Powerwall 2 & Solar w PG&E: Missing "Permission to Export" permission in Tesla App

[tbrownies]

Hello!

After an extremely long and painful process I finally got PTO from PG&E. Even though I'm feeding back into the grid I do not have the "Permission to Export" setting in the advanced settings of the power wall section in the Tesla app. I contacted support and they thought maybe it's because I didn't have the newest firmware so they sent the newest firmware (22.18.5) but it is still not there. My Tesla mobile app is updated to the latest version. I do now have a setting called "Energy Exports" (Solar/Everything) which is new. So before spending a bunch of time and energy trying to figure this out I first wanted to ask:

- Does it matter that I am missing the "Permission to Export" setting in the Powerball settings of the app? Does everyone have this? Or does it depend on my Utility Company?

Because my entire process was such a mess I am wondering if something was left undone. I was able to use my system and feedback into the grid from Day 1 and before I even had PTO which I know was not supposed to happen - but it did. And the whole entire process has been kind of a mess so I know I need to stay on top of this. So here I am.

Thanks for any and all enlightenment!

 

[jjrandorin]

Welcome to TMC energy subforum.

The discussion we have here around grid exports ( solar / everything) is in the following thread:

New Powerwall Advanced Options [Toggles for charging from and discharging to grid from powerwalls]

I didn't see a post covering this already, but looks like maybe we can charge from the grid now? https://www.tesla.com/support/energy/powerwall/mobile-app/powerwall-modes#advanced-settings

teslamotorsclub.com

Some people have it, some dont. I dont know the specifics but seem to remember that some with more than 2 powerwalls didnt get the options, etc. Have a look through that thread.

 

[RKCRLR]

On a related question, if you don't have the option to export, can you participate in the Tesla VPP?

 

[cwied]

On a related question, if you don't have the option to export, can you participate in the Tesla VPP?

If you mean "export everything," then I believe the answer is yes since they already ran a pilot last year before the option existed.

I believe OP isn't talking about this setting, but instead is talking about the PTO setting that Powerwall+ installations get. If you don't have PTO, obviously you can't join the VPP (yet).

OP - do you have Powerwall+'s with a Tesla solar system? If not, I think what you're seeing is normal. If you have all the necessary equipment, maybe Tesla provisioned the system wrong so you weren't given the setting. In any case, if you have PTO now and can export to the grid, you're probably all set. The setting is really only useful before PTO.

 

[jjrandorin]

If you mean "export everything," then I believe the answer is yes since they already ran a pilot last year before the option existed.

I believe OP isn't talking about this setting, but instead is talking about the PTO setting that Powerwall+ installations get. If you don't have PTO, obviously you can't join the VPP (yet).

OP - do you have Powerwall+'s with a Tesla solar system? If not, I think what you're seeing is normal. If you have all the necessary equipment, maybe Tesla provisioned the system wrong so you weren't given the setting. In any case, if you have PTO now and can export to the grid, you're probably all set. The setting is really only useful before PTO.

Ohh.. nice catch....

I read something different than what was said, and you pointed out.

OP, I dont have a "permission to export" setting in my app, and as @cwied points out, that may be only available to Powerwall+ owners. That mode allows a system to still be used but not export to the grid (or not)... but it requires specific hardware including powerwall+.

its not a big issue if you dont have that in your app, imo, especially if you dont have a powerwall+ (which is really just a powerwall 2 with inverter box on top of it.)

 

[yblaser]

In another post OP stated they have 3 PW2+s. Agree not having the option shouldn't be an issue as I can't think of any use case after PTO but still curious why they wouldn't have it.

 

[Vines]

In another post OP stated they have 3 PW2+s. Agree not having the option shouldn't be an issue as I can't think of any use case after PTO but still curious why they wouldn't have it.

(2) PW + is the limit per gateway, so the OP might be confused. I imagine if the customer had an inverter that was not part of the Powerwall+ then this setting would not be shown as there is no safe way to operate before PTO since there is no control of PV generation while on grid for other types of inverters.