Tesla Battery install questions

[h2ofun]

Seems the place to get info on some Tesla battery questions I have.

Currently I have a setup with 45 solar panels and generator, all hooked up and working with automatic transfer switches and generation panel to isolate the solar from the generator.

I have a 400 amp service that feeds 2 200amp subpanels to my house.

So, I am considering 5 powerwalls. Because of my 400 amp service, this will force me to get 2 200amp gateways. (Would love to find out there is a single 400 amp transfer switch option out there!!) Because of this, I have to break the batteries in two groupings.

My existing solar is driven from a single solar edge inverter.

So, what is my best option?

Leave the solar wired as is, connect it to one bank of PW's via the gateway interconnect, and let the other back have no solar and be able to be charged from the grid?

Split up my solar, buy another inverter, and feed both gateways?

Another option I was thinking is to install a three way manual transfer switch from the solar. So in the normal mode, it would just feed my generation panel as it is doing now. But if I lose PGE power, then I could manually switch the solar into either gateway and power one set of batteries until full, then manually switch to the other bank to be charged. This would save cost of having to buy and wire another inverter and split my solar.

Currently I am on the PGE TOU-C plan. But I see they have a EVA-2 plan. So for folks with batteries, what are the pro and cons of the costs for which plan would be best?

I also have read about folks on TOU plans, that they charge their batteries before 4pm, they switch to 100% battery usage from 4 to 9 pm to try and avoid the much higher PGE costs. Anyone doing this and have any thoughts to pass along?

 

[DHevey]

I have 400 Amp service with two 200 Amp panels also. I have configured my panels so that one panel is protected by solar and five power walls, and the other panel is unprotected. For the record, it was a lot of work to get the right circuits in the right panels (electricians, brief outages, wall repair, etc.) but, I think, well worth the effort in the end. I now have all the important circuits (Master bedroom AC, refrigerator(s), TV, Internet, etc.) protected, while the pool pumps, other AC, etc., is unprotected.

 

[h2ofun]

I have 400 Amp service with two 200 Amp panels also. I have configured my panels so that one panel is protected by solar and five power walls, and the other panel is unprotected. For the record, it was a lot of work to get the right circuits in the right panels (electricians, brief outages, wall repair, etc.) but, I think, well worth the effort in the end. I now have all the important circuits (Master bedroom AC, refrigerator(s), TV, Internet, etc.) protected, while the pool pumps, other AC, etc., is unprotected.

Thanks. My wiring in my house, and sub panel locations are such that I cannot rewire like you have. That would clearly by the ideal way to go. I just keep asking myself how much money is it worth spending for the hopefully few times we lost power in Calif.