PowerWall Cold Start without Grid Power

[Vines]

How did the system end up in that circumstance?

I thought this thread was for the case of off grid and PWs offline because they hit the low charge level self-protection limit. And then you have to do a "cold start" to bring them back online, presumably with all loads turned off and the sun shining, so they can reestablish the microgrid and let the PV inverters sync and start charging them again.

Cheers, Wayne

Activation of the remote battery disconnect button, while the grid is down will take the system down such that it cannot return until the grid does or it is dark/jump started.

Also if the grid is down and all powerwall breakers and switches are off it will need a darkstart if the gateway is reset. Not sure of the exact combination here but have seen a customer in this state who had no button to activate and started turning things off, then tried a gateway reset. Their system could never return on its own after the TEG was reset with the internal button.

 

[reddy]

I'm a layperson and using this and another TMC thread I was able to jump my powerwall today.
The first 12v powerbank I tried wasn't able to jump it - it just turned off when I connected it. I eventually tried with a more powerful power station that had a 12v cigarette lighter and it started right up.
Circumstance:
Powerwalls fully charged but offline, medium sun, grid outage
Steps:
1. Ensure powerwall switch is on
2. Remove cover from gateway
3. Instal wires into jump pins on gateway
4. Touch wires to 12v power source
5. See lights go on in the gateway
6. Wait about 5 minutes, powerwall backup resumed

For step 4, 'touch wires to 12 v power source', I am assuming that you used an automotive jump starter with a 12v cigarette lighter socket.

How much power is needed to jumpstart via the pins? Is this power just signaling the gateway to start, or is it actually using that power to boot something internally?

How long of a touch are we talking here ? 2 seconds, or 2 minutes ?

 

[tmpope]

How did the system end up in that circumstance?

I thought this thread was for the case of off grid and PWs offline because they hit the low charge level self-protection limit. And then you have to do a "cold start" to bring them back online, presumably with all loads turned off and the sun shining, so they can reestablish the microgrid and let the PV inverters sync and start charging them again.

Cheers, Wayne

My system failed to take over when the power initially went out. I tried a couple troubleshooting bad tips I found online, mostly iterations of 'turn it off and on again' and one of them got me stuck in the bad state requiring a cold start, since the powerwalls only give power to the gateway if the gateway tells them to, and the gateway doesn't have power to tell them to

 

[tmpope]

For step 4, 'touch wires to 12 v power source', I am assuming that you used an automotive jump starter with a 12v cigarette lighter socket.

How much power is needed to jumpstart via the pins? Is this power just signaling the gateway to start, or is it actually using that power to boot something internally?

How long of a touch are we talking here ? 2 seconds, or 2 minutes ?

Under 2 seconds, once I used a proper power source. The first couple power banks I tried were unable to wake it up, there's some more discussion of that here: Help: Powerwall Cold/Jump started without grid power [resolved]

 

[Vines]

My system failed to take over when the power initially went out. I tried a couple troubleshooting bad tips I found online, mostly iterations of 'turn it off and on again' and one of them got me stuck in the bad state requiring a cold start, since the powerwalls only give power to the gateway if the gateway tells them to, and the gateway doesn't have power to tell them to

Exactly this. From what I know you never want to touch the Powerwall breakers themselves, and also you don't want or need to turn off more than one of the Powerwalls at the switch on the side when resetting the system.

If the powerwalls stop powering the gateway and the gateway is reset while the grid is down, you will go dark.

 

[wwhitney]

Exactly this. From what I know you never want to touch the Powerwall breakers themselves, and also you don't want or need to turn off more than one of the Powerwalls at the switch on the side when resetting the system.

Does that mean there are reset procedures that are only possible to do on systems with 2 or more PWs? With no alternative procedure for systems with just 1 PW?

Cheers, Wayne

 

[CrazyRabbit]

Cold start is required when off grid, like if someone hits the big red button.

I like the term dark start for this.

 

[Vines]

Does that mean there are reset procedures that are only possible to do on systems with 2 or more PWs? With no alternative procedure for systems with just 1 PW?

Cheers, Wayne

Not that I know of, but I haven't installed a system that small.

I imagine that the first switch off of the breaker and enable switch will take you down with just 1 powerwall. The switch on the side would still reset that system as long as nobody touched the breaker.

 

[1100MCM]

Cold start is required when off grid, like if someone hits the big red button.

I like the term dark start for this.

There’s already a term for this from the power industry: black start. Most power generation plants can’t start making electricity unless there’s existing grid power or an existing power source. If a large part of the grid or a regional grid were to go down there’s at least a few plants that are designated black start facilities to eventually get the whole grid going again. Usually these are hydro facilities for obvious reasons (since gravity and falling water can get the generator started making electricity without any other external source) and fossil plants with standby diesel generators.