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Solar install with no more room in main panel

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I will be installing solar and powerwall. My main electric panel has no more room for new breaker.
But Tesla said it is ok not to upgrade panel? I asked the project advisor how they can workaround it but did not get clear respond. He just sent me the tie-in strategy they would follow (as attached) and Main Panel Upgrade (MPU) would be the last option if none of other method can work. It is not clear to me what all these methods are.
Some local electrician came by to inspect my panel and also doubted how Tesla can install solar without having a panel upgrade.

Anyone has similar experience?
 

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Yup. The typical approach would be to make the powerwall gateway your new main service panel. Your existing panel will connect back to the gateway as a loads subpanel, and they will add a new generation panel where your solar inverter and powerwall breakers will land.

And probably a big fat blade disconnect or two for good measure. Everybody loves blade disconnects.
 
My panel is also full. My install came with a Backup Switch (installed on its own base adjacent to the utility meter) instead of a Gateway.

Like above, they installed a separate generation panel with breakers for the Powerwalls.

What’s sounds different is that they tapped the output of the generation panel into the mains feeding the full house panel.


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I will be installing solar and powerwall. My main electric panel has no more room for new breaker.
But Tesla said it is ok not to upgrade panel? I asked the project advisor how they can workaround it but did not get clear respond. He just sent me the tie-in strategy they would follow (as attached) and Main Panel Upgrade (MPU) would be the last option if none of other method can work. It is not clear to me what all these methods are.
Some local electrician came by to inspect my panel and also doubted how Tesla can install solar without having a panel upgrade.

Anyone has similar experience?

The problem with the approach of using the gateway as the service panel is that homes in San Jose often have a combination meter main panel. You can't just put a new gateway in front of the service panel there and call it good. Service panels in this area are often listed ONLY as service equipment and have main bonding jumpers that cannot be removed easily and must be cut.

If you proceed, it seems like Tesla will figure it out in the field based on the hierarchy there. They don't seem to know specifically what they will do yet either. If they can make the backup switch work, maybe they will do that.

Take a picture of your service panel with the door open and of the sticker inside the door and you might get some free advice on your specific situation.
 
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My panel is not full either, but had one empty slot. Still has that empty slot. Only panel work required during install was disconnecting meter feed and replacing it with Gateway feed. No subpanel required either, with whole house backup. All system inputs go to Gateway - grid meter feed, inverter feeds, and Powerwall feeds. Gateway distributes to/from grid, to/from Powerwalls, to load center.
 
My panel was completely full also. Tesla connected my meter to the gateway, and ran new lines to my main panel, essentially turning my entire panel into a subpanel (sounds similar to @djlandkpl). Before it went directly from meter to main panel.

View attachment 946942
The way mine is routed. Not sure exactly how an essential loads subpanel routing goes, but whole house backup shouldn't need empty breaker slot(s) in the main panel.
 
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