Powerwall: Three-phase house

[Edmom5]

I have a 3 phase solar inverter and a PW2.

The PW2 charges and discharges over one phase, but it can monitor all three. I have a single phase critical circuits sub-board that it backups during an outage.

When my three phase solar is exporting the powerwall charges at the full rate upto 5 kW, not 1/3 as suggested above. It does this by monitoring all phases and balancing export on phase 2 & 3 by increasing import on phase 1. So the instant net power draw from the grid is zero across all three phases.

During an outage a single phase solar inverter can recharge the battery, a three phase solar inverter cannot recharge the battery during an outage, but that wasn't important to me so I has happy with that limitation.

Hi Mark

I'm doing the same - have a current PW2 on a single phase inverter, but now putting in 3 phase and adding two more inverters and another 13kW on the roof. Interested in how they wired your Gateway...

 

[BGbreeder]

Hi Mark

I'm doing the same - have a current PW2 on a single phase inverter, but now putting in 3 phase and adding two more inverters and another 13kW on the roof. Interested in how they wired your Gateway...

Welcome to TMC!

Are you adding two more powerwalls, or staying with just the one?

All the best,

BG

 

[sam123456]

Hi,
Does anyone know if the Gateway 2 for a Tesla Powerwall 2 can monitor 3 phases without net metering?
We have had a Powerwall 2 for the past 3 years on a single phase supply, which has just been upgraded to 3 phase. I'm aware that the Powerwall can only supply to one phase and that internationally it can also provide net metering (export on its phase to offset use from other phases), however in New Zealand power companies do not support net metering.
Does the Powerwall Gateway support (provided the additional CT clamps are installed) monitoring all 3 phases (without net metering export) solely for the purpose of keeping track of house power consumption / monitoring.

Thanks,
Sam

 

[BGbreeder]

Hi,
Does anyone know if the Gateway 2 for a Tesla Powerwall 2 can monitor 3 phases without net metering?
We have had a Powerwall 2 for the past 3 years on a single phase supply, which has just been upgraded to 3 phase. I'm aware that the Powerwall can only supply to one phase and that internationally it can also provide net metering (export on its phase to offset use from other phases), however in New Zealand power companies do not support net metering.
Does the Powerwall Gateway support (provided the additional CT clamps are installed) monitoring all 3 phases (without net metering export) solely for the purpose of keeping track of house power consumption / monitoring.

Thanks,
Sam

This suggests that it has to;

https://support.solarquotes.com.au/hc/en-us/articles/115002152473-Can-I-install-a-single-Powerwall2-on-a-3-phase-supply-

An explainer here;

It is pretty common hereabouts for Powerwalls not to be allowed to send power to the grid, I.e. no net metering, but the Gateway has to know about demand across all three phases.

All the best,

BG

 

[sam123456]

Hi, Thanks for the response.
That's what i thought, but the installer said its not possible in NZ.

Thanks,
Sam

 

[sam123456]

The installer has apparently been in touch with Tesla and is insisting the Powerwall is incapable of simply monitoring the energy usage across all 3 phases without exporting for net metering.

 

[BGbreeder]

The installer has apparently been in touch with Tesla and is insisting the Powerwall is incapable of simply monitoring the energy usage across all 3 phases without exporting for net metering.

Can I suggest that you reach out directly to Tesla? It sounds as if either something is getting lost on the phone line, or different groups are describing different things.

As I understand it, you want to be able to monitor all three phases, and not export power. Right?

My only thoughts are that a) the gateway is clearly capable of monitoring the other two phases as it does that as part of net metering for other three phase installations, and b) the only ask on your side is that it not change its behavior depending on the other two phases, specifically that it shouldn't export.

As Powerwalls elsewhere are readily programmed not to export (it is a configurable parameter in the software for the Gateway.), I find it hard to comprehend the issue, even allowing for the fact that this is Tesla.

All the best,

BG

 

[sam123456]

Can I suggest that you reach out directly to Tesla? It sounds as if either something is getting lost on the phone line, or different groups are describing different things.

As I understand it, you want to be able to monitor all three phases, and not export power. Right?

My only thoughts are that a) the gateway is clearly capable of monitoring the other two phases as it does that as part of net metering for other three phase installations, and b) the only ask on your side is that it not change its behavior depending on the other two phases, specifically that it shouldn't export.

As Powerwalls elsewhere are readily programmed not to export (it is a configurable parameter in the software for the Gateway.), I find it hard to comprehend the issue, even allowing for the fact that this is Tesla.

All the best,

BG

As I understand it, you want to be able to monitor all three phases, and not export power. Right?

Hi,
Not exactly, and therein lies the problem i suspect.
I don't want to disable exporting entirely, when the Powerwall is full and the panels are generating power i still want to be able to export. However i don't want the Powerwall to export on its phase specifically to offset imports on the other 2 phases, as (due to the lack of net metering in NZ) will still be billed 34c/ kwh for the other phases import but only paid 7c/kwh for the power exported from the Powerwall on its phase to offset the power import on the other 2 phases.

So basically i don't want to export for Net Metering purposes

Thanks,
Sam

 

[BGbreeder]

Hi,
Not exactly, and therein lies the problem i suspect.
I don't want to disable exporting entirely, when the Powerwall is full and the panels are generating power i still want to be able to export. However i don't want the Powerwall to export on its phase specifically to offset imports on the other 2 phases, as (due to the lack of net metering in NZ) will still be billed 34c/ kwh for the other phases import but only paid 7c/kwh for the power exported from the Powerwall on its phase to offset the power import on the other 2 phases.

So basically i don't want to export for Net Metering purposes

Thanks,
Sam

Got it! That sounds like self consumption, again, a supported mode of operation, but with no net metering, which may be the issue. What do other Powerwall owners have as a setup in New Zealand?

If it were me, I would call Tesla. Email may get lost.

Have you read this thread?
Thread '3 Phase Powerwall'
3 Phase Powerwall

All the best,

BG

 

[JohnMT]

Hi, I am in UK with 3-phase, 8.4kWp PV, 2 Powerwalls (started with 1 and added 2nd later). System in 3 years and on Octopus Go tariff (also have Tesla EV).
I would be happy to explain how this all works on the phone but too much to type here and I think various comments on here may only have confused rather than clarified.
please PM me if you would like to discuss. (I’m not selling anything btw!)

Hi John. Thanks for sharing your PW in a 3-phase (3P) home experience. My new home in Dorking UK will have a 3-phase meter, 1 x PW2 and some 8 kWh PV by end of this summer. PV will be Maxeon6 AC units with microinverters built-in to each panel. No additional inverter is required says the installer. He also says it would be 'better' to have 3 x PW2 units to balance the system. But I can't afford 3 x PW units now. Does 1 x PW on 3P work? Or should I delay the 3P meter and keep the house on a single phase meter on L1 (with L2 and L3 capped off) until I can justify 3 x PW units on a 3P meter? Love to hear how your system worked on 1 x PW and now on two units. My installer also says we can't have a GO tariff on 3P. Is he right? How do I PM you my details?

Hi, I am in UK with 3-phase, 8.4kWp PV, 2 Powerwalls (started with 1 and added 2nd later). System in 3 years and on Octopus Go tariff (also have Tesla EV).
I would be happy to explain how this all works on the phone but too much to type here and I think various comments on here may only have confused rather than clarified.
please PM me if you would like to discuss. (I’m not selling anything btw!)

 

[JohnMT]

Hi, I am in UK with 3-phase, 8.4kWp PV, 2 Powerwalls (started with 1 and added 2nd later). System in 3 years and on Octopus Go tariff (also have Tesla EV).
I would be happy to explain how this all works on the phone but too much to type here and I think various comments on here may only have confused rather than clarified.
please PM me if you would like to discuss. (I’m not selling anything btw!)

Hi John. On further reading, it seems this forum no longer enables newbies to send PMs. But you might be able to send a PM to me, so we can talk. Best John