Interesting. Where does the Backup Switch reside? Is it a separate from the box on top of a Powerwall+?
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New Powerwall Advanced Options [Toggles for charging from and discharging to grid from powerwalls]
- Thread starter dailo
- Start date
Yes, the Backup Switch is intended to go under the utility meter. It can also go in a discrete meter socket downstream of the meter, but that isn't ideal.
The power of the backup switch is that it turns your service panel into a backup load center without relocating any breakers.
aesculus
Still Trying to Figure This All Out
I guess this only works with panels that have a separate meter box? My utility disconnect is integrated into the Square D All in One panel.
Not sure when your off peak rate ends, but wouldn’t it be better to still use solar to charge to save on the NBC charges and overhead it takes to charge the PW.Day 2. Woke up to 100% charge again. Currently selling all solar back at off-peak (0.37c) rates.
Going to need to find some way use more electricity to offset all of the credits.
Most days are:
12am - 6am / super off peak.
6am - 4pm / off peak
4pm - 9pm / peak
9pm - midnight / off peak.
Good point - and not sure. I may have to look into it some. I assumed the difference between off-peak/peak and super off peak would be enough to offset any inefficiencies on the NBC side.
Attachments
No, the Backup Switch is really a Backup Meter Adapter, and it fits in between the meter socket and the meter. So it will work with any meter socket, including in an All-In-One, if your POCO approves of its use.
Cheers, Wayne
Oh wow that is a great plan. 0.27c diff between super off peak and off peak, so yeah it’s probably worth it. If only PGE had a plan like this, my cheapest rate is 0.24c and will be higher later this year.
I just talked to Telsa. They told me that since my system was recorded as being installed by sunrun, and sunrun does not have an agreement with
PGE to enable this, for reason unknown, I have to talk to them. But since my setup was installed by V3 electric, I just left them a message.
Anyone else have their batteries installed by "sunrun" and have the grid charge feature enabled?
PGE to enable this, for reason unknown, I have to talk to them. But since my setup was installed by V3 electric, I just left them a message.
Anyone else have their batteries installed by "sunrun" and have the grid charge feature enabled?
I had Sunrun install us. No "grid charge" feature yet. But, I have noticed that it takes like 2 weeks for my app to update after members here start posting about them.
FYI, without many expectations I chatted with Tesla's online support (presumably L1?) to inquire about the "Energy Exports" option.
First, they confirmed that the "Permission to Export" option is just for use by people pre-PTO. I didn't ask if it was only available to people with PW+, as I don't have one. But based on the technical limits, that would be my expectation.
On the "Energy Exports" option they said that it should be available to anyone whose utility allows it. I indicated that my interconnection agreement does allow production time shifting (NEM Paired Storage, as opposed to a separate Non-Export Interconnection Agreement for the PWs) and so could they enable it? To my surprise, they did! (After lots of "let me research that for a moment" exchanges.)
Now a few caveats: I still have the Grid Charging Option available, and it is clear that "Export Everything" plus "Grid Charging Yes" is not allowed by PG&E. Nonetheless nothing in the app seems to be preventing me from doing that, although I haven't tried since I did take the ITC.
Second, as mentioned the Interconnection Agreement might not allow exporting from the ESS charged by PV. Although in CA, the CPUC says that the POCOs must offer Interconnection Agreements that do allow that, IIRC.
Lastly, the benefit of Export Everything is going to depend on the relative size of your PV array and your ESS storage capacity (number of PWs). If you can easily fill up your ESS with PV during off-peak times, then there's not as much benefit to Export Everything. I happen to have an old small PV system (2.4 kW AC or so), and a comparatively large ESS (2 PWs), so I expect I'll have plenty of ESS capacity to time shift all my PV production.
I'm interested to see how the PWs behave today, if working properly at sunrise tomorrow my PWs should be down to the reserve setting. Also, it appears to me that Tesla is still figuring out when and how to enable these new options, and for whom, and I'm not sure that L1 support was supposed to (Tesla management wise) enable it for me at this point. They clearly should have a procedure or at least warning to check Interconnection Agreements, and should disallow the prohibited configuration(s).
Cheers, Wayne
Hopefully your installer can get Tesla to fix this. Fingers crossed.
My also was installed by a third party, Semper Solaris, but I got the the grid charging option anyway. I have seen other oddities in my original setup, so installers must have several opportunities to make configuration errors...
I believe Tesla has a separate support group and phone number for installers, and it makes sense for that group to have access to whatever configuration bit needs flipping.
Interestingly, my app does not show the "permission to export" option, suggesting that the presence of these options is controlled by configuration options on Tesla's servers. My notifications problem early on was of this sort too.
If your installer can't get Tesla to set it correctly, I would suggest you try Energy Support again and explain that.
In case someone is confused, PG&E explicitly says grid charging is OK here: link
Also the NEM tariff states in Special Condition 11, c, 2:
Tesla, as they often do, is making this harder for you than it needs to be. Hang in there.
SW
Unless another sun run install gets the option, I might be screwed
No idea why sunrun stuff would be treated differently
I'm pre-PTO so I haven't tried the Export setting. But it was storming here this afternoon. My PW's began discharging earlier than usual in the rain. So I set the Grid Charge to ON and shifted my reserve setting to 95% and the PW's began charging back to 95% from the grid (the Sun was already down) and stopped at 95%. Sort of my own on-demand StormWatch. It would have kept running off the grid if I didn't change the Reserve back to 20%. It doesn't do me any good to store grid power in my PW's for later export, it is only for occasional grid charging to increase my reserve. Nice to know I can do this.
ucmndd
Well-Known Member
Not Sunrun, but mine were installed by a third party and I got the option. Not sure why Sunrun would be different than any other random installer.
Indeed, it worked as expected. Interestingly, the system maintained a pretty steady net export rate to the grid during Peak hours, adjusting PW output according to house loads and PV output. See below.
Yesterday I started the day with a fairly full PW due to the old behavior model, which explains the solar exports before Peak, once the PWs hit 100%. Today the graph should look different, as I doubt I'll hit 100% PW before Peak. So I should be a net grid consumer outside of Peak, and a net exporter during Peak.
Cheers, Wayne
cassiopeia
Member
Legally? You need to check the interconnection agreement you signed with PG&E when you installed the PWs. And of course if you have PV and took the ITC on the PWs, you can charge from the grid, but then you'll need to refund the ITC to the IRS. (At least for the first 5 years of operation.)
Cheers, Wayne
They do now, see my posts. [And only 3.7 years late for me.] However, your POCO isn't going to let you both charge from the grid and export from the PWs. Nor does the CPUC.What are the chances Tesla let’s us start exporting from powerwalls during peak ?
Pick one or the other, not both. If you have limited PW capacity relative to your PV, deciding which one is economically optimal will require all the details about energy costs and typical house load during Peak.
Cheers, Wayne