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NorCal PG&E blackouts

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It's all on the PG&E site... Link on the main page before you login. There's a lot to read, but they link to a single PDF that should explain it all.

Note: Storm Watch is covered by NWS and alerts that Tesla may receive from approved parties like utilities, and it's up to them to decide to activate StormWatch. It's not absolutely.

https://www.pge.com/pge_global/comm...es/Public-Safety-Power-Shutoff-Fact-Sheet.PDF
 
If you knew in advance that PGE was going to start shutting down regions, you could manually increase the reserve level. Granted, unlike Storm Watch, it'd only charge up from solar. But at least your stored energy would be little higher.
 
Many of PG&E’s preventative blackouts should theoretically coincide with red flag warnings. Those are available via the NWS feed. I mentioned this in my email to Powerwall support, so that could be a path to enabling storm watch during fire season.
 
Power went out but powerwall not discharging to power the house.
Powerwall is at 65% green light still on. Inverter is off and Tesla app shows everything gray. Tried to cut the main breaker and reset all the breakers but nothing. Any ideas?
 
Power went out but powerwall not discharging to power the house.
Powerwall is at 65% green light still on. Inverter is off and Tesla app shows everything gray. Tried to cut the main breaker and reset all the breakers but nothing. Any ideas?
If you go into Customize in the app, perhaps try selecting "Backup Only." It should back up regardless, but maybe that will trigger something. Very odd.
 
Was lucky enough not to be impacted, but if PGE keeps this up I will have to re-think getting a PW. Standby generator still makes more sense economically, but nice not having to worry about when the power goes out.
My district wasn't impacted either. I felt slightly empowered having the PW online. I even threw the main breaker because I grew impatient to test the system for that one corner case of having a full PW with solar coming in. My WiFi network Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) went to battery backup (PW went 65Hz to shutoff solar), LED lights didn't flicker, and solar kicked back on to refill the PW (at 60Hz). Really happy with system. I really bought the system because solar was undersized (using rate arbitrage) and desired backup for blackouts (not red-flag fire related). Today, rate arbitrage is out the window (does not apply) due to new PG&E rate schedules, and PG&E mandated red-flag blackouts was unheard of when I placed my order for a PW. The utility side of things seem more unpredictable than earthquakes themselves!
 
We lost power Wednesday evening. Powerwalls took over without a flickering light, only my small computer UPS started beeping initially (as expected), but stopped once powerwall was below ~95%. Had excess solar during Thursday, so I dumped it into my car to avoid loosing it. Power came back early Thursday evening. Again no signs of the transition. The whole thing was as smooth as possible and we ended up with powerwalls almost full and the car having a higher charge level despite us using it during the day.

We couldn't be more pleased - Way to go, Tesla!
 
We lost power Wednesday evening. Powerwalls took over without a flickering light, only my small computer UPS started beeping initially (as expected), but stopped once powerwall was below ~95%. Had excess solar during Thursday, so I dumped it into my car to avoid loosing it. Power came back early Thursday evening. Again no signs of the transition. The whole thing was as smooth as possible and we ended up with powerwalls almost full and the car having a higher charge level despite us using it during the day.

We couldn't be more pleased - Way to go, Tesla!
Red flag warning season coincides with no rain clouds and cooler weather, so solar production is consistent and cooling loads are nearly non-existent. I kept my spare non-Tesla EV charge station as the critical load. During the simulated outage test, I did the same and charged the car. I would even recommend even a single battery PW setup for those affected. You really don't need two to just keep the refrigerator going. You really just need the refrigerator to operate once a day during a prolong outage until one depletes a PW. (Next day, PW automatically recharges.) A single PW with the smallest solar PV system can handle refrigeration and internet/WiFi. Spoiling food seems to be the greatest concern, and maintaining communication to loved ones next.
 
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My two PW and 10kW setup ran our house just like normal. Electric washer and dryer, oven use, well pump, etc. It couldn't keep Comcast up, unfortunately, and I had a little "power guilt" when I was included on some group texts of people in the area having trouble, but we were in great shape. Like @Late2theGame, I charged both cars with surplus solar as well. I still want to add more capacity for winter outages, but I am definitely in excellent shape for red flag season. At least, assuming we get rain by November.

I'd like Tesla to include some way to automatically transfer power from the PowerWalls to my cars if they're plugged in and solar is about to be curtailed. As it was, I just manually monitored it, but it would be neat to have it transition on its own.
 
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My two PW and 10kW setup ran our house just like normal. Electric washer and dryer, oven use, well pump, etc. It couldn't keep Comcast up, unfortunately, and I had a little "power guilt" when I was included on some group texts of people in the area having trouble, but we were in great shape. Like @Late2theGame, I charged both cars with surplus solar as well. I still want to add more capacity for winter outages, but I am definitely in excellent shape for red flag season. At least, assuming we get rain by November.

I'd like Tesla to include some way to automatically transfer power from the PowerWalls to my cars if they're plugged in and solar is about to be curtailed. As it was, I just manually monitored it, but it would be neat to have it transition on its own.
@ohmman How long did Comcast stay up after the outage? Curious if Comcast employs battery backup and if so at what level (i.e. time duration).

Maybe I should stock a pair 12ga extension cords to share power with my next door neighbors. The stickler-side of my won't let them use anything less.

The power transfer concept is neat... should send that suggestion over to Tesla. My regularly used Tesla-brand charge station is not connected as a critical load for the opposite case... Tesla has no control over preventing depleting PW by mistake (i.e. should give house priority over powering car that has 'enough' charge).
 
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I'm on SCE but they send me emails, LOTS OF EMAILS about the planned power outages. From what I can tell they have 3 states.

1) No chance of turning off power
2) Warning state - power might turn off
3) Power off

I feel like I get an email whenever there is a transition of states.

This is for a place in Mammoth Lakes. That has been the most helpful/annoying way to understand when power shut-offs will happen.

Does PG&E have something similar?