Are loads on main panel still powered by solar?

[hobapolis]

Hello!

I'm getting some mixed answers on this from Tesla support though I thought I'd pose the question here:

I have 2 Powerwalls and a 12.24 kW system; plenty for my home in Arizona. A few months after the PV installation was done, we had a pool installed. The pool people put the power for the equipment on the "main" breaker box outside my home (compared to the sub panel in my garage that backs up everything with the powerwalls). My question is this:

During the day, is my pool equiptment powered by solar or by the grid? Tesla said it was powered by the grid since it wasn't on the same breaker box as all the backed up loads. This is a relatively important detail as we'd like to get a heat pump installed but we'd rethink it if the panels aren't powering it during the day.

 

[hobapolis]

With my system, my solar powers ALL of our loads, (backed-up and non-backed up), at night our PWs power everything also. I know that if SRP goes down then our washer, dryer, microwave and stove won't work.

Hello fellow SRP customer. Do you ever see any phantom or unexplained draws from the grid during the night? I see times where I have plenty of battery capacity but there will be draws of a few hundred watts up to 1 kW for my pool pump.

 

[ptdusn]

Hello fellow SRP customer. Do you ever see any phantom or unexplained draws from the grid during the night? I see times where I have plenty of battery capacity but there will be draws of a few hundred watts up to 1 kW for my pool pump.

Hey Hoba, I have seen .05 to .1kW draws at night while on the PWs, but it isn't all the time. Lately, (I think because the PWs may have finally learned our habits), I haven't seen any.

 

[hobapolis]

Hey Hoba, I have seen .05 to .1kW draws at night while on the PWs, but it isn't all the time. Lately, (I think because the PWs may have finally learned our habits), I haven't seen any.

I didn’t realize there was a learning period involved. i wonder, since I have new CT rings on my main panel i’m curious if the powerwall doesn’t know to send power to the panel just yet? I shouldn’t be seeing 5kW draws from the grid when i’m at full sun and full battery.

 

[wwu123]

-With my system, my solar powers ALL of our loads, (backed-up and non-backed up), at night our PWs power everything also. I know that if SRP goes down then our washer, dryer, microwave and stove won't work.

That's why I was asking the question, solar HAS to power ALL loads when the grid is on, panels and breakers in between doesn't prevent solar from reaching loads. A more accurate re-statement of the OP question is thus - does stored solar in the Powerwalls power all loads at night? And the answer apparently is yes when the grid is on, and when CT's are properly configured so the Gateway is aware. Sub-panels and breakers don't stop the movement of power from Powerwall either - but the Gateway can, by limiting discharge to only a load level measured by its CT's.

 

[SilverSp33d3r]

Hello!

I'm getting some mixed answers on this from Tesla support though I thought I'd pose the question here:

I have 2 Powerwalls and a 12.24 kW system; plenty for my home in Arizona. A few months after the PV installation was done, we had a pool installed. The pool people put the power for the equipment on the "main" breaker box outside my home (compared to the sub panel in my garage that backs up everything with the powerwalls). My question is this:

During the day, is my pool equiptment powered by solar or by the grid? Tesla said it was powered by the grid since it wasn't on the same breaker box as all the backed up loads. This is a relatively important detail as we'd like to get a heat pump installed but we'd rethink it if the panels aren't powering it during the day.

If the grid is down no. If the grid is up yes.

Simple as that.

 

[RobertLParker]

I am pretty sure you mistyped the part number above.

I see the main breaker in your subpanel has no retainer on it, shame on your installer.

My advice still stands, have them add CT meters to the lines before the main breaker. Alternately, install enough CT's to capture all those loads in the main panel, by capturing the individual wires coming out of the breakers.

Hi Vines,

Thanks for all the insight you post on this board. I have a question regarding my 12.24kw 2x powerwall partial home backup system.

My dryer was initially the only load that wasn’t backed up in my system with a solar and load configuration rather than a site and solar configuration. When we added a pool circuit later on I had the pool electrician loop the new sub panel L1/L2 wires through the CTs monitoring the dryer. This has worked, but the pool used really thick Romex for the 100amp sub panel, which resulted in a monster loop of wire inside the main panel. The pool wires enter the box from below and the dryer wires exit upward and this contributed to the excess wire.

Now I’m planning on getting an electric car and adding a 220 circuit for the garage and am also considering adding a mini split a/c for my garage. I think these two additional breakers would be too much wire to feed through the same CT clamps coming from my neurio in a solar and load configuration.

My question is does it make sense to buy a y splitter with additional CT clamps for the neurio to make room for all the wires or to attempt to change the configuration to a site and solar setup? I’m wondering if I would need to get into the setup wizard for either or both of these potential changes and perhaps if I can get this done without dealing with Tesla.

I’m also wondering if anyone knows of the disable car charging from powerwall feature in the Tesla app works in a partial backup configuration like I just laid out. I don’t want to charge the car from the powerwalls, but would prefer to have it incorporated into my Tesla app monitoring if possible. Thank you to all who respond.

 

[Vines]

Hi Vines,

Thanks for all the insight you post on this board. I have a question regarding my 12.24kw 2x powerwall partial home backup system.

My dryer was initially the only load that wasn’t backed up in my system with a solar and load configuration rather than a site and solar configuration. When we added a pool circuit later on I had the pool electrician loop the new sub panel L1/L2 wires through the CTs monitoring the dryer. This has worked, but the pool used really thick Romex for the 100amp sub panel, which resulted in a monster loop of wire inside the main panel. The pool wires enter the box from below and the dryer wires exit upward and this contributed to the excess wire.

Now I’m planning on getting an electric car and adding a 220 circuit for the garage and am also considering adding a mini split a/c for my garage. I think these two additional breakers would be too much wire to feed through the same CT clamps coming from my neurio in a solar and load configuration.

My question is does it make sense to buy a y splitter with additional CT clamps for the neurio to make room for all the wires or to attempt to change the configuration to a site and solar setup? I’m wondering if I would need to get into the setup wizard for either or both of these potential changes and perhaps if I can get this done without dealing with Tesla.

I’m also wondering if anyone knows of the disable car charging from powerwall feature in the Tesla app works in a partial backup configuration like I just laid out. I don’t want to charge the car from the powerwalls, but would prefer to have it incorporated into my Tesla app monitoring if possible. Thank you to all who respond.

Hi Robert, in your situation I would recommend the y-splitter solution, assuming that your neurios are the newer versions. Older ones for a GW1 can also be split but the parts are sometimes hard to find.

As to your other question, the car charger will talk with the TEG and you have the same control of your charger as others do.

When on backup mode, you can set a minimum battery percentage. If your battery exceeds this percentage, the car will charge until you reach the no charge threshold. While on grid this setting has no effect.

 

[RobertLParker]

Hi Robert, in your situation I would recommend the y-splitter solution, assuming that your neurios are the newer versions. Older ones for a GW1 can also be split but the parts are sometimes hard to find.

As to your other question, the car charger will talk with the TEG and you have the same control of your charger as others do.

When on backup mode, you can set a minimum battery percentage. If your battery exceeds this percentage, the car will charge until you reach the no charge threshold. While on grid this setting has no effect.

Thanks so much for your reply. I have the gateway 2. Do you know if this will be compatible with my neurio from my Tesla install in 2021? I’m hoping there isn’t anything proprietary about teslas neurio.

Neurio Y-KIT Home Energy Monitor

Buy solar panels and complete solar panel kits for home or business. Solaris delivers quality solar energy products at wholesale prices.

www.solaris-shop.com

 

[Vines]

Thanks so much for your reply. I have the gateway 2. Do you know if this will be compatible with my neurio from my Tesla install in 2021? I’m hoping there isn’t anything proprietary about teslas neurio.

Neurio Y-KIT Home Energy Monitor

Buy solar panels and complete solar panel kits for home or business. Solaris delivers quality solar energy products at wholesale prices.

www.solaris-shop.com

I cannot say that your kit shown will work but it probably will. There is proprietary software, but I think the hardware is universal.