Storm Watch failed us again [in MA, Late July 2021]

[jlv1]

My reserve is set to 100%. When a VPP (Connected Solution) discharge happens, it drains my PWs to 20% -- unless a Storm Watch event is being called for.

That's why I made the title of this thread "Storm Watch failed us again". No Storm Watch event meant we lost power with under 25% available. Thankfully it was a short outage.

I've not made a decision, but I suspect my wife will insist I pull out of VPP the first time we run out of power.

 

[Er1c*]

After posting on this thread about no storm watch and an event during a thunderstorm, I got a PM from someone "from" tesla asking me to send my Powerwall serial number to them via email. I sent it, it was to an @tesla.com email address and I figured what could someone do with just my SN. I got a reply saying they are working on improving Stormwatch and wanted to investigate. We shall see.

 

[h2ofun]

After posting on this thread about no storm watch and an event during a thunderstorm, I got a PM from someone "from" tesla asking me to send my Powerwall serial number to them via email. I sent it, it was to an @tesla.com email address and I figured what could someone do with just my SN. I got a reply saying they are working on improving Stormwatch and wanted to investigate. We shall see.

I love they are having folks look at forums and engage. I wish one of them would contact me about powerwall grid charging.

 

[Bitslizer]

After posting on this thread about no storm watch and an event during a thunderstorm, I got a PM from someone "from" tesla asking me to send my Powerwall serial number to them via email. I sent it, it was to an @tesla.com email address and I figured what could someone do with just my SN. I got a reply saying they are working on improving Stormwatch and wanted to investigate. We shall see.

keep us updated, a couple of Severe T-storm warning the past few days and no storm watch. Would be nice but I'm not holding my breath

 

[sunwarriors]

I love they are having folks look at forums and engage. I wish one of them would contact me about powerwall grid charging.

And here we thought they were only looking for negative things about Elon on forums.

 

[jlv1]

I got a PM from someone "from" tesla asking me to send my Powerwall serial number to them via email.

I also was contacted by Telsa about this thread when I started it and sent them my serial. They've not said anything since, but it's probably enough if they use this as input to improve Storm Watch.

 

[niveknow]

I understand the whole US won't allow batteries to charge from the grid, but there should be some kind of owner controlled override and force a storm watch mode based on your local weather even if NWS doesn't declare it. Personally and I know that doesn't mean much to the commercial side of this conversation. Personally I want full control period of a system I purchased. However this still gives Telsa and regulators some control and reporting on "abusers" that force this mode more often than they should and police it from that perspective.

 

[qnzkrew]

hi guys first time in the forums. ive had 3 power outages with new powerwalls and solar system this year . CS has drained batteries downed to 25 percent each time. one day was a real kicker when they called on my batteries WHILE i was under a power outage. of course the batteries could not send back power since i was disconnected from the grid but as soon as power came back it started sending power and draining my batteries even though they were still plenty of outages around my neighborhood in rhode island. the issue with me was that since my power was out and it started sending back power at the end of the event , that day really lowered my average for KW sent to VPP. i have a question about the average KW sent. ive noticed that during a VPP event even when my solar is producing way over my consumption , the batteries still feed the house during this time. so all the solar goes back to the grid during a VPP CS event and the house uses power from the batteries during one of these events. i would just thought they can let you use your own solar and maximize the output from battery to increase average KW. thanks

 

[Flick75]

We have a massive thunderstorm coming through Massachusetts right now, and no Storm Watch event was declared. I have my PW set as 100% backup, but we're also part of Connected Solutions (Tesla Virtual Power Plant), and we output 72% of our 2 PW back out to the grid this afternoon.

And just 15 minutes into the beginning of the nearby lightening, we lost power, with just 28% on the PW.

With no way to force the PW to recharge from the grid (unless Tesla declares a Storm Watch event), I may need to cancel our participation in Tesla VPP. This will defeat the purpose of having the PWs.

It's a real shame Tesla doesn't allow you to charge from the grid since you as the home owner, in your local area, can decide for yourself, based on local weather conditions, that you need your PW's charged. Oh well. Such is life.

 

[Flick75]

Since it is clear Tesla records EVERYTHING that happens with the products

I got a PM from someone "from" tesla asking me to send my Powerwall serial number to them via email.

I'm surprised you had to email your PW serial number. Tesla is recording EVERYTHING that your system is doing so I can't believe they couldn't get the serial number for themselves.

 

[Er1c*]

I'm surprised you had to email your PW serial number. Tesla is recording EVERYTHING that your system is doing so I can't believe they couldn't get the serial number for themselves.

How would they ever connect my account here to my Tesla account. From my profile here they only know I live in Rhode Island, I'm sure I'm not the only Tesla customer with Powerwalls in RI. They needed my SN to link my account here with what was going on with my Powerwalls.

 

[h2ofun]

How would they ever connect my account here to my Tesla account. From my profile here they only know I live in Rhode Island, I'm sure I'm not the only Tesla customer with Powerwalls in RI. They needed my SN to link my account here with what was going on with my Powerwalls.

Is it worth the risk?

 

[gl123]

My reserve is set to 100%. When a VPP (Connected Solution) discharge happens, it drains my PWs to 20% -- unless a Storm Watch event is being called for.

That's why I made the title of this thread "Storm Watch failed us again". No Storm Watch event meant we lost power with under 25% available. Thankfully it was a short outage.

I've not made a decision, but I suspect my wife will insist I pull out of VPP the first time we run out of power.

I have VPP, I have Storm Watch activated right now (living in RI) and Tesla still activates VPP *during* official Storm Watch. This is the second time this happens.

Once the VPP event is over, the battery will be recharged from the grid immediately. It makes no sense (discharge the batteries just to recharge them from grid straight away).

When I first experienced this (VPP event during storm watch) I called Tesla but they had no idea. They said something like it shouldn't be like this and they would call back - which they never did.

 

[qnzkrew]

I have VPP, I have Storm Watch activated right now (living in RI) and Tesla still activates VPP *during* official Storm Watch. This is the second time this happens.

Once the VPP event is over, the battery will be recharged from the grid immediately. It makes no sense (discharge the batteries just to recharge them from grid straight away).

When I first experienced this (VPP event during storm watch) I called Tesla but they had no idea. They said something like it shouldn't be like this and they would call back - which they never did.

I’m in Rhode Island and I don’t have storm watch activated on the app yet. It did activate last time about a month and so ago but nothing so far this time and I’m betting there will be a discharge tonight.

 

[bemyax]

Tropical storm Henri. It's concerning that those folks in the path of the storm could face prolonged and widespread power outages. Sorry if this sounds like a kook thing to say, but computer algorithms from a big company operating behind the meter can kill you. (Based on two bad experiences I've had.) If they decide to drain the Powerwall right before the trees tip over on the power lines, ouch. I would seriously consider pulling the main breaker right before any VPP pull.

Please play it safe and forget about the money. "If Mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy."

 

[Will792]

Tropical storm Henri. It's concerning that those folks in the path of the storm could face prolonged and widespread power outages. Sorry if this sounds like a kook thing to say, but computer algorithms from a big company operating behind the meter can kill you. (Based on two bad experiences I've had.) If they decide to drain the Powerwall right before the trees tip over on the power lines, ouch. I would seriously consider pulling the main breaker right before any VPP pull.

Please play it safe and forget about the money. "If Mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy."

I think a better strategy would be to shut down batteries before the event. It will preserve the charge level in addition to disabling discharging battery into the grid.

 

[Laketime]

We are on storm watch here on Long Island (it actually went into SW mode Friday morning with a Sunday afternoon estimated landfall). Henri has strengthened into a cat 1 hurricane and looks like first landfall will be the eastern part of the island. PWs are at 97% and we are as ready as we can be expected. Prayers to all in the path...

 

[djlandkpl]

I have VPP, I have Storm Watch activated right now (living in RI) and Tesla still activates VPP *during* official Storm Watch. This is the second time this happens.

Once the VPP event is over, the battery will be recharged from the grid immediately. It makes no sense (discharge the batteries just to recharge them from grid straight away).

When I first experienced this (VPP event during storm watch) I called Tesla but they had no idea. They said something like it shouldn't be like this and they would call back - which they never did.

This has happened to me as well last year during thunderstorms. In my area, it feels like Storm Watch is being activated less this year vs. last but I'm experiencing more severe thunderstorms.

 

[Skip Whiffle]

During the last 2 storms, including Henri, Storm Watch activated the DAY AFTER the storm, which isn't useful at all. Today, we're in the 2nd day of a Noreaster in Massachusetts which was even forecast as a front page headline on CNN a couple of days ago, and still no Storm Watch. There are a bunch of local power outages, and we've had one outage at our house so far. If this is the same as the previous storms, Storm Watch will activate tomorrow -- after the storm has passed.

If I had the capability to force-charge the Powerwalls from the grid, I could stay on top of this myself, but being denied that capability has really reduced the usefulness of Tesla Powerwalls during storms.

Storm Watch is a good idea, but in practice here, it's been a complete and utter failure.

 

[Skip Whiffle]

I might add that this is the current headline on CNN:

As nor'easter drenches the East Coast, thousands have lost power and high winds threaten more outages​

By Monica Garrett, Jason Hanna and Dave Hennen, CNN
Updated 5:12 AM ET, Wed October 27, 2021

And still Tesla hasn't activate Storm Watch. The Storm Watch program is a failure.

As nor'easter drenches the East Coast, thousands have lost power and high winds threaten more outages | CNN

Thousands in New England are waking up in the dark Wednesday and strong winds are expected to continue a day after a nor'easter's heavy rains flooded some areas in the Northeast.

www.cnn.com