Possibly adding a 3rd Powerwall. Good idea?

[holeydonut]

Is it normal for a system with your configurations to get hit with all these restrictions?

Yes, holeydonut's system is always hit with stupid restrictions. Because as we determined, holeydonut = sucks.

I have no clue what is the status quo for the rest of you lot. Tesla and PG&E both scoured my interconnection agreement and made sure I had the executed interconnection agreement that matched the advanced features Tesla deployed to my system.

This feels like the exact opposite experience others had where they just had features enabled willy nilly. I feel like some people got the ability to both ESS-grid-charge and ESS-grid-export; which seems not allowed by PG&E period.

Anyway, my exact interconnection agreement now exactly matches the features they deployed on my system. And it took me 3 months of back and forth BS to even get that interconnection approved under NEM2-MT in 2020. I even got the insurance that PG&E "requires"! No other homeowner in NorCal apparently has ever gotten the insurance naming PG&E for their NEM2-MT PTO... State Farm says I'm the first; and they're the largest insurance carrier in California. H2ofun doesn't even have NEM2-MT, and Vines seems to have gotten NEM2-MT without any hand wringing. IIRC his 5x powerwalls are listed as eligible for grid exporting. And I'm thinking Tesla approved Vines to get enabled for both grid charge and grid export lolz.

 

[Vines]

Yes, holeydonut's system is always hit with stupid restrictions. Because as we determined, holeydonut = sucks.

I have no clue what is the status quo for the rest of you lot. Tesla and PG&E both scoured my interconnection agreement and made sure I had the executed interconnection agreement that matched the advanced features Tesla deployed to my system.

This feels like the exact opposite experience others had where they just had features enabled willy nilly. I feel like some people got the ability to both ESS-grid-charge and ESS-grid-export; which seems not allowed by PG&E period.

Anyway, my exact interconnection agreement now exactly matches the features they deployed on my system. And it took me 3 months of back and forth BS to even get that interconnection approved under NEM2-MT in 2020. I even got the insurance that PG&E "requires"! No other homeowner in NorCal apparently has ever gotten the insurance naming PG&E for their NEM2-MT PTO... State Farm says I'm the first; and they're the largest insurance carrier in California. H2ofun doesn't even have NEM2-MT, and Vines seems to have gotten NEM2-MT without any hand wringing. IIRC his 5x powerwalls are listed as eligible for grid exporting. And I'm thinking Tesla approved Vines to get enabled for both grid charge and grid export lolz.

I cant tell how much is malice and how much is just pure incompetence on PGE part.

For instance, during PTO, they apparently changed the account name, erased the old account, but put in no new billing address or any other billing information. We literally got no bill for the last 4 months lol.

OTOH, it seems there is negative special treatment for @holeydonut of the not nice kind. As far as I can tell my NEM-MT interconnection agreement is the same as @BGbreeder with slightly different PV sizes.

 

[holeydonut]

I cant tell how much is malice and how much is just pure incompetence on PGE part.

For instance, during PTO, they apparently changed the account name, erased the old account, but put in no new billing address or any other billing information. We literally got no bill for the last 4 months lol.

OTOH, it seems there is negative special treatment for @holeydonut of the not nice kind. As far as I can tell my NEM-MT interconnection agreement is the same as @BGbreeder with slightly different PV sizes.

Does that mean your ESS export is included in the total generating facility on section 2.7 (PV + 5 * 5kW); AND you did not have to check the box that bars you from grid-charging?

Lucky SOB.

 

[Vines]

Does that mean your ESS export is included in the total generating facility on section 2.7 (PV + 5 * 5kW); AND you did not have to check the box that bars you from grid-charging?

Lucky SOB.

Correct

 

[holeydonut]

Correct

I should have gotten my system from cobalt

 

[Vines]

The weather in Santa Cruz is nice for a beach house, you need a weekend pad right?

We will be happy to do your 2nd house lol. You just have to make the kitty stop crying.

 

[Fruitcake]

I didn't mean "bad" in the sense 3x Powerwalls was actually a faulty system design or functionally incompatible with a normal home backup.

It's because a particular Tesla rep told me a few days ago that 3x or more Powerwall systems were barred from being able to access the advanced features that Tesla recently rolled out. The guy said that power companies forbid any Tesla Powerwall system over 10 kW (2x Powerwalls) from accessing grid charging or grid exporting. So my system having 3x Powerwalls was "bad", and I should have only bought 2 powerwalls if I wanted advanced features. So 3 = bad, 2 = good.

I feel like Tesla just makes stuff up left and right over there in terms of who has access to what advanced features. Some people have both grid charging and grid exporting. Some people can only grid export. Some can only grid charge. And some have none of the features enabled. But the Tesla rep swore up and down that 3x or more = bad... I'm just relaying their message here.

Also, none of this makes sense when considering @Vines has 5x Powerwalls, and he's more cool than me since his 5x system has access to the advanced features. All without him having to do anything out of the ordinary. Both Vines and myself are on the NEM2-MT PG&E interconnection. My interconnection paperwork includes both the ESS exporting at 3 x 5 kW = 15 kW plus the solar exporting at 7 kW to be eligible to hit PG&E's grid. I would imagine Vines also has 5 x 5 kW = 25 kW + his solar as being grid-export-eligible under NEM2-MT.

Ah, I misunderstood. Thank you for the clarification.

 

[Patrick66]

Much cheaper to add an island system with an LFP server rack battery. 2x5kWh systems can be had for about $3,000, plus a small inverter to support things like your fridge or other fairly constant loads. Rules vary, but if it is not coupled to the utility it does not require utility approval. You can have a downstream transfer switch to shift loads over to utility as needed. Usually a plug-in charger from utility won't have an impact either.