This is how mine is configured as well. 2 PW+, GW2 and only one of my PW+ inverters is connected to my network.
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Discussion: "Powerwall +"
- Thread starter willow_hiller
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This is a rather large one, not sure just how deep your button is.
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I came across this YouTube by Solar Surge and at timestamp 2:00, the presenter talks about the PW+ being more efficient because it's able to charge from solar directly (DC-coupled, I guess?). I read some posts in this thread and it seems that this isn't the case?
He also mentions in the comments that PW+ eliminates the 5-minute shutoff when the batteries are full. Is this accurate?
Also, can the PW+ be used with an existing solar system? I have a 6kW SolarEdge system and am looking to add a Tesla 4.08kW with 2x PWs, Tesla quoted PWs (not PW+) and can't tell me why, just that if I want them, they can request a redesign.
He also mentions in the comments that PW+ eliminates the 5-minute shutoff when the batteries are full. Is this accurate?
Also, can the PW+ be used with an existing solar system? I have a 6kW SolarEdge system and am looking to add a Tesla 4.08kW with 2x PWs, Tesla quoted PWs (not PW+) and can't tell me why, just that if I want them, they can request a redesign.
I just had bad Tesla Solar and PW+ installed with my existing system.
I had a 8.16 kW solar panel, 1x Powerwall+, 1x Powerwall 2 installed in June. I don’t know about the DC-coupling, but I would like clarity on that.
In off-grid mode (either when grid is down or physically disconnecting from the grid, or using the software off-grid button) there is no major interruption of power as the Powerwalls get to a high state of energy and do the frequency shift to shutoff the inverter. Myself and others have reported strange behavior during the frequency shift, some lights flicker and some loads seem to toggle on/off a few times as the changeover occurs. Part of this may be due to us particular owners not having had Tesla lower the frequency shift amount (Like to 62.0 Hz instead of the default 65.0 Hz). I’ll have to see if the behavior is any different once I get PTO and can request Tesla to adjust my frequency shift.
Tesla needs to answer how the PW+ works, I can only guess.
However I would be surprised that the PW+ still frequency shifts, unless it does this to turn off other PV that may be installed on the site? Why should it, when the ESS and the PV share the inverter (I assume since that seems to be the advantage)?
Thinking deeper about it, there is probably the edge case, with a PW+ with an existing PV inverter? To work in harmony the PW+ would still need to frequency shift. However with only Tesla PW+ inverters I would think they would not need to frequency shift, and it's not awesome for home equipment, so why would they if they could avoid it? I can see the argument that the customer might add more PV inverters later, maybe that's why the frequency shift still happens (if it does)?
I agree, I don't have high confidence that the DC-coupling claim is correct, although I would like it to be. And when there is a second PW2 connected in the system, could there be a DC path to the second PW2? We've read that only one additional PW2 can be connected, but what is the nature of that connection?
In systems without PW+, since there may be multiple PWs it must be the Gateway that commands the PWs to raise the line frequency to signal the solar inverter(s). In a system with no solar inverters other than the one integral to the PW+, I would hope that the communication between the Gateway-equivalent part of the PW+ and the solar inverter part is sufficient that raising the frequency is not required if there are no other solar inverters in the system. When my solar roof is installed I hope it can be configured that way.
I am guessing, the first PW+ is DC coupled, and an add-on is a Powerwall 2 AC. I can not confirm this is true.
Just speaking with Tesla and the advisor is telling me that you can't combine a PW+ integrated with an existing system.
What do you have? I have a SE-6000
The house came with an old Fronius inverter. Only a 2.7k system, but as long as it’s paid off I don’t see why they can’t. Guessing they must have pulled plans from the city but my design had all the details of my existing system without me giving it to them.
Thank you, may I assume that black box above the right PowerWall is the compact inverter/gateway? Just without its cover?
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Tesla was pretty adamant that they don't do this which is confusing since they did it for you. I wonder if there's any way that I could point them to your specific install without encroaching upon privacy concerns you may have.
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I haven’t done an off-grid test in weeks. I tried it a couple of times in early July and my Powerwalls were at a high SOE, 95-100%. It seemed like the entire house’s load toggled on/off 4-5 times in the first few seconds as I switched to off-grid mode using the software button from the inverter’s web UI. I did this during the day time so solar was producing. I still have 3 UPS units in the house and none of them were happy with the power (once stabilized) coming from the Powerwalls. I only have one UPS with a display, and it was showing 65.0 Hz. It normally shows 60.0 Hz with the system operating while grid-tied.
I can’t say for sure if this behavior will change once I get PTO and Tesla possibly does some reconfiguration on their end. I’ll try another off-grid test soon now that they’ve added it to the mobile app.
The website does call out that Powerwall+ doesn’t work with existing systems actually, wonder if they are going to need to end up changing my install.
Powerwall & Solar
Integrating Powerwall and solar is the best way to maximize your system’s value, allowing you to use solar power day and night. Powerwall+ offers a complete, integrated solution for new installations, providing whole home backup with solar, while Powerwall can be integrated with existing solar systems.May I assume that you do not yet have PTO? Although, they must have tested it before they left?
Nope they couldn't test it since they are waiting on PGE for the backup switch, so probably still a while before I get to a point where the batteries can be tested. Maybe they end up realizing their mistake and have to redo my system!
My reading of this statement is that if you have an existing solar system and you just want to add battery backup, then a Powerwall (not +) would be selected. I don't see it as precluding the use of a Powerwall+ if you are adding more solar in addition to the batteries.
I wish that Tesla would use less ambiguous language, although sometimes even when it seems pretty clear (like the language that says that they use power optimizers if needed), it isn't necessarily the case
SilverSp33d3r
No Longer Silver
I think it is dc coupled. The powerwall nameplate shows it is accepts dc voltage.
I feel this is correct. If your not adding solar no inverter is needed so powerwall only
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