Powerwall+ inverter location for temperature consideration

[gpez]

After a bit of a hiatus, I'm back! We recently moved into a new home and am getting solar installed now. Exciting stuff but I could use the help of the forum for a question that just came up.

New home is in a location where mean maximum high in the summer is 95f / 35c and mean minimum low in the winter is -17f / -27c, has 400a service, pre-run conduit for solar and battery in the basement. We opted for a Powerwall+ system, battery is just for backup. Inverter is physically separate from the actual Powerwall battery which is nice because that limits the amount of back and forth from the basement.

The inverter sticker says the operating range of the inverter is -30c to 55c. That's darn close to the mean minimum and it's likely that we'll have at least some time over the next few years where the temperature will dip below that (record lows are -40f / -40c).

Question is: anyone have experience with the Powerwall+ inverter in colder climates? Does it make sense at all to consider putting the inverter in the (heated and insulated) garage or is it not worth the pain of install and loss of garage wall space?

 

[BGbreeder]

If you want it to function when it is really cold, I would locate the Powerwall(s) in a conditioned space, or at least a condition-able space. As you point out, the low is actually a mean minimum, which means (pun intended) that it does get colder than that regularly.

Fire resistant battery room in the basement?

 

[Docfxit]

Please consider recording the temperature in the basement and the outside temperature. I think you will find the basement will be closer to the temperature of the earth in your area. And it will be a lot more consistent than you think. Lots of people like using a basement for living area because it's cooler in the summer and warmer (than the rest of the house) in the winter.

 

[gpez]

See, I posted this and knew it was going to cause confusion...

The battery will be in the basement - much more temperate which will make it happier. There is no fireproofing consideration other than it will be hung on a concrete foundation wall.

The question I have is for the inverter. It will be either on the exterior garage wall, subject to the elements which will be in the operating range for the vast majority of it's life, or inside of the heated and insulated garage where it takes up precious garage space?

 

[BGbreeder]

See, I posted this and knew it was going to cause confusion...

The battery will be in the basement - much more temperate which will make it happier. There is no fireproofing consideration other than it will be hung on a concrete foundation wall.

The question I have is for the inverter. It will be either on the exterior garage wall, subject to the elements which will be in the operating range for the vast majority of it's life, or inside of the heated and insulated garage where it takes up precious garage space?

I would tuck the inverter in the basement. It isn't that big, and it will be much "happier" summer and winter.

Even if your local code doesn't require it, I would be thinking of extra sheet rock enclosing the battery area. If it catches fire there, what stops the house from being a write-off?

 

[gpez]

I would tuck the inverter in the basement. It isn't that big, and it will be much "happier" summer and winter.

Not possible with the conduit that was run - it's already maxed out with the battery.

I would tuck the inverter in the basement. It isn't that big, and it will be much "happier" summer and winter.

Even if your local code doesn't require it, I would be thinking of extra sheet rock enclosing the battery area. If it catches fire there, what stops the house from being a write-off?

Nothing, but that's the same as any other electrical or natural gas appliance in the entire house. It'll be mounted on a concrete wall and the ceiling is sheetrock. Unless there's some fire safety concern I'm not aware of I'm not any more worried about it than the other dangers in the house.

 

[yblaser]

I've never heard of the PW+ without the integrated solar inverter. I thought that was the main difference between the PW2 and PW+?

 

[gpez]

I've never heard of the PW+ without the integrated solar inverter. I thought that was the main difference between the PW2 and PW+?

From what my installer says it's a new offering this year, same hardware just not fully integrated (have to run the power + comms). It's described on the order as "Tesla Powerwall+ with inverter".