondering why you suggest creating a platform?

 

[SoundDaTrumpet]

That looks like the same spot we are considering. When a car is parked on that side even a rear door flung open does not hit the PWs.

Just wondering why you suggest creating a platform?

Given that you have a curb, in order to maximize space in the garage, when double/triple stacking, the stack needs to be on the “ground” meaning load bearing surface. Just a suggestion if you want the PWs against the wall.

Otherwise, skipping the above suggestion, to mount on the floor, in your case, filler will need to put in between the PWs and wall. The filler can be stacks of lumber or strut channels.

Tidbit: Max stack is 3 given the 1” conduit knockouts. Purely limited by conduit fill.