Solar w/Whole Home Battery Backup Questions

[PulsarSurfer]

Hello, I've been working with Tesla on getting my home hooked up with solar and what I initially asked for was a whole home battery backup solution. They came back and indicated I can only have a partial home backup because "the current max branch breaker size being 125A" and I would need a Main Service Panel (MSP) upgrade to facilitate a whole home backup.


My questions are 1) my current MSP is model SC3040M200RS which appears to be discontinued and replaced by SC3042M200PS - All in one, Homeline, CSED, ringed socket, 200A, surface mount, 30 spaces, 42 circuits, 22kA SCCR, no bypass, solar ready | Schneider Electric USA which, if I'm reading this correctly, the newer model has a branch size of 200A? Which is what I need to do whole home backup?

2) Will Tesla basically be moving all of my current loads from the MSP to their sub-panel even though I just replaced the MSP? Basically making this new panel just a pass through to the Gateway?

3) Is the reason I can't have a whole home backup without this upgrade because I would be limiting myself to 125A?

4) Since I’m looking to upgrade the MSP, is there something I should be looking for or is something like the SC3042M200PS a good option?

I think I'm answering my own questions as I write this, but I'd like someone to validate my thoughts since the Project Manager has been less responsive than I’d like.

Thanks

 

[BGbreeder]

Hello, I've been working with Tesla on getting my home hooked up with solar and what I initially asked for was a whole home battery backup solution. They came back and indicated I can only have a partial home backup because "the current max branch breaker size being 125A" and I would need a Main Service Panel (MSP) upgrade to facilitate a whole home backup.


My questions are 1) my current MSP is model SC3040M200RS which appears to be discontinued and replaced by SC3042M200PS - All in one, Homeline, CSED, ringed socket, 200A, surface mount, 30 spaces, 42 circuits, 22kA SCCR, no bypass, solar ready | Schneider Electric USA which, if I'm reading this correctly, the newer model has a branch size of 200A? Which is what I need to do whole home backup?

2) Will Tesla basically be moving all of my current loads from the MSP to their sub-panel even though I just replaced the MSP? Basically making this new panel just a pass through to the Gateway?

3) Is the reason I can't have a whole home backup without this upgrade because I would be limiting myself to 125A?

4) Since I’m looking to upgrade the MSP, is there something I should be looking for or is something like the SC3042M200PS a good option?

I think I'm answering my own questions as I write this, but I'd like someone to validate my thoughts since the Project Manager has been less responsive than I’d like.

Thanks

Welcome to Teslamotorsclub.com!

#1- the key phrase is "solar ready", which should mean it has 225A bus bars. However, in the link above, it doesn't. You probably want 225A bus bars.
#2 Yup. The new MSP is there just to provide a circuit breaker for the total load.
#3 Yup.
#4 See #1 above. I think that you want a MSP that has 225A bus bars. (But that is Tesla's problem, not yours.)

My $0.02: Expect Tesla to be exceptionally unresponsive.

All the best,

BG

 

[Rocket_man]

My main panel only has 150 amp service and I have a 60amp subpanel. But I have both panels backed up on 2 PW+'s. And I have two AC units. No pool or well pump. I wish I had 200 amp service. Upgrading the panel would probably be a few thousand and would need approval from the power company since I'd be increasing my load on the transformer.