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Powerwall capacity not utilized?
- Thread starter tinbad
- Start date
schrodarkian
Member
What’s your setting in “Customize”? Self-powered, or Advanced? If you’re on a TOU plan you should definitely check out Advanced. From your graph I would guess you’re on Self-powered.
Have you ever drawn more than 5 kW at a time purely off the PWs? For example, by charging an EV? That would be a guarantee that 2 are operational.
What’s your PW reserve at in the morning? Is it 75% as in the screenshot, or something else?
My settings are Advanced > Balanced, with a peak from 4p to 9p, and a shoulder from 9p to 4a. Usually the PWs will power the home from 4p to 4a and then give it up with the EVs kick in... although sometimes they’ll discharge for a bit to charge the cars too. My reserve is 40%, and usually I’ll be at 40-50% in the AM.
Have you ever drawn more than 5 kW at a time purely off the PWs? For example, by charging an EV? That would be a guarantee that 2 are operational.
What’s your PW reserve at in the morning? Is it 75% as in the screenshot, or something else?
My settings are Advanced > Balanced, with a peak from 4p to 9p, and a shoulder from 9p to 4a. Usually the PWs will power the home from 4p to 4a and then give it up with the EVs kick in... although sometimes they’ll discharge for a bit to charge the cars too. My reserve is 40%, and usually I’ll be at 40-50% in the AM.
Self powered, played with different settings but had it on 35% reserve for last few days.
Don’t have an EV, I think the most it has drawn is maybe 5.5 when dryer is running at night so maybe both are working but not 100%?
Decided to give Tesla a a call and they said I have a “low power” issue. They made me reset everything and said they will now monitor for next 24 hours and let me know. Anyone had something like this before?
So in the morning, last few days it’s been 34-33% (because I have 35% reserve set). As you can see, at some point in the middle of the night it hits 35% and starts drawing from grid. I read somewhere that keeping at 35%-50% charge prolongs battery life and with my usage and having 2 PWs, I should easily be able to be self powered, even with reserve set at 35% (or probably even higher)
charlesj
Active Member
I am far from being the expert on this as I only have knowledge from reading here.
The image with the powerwall while only showing 1 it also has a 2X so both are operating. I doubt the programming would only utilize one battery until the 2nd is needed. And the numbers seem to add up
and they better. Power just doesn't fly into space.
The image with the powerwall while only showing 1 it also has a 2X so both are operating. I doubt the programming would only utilize one battery until the 2nd is needed. And the numbers seem to add up
and they better. Power just doesn't fly into space.
There definitely has been at least one report here before of somebody who got two Powerwalls and had to have one replaced because it wasn't working. I think Tesla is probably the only one able to tell you for sure, but I agree that your usage pattern looks suspicious. You should have been able to be 100% self-powered with two Powerwalls given those charts.
schrodarkian
Member
Yeah you should be able to get more out than me with a 35% reserve. We have the same sized systems. With a 40% I get up to 14+ kW out of the PWs. Usually 10-13 kW. Of course the data is spread over 2 days so it’s not perfect. One cycle would really be the charge phase, then discharge from 4p to 8a the next day. But close enough.
If you’re topping out in the 9’s and touching your reserve it seems odd. Your maths look correct, except is it 10% loss each way or round trip?
Hope Tesla fixed it.
If you’re topping out in the 9’s and touching your reserve it seems odd. Your maths look correct, except is it 10% loss each way or round trip?
Hope Tesla fixed it.
I agree with the " you should be able to be 100% self powered with those numbers". I also use self powered, and I also use 35% as my reserve, and I also have 2 powerwalls, and my solar is generating almost exactly the amount of power as OP is in these shots when I am not charging my EV.
Under these conditions, the tesla app reports 100% self powered if I have sunny days.
darhall993
Member
I've recently had the same issue as Tinbad reports above.
Quick summary, after having a single PW2 for about a year I added a 2nd unit. At this point the app showed the 2X icon and appeared to be working properly. After a couple of sunny days I noticed there was only around 10kWh added to my batteries. (I have 18% reserve so this is consistent with a single PW2). Upon investigation I noticed the app would show charging up to 30% and then would suddenly jump to around 80%. I called Tesla support and after a few phones call they sent an RMA for a replacement unit. I had my Powerwall's installed by a Tesla authorized dealer, so they shipped a new unit, installed it and made sure the Firmware was updated and the same on both units. Now I can charge and disperse the full amount of battery ~20kWh including the reserve.
I can also see 10kW sustained which is nice. Screen shot below is when a high powered sander running connected via NEMA 14-50 plug.
Hope this helps, let me know if have more questions or if I can help.
Quick summary, after having a single PW2 for about a year I added a 2nd unit. At this point the app showed the 2X icon and appeared to be working properly. After a couple of sunny days I noticed there was only around 10kWh added to my batteries. (I have 18% reserve so this is consistent with a single PW2). Upon investigation I noticed the app would show charging up to 30% and then would suddenly jump to around 80%. I called Tesla support and after a few phones call they sent an RMA for a replacement unit. I had my Powerwall's installed by a Tesla authorized dealer, so they shipped a new unit, installed it and made sure the Firmware was updated and the same on both units. Now I can charge and disperse the full amount of battery ~20kWh including the reserve.
I can also see 10kW sustained which is nice. Screen shot below is when a high powered sander running connected via NEMA 14-50 plug.
Hope this helps, let me know if have more questions or if I can help.
darhall993
Member
It was about 3 weeks for TESLA to ship a replacement, then a couple more weeks for my Solar installers to get it scheduled. They key was to get TESLA support to realize it wasn’t utilizing the 2nd unit. Good luck, let us know what ur progress is.
schrodarkian
Member
Have you checked your battery breakers? Not the switch on the batteries, but the actual breakers they are connected to?
My four batteries were installed in October. I noticed it would occasionally show jumps in the SOC, like from 55% to 90%, and then back to 55%. Like you, I didn't think I was getting the amount of discharge that I should, but the app showed 4X and everything looked ok. I called support about a different issue, and while I was on the phone, the tech told me that one of my battery breakers was tripped. At first, I looked at each battery and told her "No, all the lights are on", then I looked in the panel, and sure enough, one of the breakers had tripped. According to the tech, it had been tripped for a few weeks. Once I reset it, everything is as it should be.
My four batteries were installed in October. I noticed it would occasionally show jumps in the SOC, like from 55% to 90%, and then back to 55%. Like you, I didn't think I was getting the amount of discharge that I should, but the app showed 4X and everything looked ok. I called support about a different issue, and while I was on the phone, the tech told me that one of my battery breakers was tripped. At first, I looked at each battery and told her "No, all the lights are on", then I looked in the panel, and sure enough, one of the breakers had tripped. According to the tech, it had been tripped for a few weeks. Once I reset it, everything is as it should be.
charlesj
Active Member
Interesting.
This is a case to have the app notify the owner that there is a battery issue, not wait for the owner to discover it. by chance.
I agree with this... but you WILL be checking the app several times a day at minimum, just because... Its mesmerizing.
Ulmo
Active Member
A call to technical support seems like a good idea at this point to inquire about this and confirm. It might take a few weeks to investigate on both sides. Keep calling them whenever you have some new information to push Tesla along.
When talking to Tesla, they had me reset the breakers - both where ON though so that's probably not it.
After their "24 hour monitor" they confirmed that battery isn't working properly so it's been escalated to 2nd line support. They supposed to get back in 3-5 business days so here's hoping everything will work out.
Also received a call today from someone assisting my original sales person, apparently they never filed for PTO and had me sign some paper that they forgot initially (ugh!). Hope that's not going to screw with my taxes as Tesla kept promising that I would be eligible for last years credit (install date was 12/12/19).
After their "24 hour monitor" they confirmed that battery isn't working properly so it's been escalated to 2nd line support. They supposed to get back in 3-5 business days so here's hoping everything will work out.
Also received a call today from someone assisting my original sales person, apparently they never filed for PTO and had me sign some paper that they forgot initially (ugh!). Hope that's not going to screw with my taxes as Tesla kept promising that I would be eligible for last years credit (install date was 12/12/19).
Yes, I made the suggestion to them that, if they have the tools to detect this, they should be reaching out to the customer.