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Storm Watch Engaged NorCal 5/1/2021

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We got a red flag warning and my storm watch activated, I’m going to shut off storm watch I do not want to charge from the grid when the Powerwalls start discharging. So far no PSPS indicated.

If stormwatch mode is on, the powerwalls will not discharge at all (regardless of what mode you were in before it activates).

Stormwatch mode basically:

1. Sets the powerwalls to the equivalent of "backup only"
2. Charges the powerwalls at max charging speed from the grid till they reach 100%
3. Sits at 100% until the stormwatch is de activated or the grid goes down
4. All solar runs the house or goes to grid when powerwall(s) are full, as if you were in backup only mode.

So, if you have a multiple day "stormwatch" mode situation and you do nothing, once the powerwalls charge from the grid, they will stay full (and top off if needed from the regular "backup only" mode usage), and your solar will run your home and be exported to the grid if you have extra.

If you dont have enough solar to run your home during "peak" it wouild pull from the grid (not your batteries, as long as stormwatch mode is on).

Tesla's assumption seems to be " if stormwatch mode is on, this person would rather have a full battery than worry about peak charges during this event".

I only mention it because you said "I dont want to charge from the grid when the powerwalls start discharging" but they will basically sit at 100% with the exception of "top up" charges when they drop from 100 to 97-98% to get back to 100.
 
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Tesla's assumption seems to be " if stormwatch mode is on, this person would rather have a full battery than worry about peak charges during this event".

That assumption sits well with me! Not going to worry about losing a few bucks
Particularly with Red Flag warnings in PGE territory. Even if the wind doesn't knock out power, they tend to turn it off themselves to prevent fires. So someone in PGE Red Flag Warning territory is more likely to lose power than someone with an actual storm warning in other parts of the country.
 
If stormwatch mode is on, the powerwalls will not discharge at all (regardless of what mode you were in before it activates).

Stormwatch mode basically:

1. Sets the powerwalls to the equivalent of "backup only"
2. Charges the powerwalls at max charging speed from the grid till they reach 100%
3. Sits at 100% until the stormwatch is de activated or the grid goes down
4. All solar runs the house or goes to grid when powerwall(s) are full, as if you were in backup only mode.

So, if you have a multiple day "stormwatch" mode situation and you do nothing, once the powerwalls charge from the grid, they will stay full (and top off if needed from the regular "backup only" mode usage), and your solar will run your home and be exported to the grid if you have extra.

If you dont have enough solar to run your home during "peak" it wouild pull from the grid (not your batteries, as long as stormwatch mode is on).

Tesla's assumption seems to be " if stormwatch mode is on, this person would rather have a full battery than worry about peak charges during this event".

I only mention it because you said "I dont want to charge from the grid when the powerwalls start discharging" but they will basically sit at 100% with the exception of "top up" charges when they drop from 100 to 97-98% to get back to 100.
Thanks for the info, so when the batteries run the house from 4 to 9 what happens when storm watch is on.
 
Particularly with Red Flag warnings in PGE territory. Even if the wind doesn't knock out power, they tend to turn it off themselves to prevent fires. So someone in PGE Red Flag Warning territory is more likely to lose power than someone with an actual storm warning in other parts of the country.
I have it off. Worst, I am out of battery, no solar, I just turn on generator. :)
 
Thanks for the info, so when the batteries run the house from 4 to 9 what happens when storm watch is on.

The batteries DONT run the house from 4-9 when stormwatch mode is on, and there is a stormwatch in effect. I might have typed too much explanation, but that is what I was saying. there is NO "batteries run the home" in stormwatch mode AT ALL, IF the grid is UP. The batteries only run the home in stormwatch mode if there is no grid.

Whatever mode you were in before stormwatch mode was activated is not taken into consideration when its active and there is a stormwatch activated.
 
So with storm watch on, I will be using power from the grid a peak pricing.
If stormwatch mode is on, the powerwalls will not discharge at all (regardless of what mode you were in before it activates).

Stormwatch mode basically:

1. Sets the powerwalls to the equivalent of "backup only"
2. Charges the powerwalls at max charging speed from the grid till they reach 100%
3. Sits at 100% until the stormwatch is de activated or the grid goes down
4. All solar runs the house or goes to grid when powerwall(s) are full, as if you were in backup only mode.

So, if you have a multiple day "stormwatch" mode situation and you do nothing, once the powerwalls charge from the grid, they will stay full (and top off if needed from the regular "backup only" mode usage), and your solar will run your home and be exported to the grid if you have extra.

If you dont have enough solar to run your home during "peak" it wouild pull from the grid (not your batteries, as long as stormwatch mode is on).

Tesla's assumption seems to be " if stormwatch mode is on, this person would rather have a full battery than worry about peak charges during this event".

I only mention it because you said "I dont want to charge from the grid when the powerwalls start discharging" but they will basically sit at 100% with the exception of "top up" charges when they drop from 100 to 97-98% to get back to 100.

Is there a part of my post I have quoted here that I could perhaps explain better?


If you dont want to pull from the grid during peak pricing, then turn stormwatch mode off, and let your home run off your powerwalls, but also understand very clearly that you are also rolling the dice that the grid will stay up later, or that you will have enough power if it goes down to run your home until the sun comes back up.

Thats on you to decide. Pulling peak power for a day or two seems to be preferable to me to running your home off powerwalls because you dont want to use peak electricity, and then possibly having no grid (and powerwalls at some lower percentage than 100%). Thats up to you, though.
 
Is there a part of my post I have quoted here that I could perhaps explain better?


If you dont want to pull from the grid during peak pricing, then turn stormwatch mode off, and let your home run off your powerwalls, but also understand very clearly that you are also rolling the dice that the grid will stay up later, or that you will have enough power if it goes down to run your home until the sun comes back up.

Thats on you to decide. Pulling peak power for a day or two seems to be preferable to me to running your home off powerwalls because you dont want to use peak electricity, and then possibly having no grid (and powerwalls at some lower percentage than 100%). Thats up to you, though.
Nah, easy. Storm watch is same as backup mode only, and batteries can ONLY be used if there is NO grid power. Easy piezzy
 
Ok, just wanted to be clear on what would happen. When I run off the battery’s at peak pricing the batteries end up at around 80% and the next morning charge to 100% by 11am. If PG&E is going to shut off power we have at least 12 hours notice so I will take the chance.
 
Ok, just wanted to be clear on what would happen. When I run off the battery’s at peak pricing the batteries end up at around 80% and the next morning charge to 100% by 11am. If PG&E is going to shut off power we have at least 12 hours notice so I will take the chance.
IMO, during summer with solar, a non issue. Winter, totally different story.
 
Ok, just wanted to be clear on what would happen. When I run off the battery’s at peak pricing the batteries end up at around 80% and the next morning charge to 100% by 11am. If PG&E is going to shut off power we have at least 12 hours notice so I will take the chance.
Red fire warning is different than PSPS. A fire could cause an immediate outage. Now PG&E could decide to do a PSPS because of the red fire warning
 
Red fire warning is different than PSPS. A fire could cause an immediate outage. Now PG&E could decide to do a PSPS because of the red fire warning
A red flag warning is about winds, humidity and you can be guaranteed since the 2017 fires PG&E will put up the various color warnings on there web site so it is unless the fire starts from another source you will know ahead of time.
 
A red flag warning is about winds, humidity and you can be guaranteed since the 2017 fires PG&E will put up the various color warnings on there web site so it is unless the fire starts from another source you will know ahead of time.
I understand that the warning is based on winds. My point is that a fire can start and be fueled by the winds and cause an outage without a 12 hour advance warning. High winds could also knock down power lines causing an outage without 12 hour notice. The only 12 hour notice is if PG&E sees conditions that they would do a PSPS. Even then, they do not have to give you a 12 hour warning

 
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