PowerWall 2 with no inverter same price as one with?

[LivingInThe6ix]

I find this hard to believe. Same price for a Powerwall 2 with or without inverter? You would would think that Tesla would want to upsell potential combos by making the second one you buy without an inverter more affordable.

The New Tesla Powerwall Is Actually Two Different Products

Anyone have any thoughts or additional info?

 

[MP3Mike]

I find this hard to believe. Same price for a Powerwall 2 with or without inverter? You would would think that Tesla would want to upsell potential combos by making the second one you buy without an inverter more affordable.

The New Tesla Powerwall Is Actually Two Different Products

Anyone have any thoughts or additional info?

But if you need an invertor for the first Powerwall you would need it for the second Powerwall as well. Otherwise the second Powerwall would extend how long you could run on the Powerwall, but not increase the load handling ability. (One Powerwall won't put out enough kWs for what I would want it to power; so I would need multiple.)

And maybe in the DC/non-invertor version they have to add something else in place to handle the DC power in/out. (I don't know if the SolarEdge invertor handles everything or not. Charge control/etc.) I see the article you linked said that it does have a DC-DC convertor included...

 

[miimura]

And maybe in the DC/non-invertor version they have to add something else in place to handle the DC power in/out. (I don't know if the SolarEdge invertor handles everything or not. Charge control/etc.) I see the article you linked said that it does have a DC-DC convertor included...

My understanding is that PowerWall 2.0 either has an AC Inverter or a DC/DC converter. In the DC PowerWall configuration, the SolarEdge inverter cannot do everything because the battery voltage cannot be locked to the solar string voltage. The SolarEdge's job is to keep the solar string at its max power point of voltage and current. Some of that energy will go through the inverter to AC and some will go into or out of the battery. The DC/DC converter does that job, following the commanded power or current in or out of the battery pack. The AC PowerWall configuration is probably simpler to understand because there is just the battery pack and the AC power in/out.

 

[Hash Browns]

My understanding is that PowerWall 2.0 either has an AC Inverter or a DC/DC converter.

This is correct. Both versions of the Powerwall 2 have power electronics, which could in theory cost the same to manufacture. The DC connected Powerwall (the one without an inverter) has a DC/DC converter, whereas the AC connected Powerwall has a DC to AC inverter. Both are forms of power electronics.

If you are doing a brand new solar installation, you'd probably go with the DC-connected Powerwall 2. It will be more efficient to use a single inverter for the solar and Powerwall 2 together. No matter how many Powerwall 2s you need, for this type of install, they'll all be the DC-connected version.

If you are installing a Powerwall 2 as a retrofit to an existing solar installation, where you already have a solar inverter, you'd probably pick the AC connected Powerwall, so you don't have the added expense/hassle of taking out and upgrading your existing inverter. Again, no matter how many Powerwall 2s you want for this type of install, they'd all be the AC connected version.

Similarly, if you're doing a Powerwall 2 install without solar (just backup for example) then you'd also go for the AC connected Powerwall 2 to simplify cost and installation.

Inclusion of the inverter not about up-selling as the original poster suggested, it's about compatibility with different types of homes.

Hope that helps.