Powerwall uploads to grid, ignoring my Reserve setting and despite "Self-Powered" mode

[vangent]

I've had the Powerwall (in California USA) for almost a year, but and this behavior is new in the last few weeks.

• At around 5pm, it starts uploading to the grid as fast as it can, until it gets down to 20%; then it stops.
• I'm in "Self-Powered" mode, so I don't think it should be uploading at all.
• My reserve is 50%, so it definitely shouldn't be uploading beyond that.
• There's a "Energy Exports" toggle on my Settings page with possible values "Solar" and "Everything"; while it is uploading, if I set it to "Solar", it stops uploading (yay!). However, the settings keeps resetting itself to "Everything"; me setting it to "Solar" doesn't stick. From what the setting says, it should only be used in "Time-Based Control" mode anyway, not in "Self-Powered".

I've called support a few times about this. They confirmed the behavior. Once, they told me to power cycle everything, which made it stop (until the next day). Once they said I must be in some kind of VPP (Virtual Power Plant) plan, but I haven't signed up for one (and I would think it should respect the in-app settings anyway). The last time they just recorded it as a bug.

Has anyone seen behavior like this? Any tips on how to fix it?

 

[cwied]

It doesn't sound like VPP. It sounds like somehow your Powerwalls are resetting to time-based control, with export everything turned on. The behavior you're describing exactly matches that mode.

 

[vangent]

Maybe. Although the app on my phone shows that the "Energy Exports" is gettin g reset to "Everything", but it stays on "Self-powered" mode. If it's resetting to time-based control, it's not reflecting that in the Settings.

And, even in "Time-based" with "Everything", it should still respect my Reserve setting, right?

 

[cwied]

Maybe. Although the app on my phone shows that the "Energy Exports" is gettin g reset to "Everything", but it stays on "Self-powered" mode. If it's resetting to time-based control, it's not reflecting that in the Settings.

And, even in "Time-based" with "Everything", it should still respect my Reserve setting, right?

Good point. I overlooked that your reserve was set to 50%. I'm guessing it's a provisioning issue on Tesla's side and the system is not correctly set up to be controlled by your account (or is being controlled by another account as well). I vaguely remember somebody having similar issues on a new system. It's odd this happened after the system was running for a year, though. Do you know your gateway's IP address? It might be interesting to see what https://<powerwall ip>/api/operation says your system is configured for.

 

[vangent]

It looks correct:
{"real_mode":"self_consumption","backup_reserve_percent":67.69999999999999,"freq_shift_load_shed_soe":75,"freq_shift_load_shed_delta_f":-0.32}

MODE
Self Consumption

BACKUP RESERVE
67.69999999999999%

GRID CODE
60Hz_240V_s_UL1741SA:2019_California

TIME ZONE
America/Los_Angeles

CUSTOMER VERSION
22.26.2 8cd8cac4

NETWORK
Wi-Fi, CELLULAR

 

[Eric99]

Try making the change from another phone/ipad.

 

[vangent]

Here's another post on Reddit with a similar issue:

https://www.reddit.com/r/Powerwall/comments/102dw23

 

[jhn_]

I've had the Powerwall (in California USA) for almost a year, but and this behavior is new in the last few weeks.

• At around 5pm, it starts uploading to the grid as fast as it can, until it gets down to 20%; then it stops.
• I'm in "Self-Powered" mode, so I don't think it should be uploading at all.
• My reserve is 50%, so it definitely shouldn't be uploading beyond that.
• There's a "Energy Exports" toggle on my Settings page with possible values "Solar" and "Everything"; while it is uploading, if I set it to "Solar", it stops uploading (yay!). However, the settings keeps resetting itself to "Everything"; me setting it to "Solar" doesn't stick. From what the setting says, it should only be used in "Time-Based Control" mode anyway, not in "Self-Powered".

I've called support a few times about this. They confirmed the behavior. Once, they told me to power cycle everything, which made it stop (until the next day). Once they said I must be in some kind of VPP (Virtual Power Plant) plan, but I haven't signed up for one (and I would think it should respect the in-app settings anyway). The last time they just recorded it as a bug.

Has anyone seen behavior like this? Any tips on how to fix it?

Sounds like VPP to me. I bet someone at Tesla mistakenly enrolled your Powerwall into a VPP instead of the one they were supposed to. Data entry entries or typo or similar. You’d think this sort of thing wouldn’t happen, but there have been similar issues posted here before.

The drain at full export until 20% starting between 4-7pm is the behavior of the VPP I’m in. Reserve settings are ignored in my VPP and allowed to take everything up to 20%.

I bet you somehow got enrolled in something similar and shouldn’t have.

 

[vangent]

Yes, my latest call with support confirms that from their end it looks like my Powerwall is cycling between "Self Powered" mode and some kind of VPP mode, multiple times a day. I haven't signed up for a VPP. You would think that they would be able to tell on their end if I'm registered for one; either I was mistakenly enrolled and they can't tell, or this is some kind of bug that's triggering the VPP mode incorrectly.

 

[Supatai99]

I’ve been have the same issue since August when the state started do the flex alert to the overall power grid. Have you been able to fix the issue with Tesla support? I haven’t been able to do’s anything about it. It’s draining from 5pm to 9pm, Monday to Friday, even during the Storms we are currently having.

Please let me know.

 

[vangent]

I’ve been have the same issue since August when the state started do the flex alert to the overall power grid. Have you been able to fix the issue with Tesla support? I haven’t been able to do’s anything about it. It’s draining from 5pm to 9pm, Monday to Friday, even during the Storms we are currently having.

Please let me know.

The best I've found is checking the app every few minutes and changing the "Energy Exports" setting to "Solar". That stops it. It flips back on its own every once in a while, so I have to keep checking it. Other people have said they turn the battery off during those hours. Please call Support and complain, 877-961-7652, the more people that repeatedly call the more likely they will fix it.

 

[vangent]

I have now learned that I am in fact enrolled in a VPP (http://sunrun.com/pce). My installer, Sunrun, sent me an email in July that said "Unless you choose to opt-out, Sunrun hereby acknowledges your consent to participate in the Power On Peninsula Program." I think that email went to my Spam folder, or I just didn't read it through, and since I didn't respond, they enrolled me. I am trying to get unenrolled now.

 

[cwied]

I have now learned that I am in fact enrolled in a VPP (http://sunrun.com/pce). My installer, Sunrun, sent me an email in July that said "Unless you choose to opt-out, Sunrun hereby acknowledges your consent to participate in the Power On Peninsula Program." I think that email went to my Spam folder, or I just didn't read it through, and since I didn't respond, they enrolled me. I am trying to get unenrolled now.

I didn't think Power on Peninsula is a VPP program, are you sure about this? From my reading, Power on Peninsula is just a $500 rebate for customers referred to Sunrun by PCE. There shouldn't be any VPP events at this time of year in California, so even if you were enrolled in one I wouldn't expect any discharging right now. Note, I'm enrolled in the Tesla/PG&E VPP and haven't seen this issue.

 

[vangent]

Sorry, I put the wrong link, it's: PCE FAQ.

I am not sure what the exact definition of "VPP" is, b, but it is definitely an aggregation program, not just a referral (I assumed the same when I got the $500 gift card in the mail and happily spent it).

"At times when your CCA has identified that there will be a high demand or critical period, Sunrun will signal your Sunrun Brightbox system to discharge energy in a specific way to provide optimal support to the grid."

For me, that appears to be every day between 5pm and 9pm. It drains my battery to 20% and then stops. The Tesla/PG&E VPP may very well behave different and target fewer events.

 

[jjrandorin]

Sorry, I put the wrong link, it's: PCE FAQ.

I am not sure what the exact definition of "VPP" is, b, but it is definitely an aggregation program, not just a referral (I assumed the same when I got the $500 gift card in the mail and happily spent it).

"At times when your CCA has identified that there will be a high demand or critical period, Sunrun will signal your Sunrun Brightbox system to discharge energy in a specific way to provide optimal support to the grid."

For me, that appears to be every day between 5pm and 9pm. It drains my battery to 20% and then stops. The Tesla/PG&E VPP may very well behave different and target fewer events.

/e soapbox rant on.......


Perhaps this is just me, but I hate, hate, hhhhhhhaaaaaaaaaaattttttttteeeeeee (and yes I am fully aware "hate" is a strong word that should be used in a reserved manner, if at all), programs that "helpfully enroll you in XYZ, unless you opt OUT".

I dont have any issue at all with "opt-in" programs, but I feel super, duper strongly that any program like this should be opt-in, NOT opt-out. This is done specifically by design, because they KNOW that some people wont opt-out, either because they dont understand what its doing, miss the notice, dont have time, etc.

Its no different than installing some software package, and having some "helpful" add on software that is not needed to run the program be part of the installation, with a checkbox, that is "helpfully" checked... Or the fact that when I was looking at Tesla vehicles in 2018, tesla advertised all pricing on their website with the "helpful" "include gas savings" option being the price they showed.

My utility (SCE) "helpfully" keeps trying to tell me "you have been selected to move to a time of use plan to help blah blah blah, if you do nothing, you will be automatically enrolled....". Nevermind that I am still on NEM 1, with no NBCs, and grandfathered into a tiered plan (the ones they "helpfully" dont offer anymore because they are so advantageous to solar customers. I have to write letters, make phone calls etc to ensure that I am not "helpfully" moved off my plan, because I KNOW they wont move me back, even if they do it "accidently" or "helpfully".

Grrrrrr........

Companies doing this is just wrong. Sunrun is obviously not the only one doing it, but I cant stand anyone "helpfully" making decisions for me that are supposed to be mine. I get annoyed enough at my thermostat nagging me to opt-into giving up control to earn some small $50 payment or something, and having to decline it multiple times a year. I would lose my proverbial !#@!@$ if it automatically enrolled me but I had to opt OUT.

At least it looks like you can unenroll, but if there was an incentive you received, hopefully you dont have to pay it back. Sunrun obviously has a number of these they are trying to hit, etc, which is why they are so "helpful" in automatically enrolling you unless you opt out.

 

[cwied]

Sorry, I put the wrong link, it's: PCE FAQ.

I am not sure what the exact definition of "VPP" is, b, but it is definitely an aggregation program, not just a referral (I assumed the same when I got the $500 gift card in the mail and happily spent it).

Interesting, the verbiage on the program description doesn't make this clear at all. I know Sunrun also participated in the ELRP program last year. I'm still confused why there would be any events at this time of year, though.