PowerWall with Enphase microinverters

[JSkrehot]

Plasma HDTVs were all 6 years old, same for dishwasher, refrigerator and washer. Dishwasher and refrigerators were practically dead. The Plasma TVs were still fully functional, but the replacement price with Samsung 4K LEDs was ridiculous, plus I was able to sell the old HDTVs locally. Replacements were all purchased on Black Friday at Amazon and BestBuy.

The yearly savings in energy I paid to SCE I calculated to be about $2,400 / year, so I will recoup my costs in less than 3 years. After that it is all gains.

To each their own, however, you think you save $2,400 a year in electricity costs for TV's, dishwasher, fridge, and clothes washer? Not trying to start an argument but that is absolutely impossible. You couldn't save that much money yearly if the items you replaced were 15 years old, so definitely not if they were 6 years old. My Kenmore Elite Washer and Dryer are 11-12 years old, I just looked up the specs, they use 172 kWh/year versus new 2017's at 102 kWh/year, that is $17.28 savings per year if I paid $2,000 for a new set, it would take 115 years to pay for themselves, so to "just get new ones that are more efficient" vs buying when needed, it doesn't make financial sense. I just looked up 2013 65" Plasma TV's, they use $38 in energy per year, you probably replaced 2 or 3, however, I am going to calculate that you replaced 10, if you replaced 10 and your new TV's cost $0 to operate (which they don't), you would only save $380 (more like the $76 when replacing 2 or 3 minus the cost to run the new ones) and your other replaced items can't come anywhere close to making up the other savings you claim. I am super interested on how you calculated a $2,400 per year savings!!!! You probably aren't even saving $240/year.

 

[neptune2000]

To each their own, however, you think you save $2,400 a year in electricity costs for TV's, dishwasher, fridge, and clothes washer?.

$2,400 was my average yearly bill from SCE prior to me making the changes of moving to 100% LEDs lights and replacing the listed appliances. The biggest changes came from replacing over 200 lights (mostly flood), the 2 Plasma displays and the 2007 Mac Pro. The $38 / year for the plasma is completely bogus. This past February of got a check from SCE for $65. I'm on Net Metering and for the first year I am energy negative. Anyway, I am not really interested in continuing an argument. I'm moving on. Cheers.

But anyone still on the original subject of this thread, I am still interested in your experiences with Enphase microinveerters and Tesla Powerwall.

 

[neptune2000]

Please note, although you can use power from the grid at any time for home use, the Tesla Powerwall CAN NOT charge with grid power when solar is installed. Per the Tesla FAQ below:

Absolutely. Tesla is pretty specific in the fact that they are doing this because it is required to get the ITC credit. I have another thread where a recent Letter from the IRS makes it pretty clear that it is a requirement for the ITC credit.

On the other hand, at night when solar panels are not generating any energy, you can either get your house energy from the Powerwall or the grid.

 

[liuping]

But anyone still on the original subject of this thread, I am still interested in your experiences with Enphase microinveerters and Tesla Powerwall.

Powerwall 2s work fine with the Enphase Micro inverters and pretty much any other inverter, since the AC output of the inverter is what feeds the Powerwalls.

We have 20 M215 inverters with 240W panels and 13 M250 with 275W panels. It all works as is should

Here's my PVoutput for typical day: the high usage from 12-1:30am and 2-4:30am are the Model S and Model 3 charging. The high usage from 5-8am is the mostly the Heatpump warming up the house. The Powerwalls start charging from excess solar starting at around 7am and finish at 10am, at which point all the solar starts going to the grid. At 5:30 the Powerwalls supplement the solar to cover our usage until 10:30pm.

 

[neptune2000]

Powerwall 2s work fine with the Enphase Micro inverters and pretty much any other inverter, since the AC output of the inverter is what feeds the Powerwalls.

We have 20 M215 inverters with 240W panels and 13 M250 with 275W panels. It all works as is should

Here's my PVoutput for typical day: the high usage from 12-1:30am and 2-4:30am are the Model S and Model 3 charging. The high usage from 5-8am is the mostly the Heatpump warming up the house. The Powerwalls start charging from excess solar starting at around 7am and finish at 10am, at which point all the solar starts going to the grid. At 5:30 the Powerwalls supplement the solar to cover our usage until 10:30pm.

View attachment 286240

Nice. I have a system about 1/2 if your size, 17 panels of Canadian Solar CS6P 240P Watt PV Modules, with 17 Enphase M215 microinverters, a 4,080 Watt system, where I can probably manage with just 1 Powerwall 2. I have gas (heating, dryer, 2 BBQ) and no A/C being in the South Bay, so I do not have any "guzzler".

This is my system Marco & Kerry System.

Do you discharge the Powerwall until you reach 30%? Do you use self-powered mode? We have Net Metering here at least until 2019, so until then Time-Based Control does not really make much sense.

 

[liuping]

Do you discharge the Powerwall until you reach 30%? Do you use self-powered mode? We have Net Metering here at least until 2019, so until then Time-Based Control does not really make much sense.

I have it set lower than 30% discharge most of the time, since in winter it does not matter (peak and off peak are 1 penny a kWh difference).

I have NEM 1.0, but since I've solar for more than 5 years, I am hit by the new TOU peak rate hours of 4-9pm. During the summer that will be $0.5378 per kWh, so it will rapidly eat up the credits we earn from the solar during offpeak ($0..2861/kWh). At that time I will use the power walls to offset 100% of our peak usage and, if that is not enough, whatever else I need to be SGIP compliant.

 

[neptune2000]

I have it set lower than 30% discharge most of the time, since in winter it does not matter (peak and off peak are 1 penny a kWh difference).

I have NEM 1.0, but since I've solar for more than 5 years, I am hit by the new TOU peak rate hours of 4-9pm. During the summer that will be $0.5378 per kWh, so it will rapidly eat up the credits we earn from the solar during offpeak ($0..2861/kWh). At that time I will use the power walls to offset 100% of our peak usage and, if that is not enough, whatever else I need to be SGIP compliant.

Got it. I will have NEM even at 17c flat all day for at least the next couple of years. Then I'l have to start playing with Time-Based control.

 

[liuping]

Got it. I will have NEM even at 17c flat all day for at least the next couple of years. Then I'l have to start playing with Time-Based control.

Man I wish we had $0.17 flat rate here in San Diego.

Our cheapest tiered rate (on the lowest tier) is $.0.27104, and it goes up to $0.55361 for the 3rd tier. Our lowest summer TOU super off peak rate (midnight to 5am) is $0.22801.

 

[neptune2000]

Man I wish we had $0.17 flat rate here in San Diego.

Our cheapest tiered rate (on the lowest tier) is $.0.27104, and it goes up to $0.55361 for the 3rd tier. Our lowest summer TOU super off peak rate (midnight to 5am) is $0.22801.

Here in LA, SCE rates are thesee:

Tier 1: 17c, 0-307kWh
Tier 2: 25c, 308-1229kWh
High Usage: 35c, 1230+kWh

 

[Lasttoy]

I was ordering 2 power walls, in the conversation, the man said i had to use their installer at their price. I said no, hell no. I have my own free licenced electricians. He would not sell me the walls without me accepting their electrician. I cancelled the order. We installed my entire system, and it passed code inspectors. So much for open competition. This is not rocket science, a couple of wires, all color coded.
I installed my 14.50 outlet, it passed code inspection. Oh well.