Tesla Solar in Houston & Surrounding Area’s

[DrewHou]

Worst Day
Best Day
I’ll go first

Worst day 6kwh 11/14/22
Best day 47kwh 11/17/22

Yes I’m Bored. No Astro Games.

lol this is actually interesting considering we are nearby (so weather should be the same) and my smaller system + few panels facing south

Worst day: 9.2kwh on 11/14/22
Best Day: 29.8 on 11/13/22

I wonder what helped me eke out a bit more out of my system on the 14th that day was super rainy and cloudy.

 

[Jones1]

lol this is actually interesting considering we are nearby (so weather should be the same) and my smaller system + few panels facing south

Worst day: 9.2kwh on 11/14/22
Best Day: 29.8 on 11/13/22

I wonder what helped me eke out a bit more out of my system on the 14th that day was super rainy and cloudy.

I’m closer to the beltway. You are closer to a body of water. But it’s not like it’s the Gulf of Mexico. . Lake Houston is small. Maybe the sun showed up and out at a better angle for your roof.

 

[Jones1]

@DrewHou So how do you like the 2 powerwalls? Later. When I can afford it. I think I will add 2 more. I will be able to afford it I. Two years. I think.

 

[Jones1]

I’m a Full Bitcoiner now. I had to say it. Feels great. $5 or $100,000. F the Bank.

 

[DrewHou]

@DrewHou So how do you like the 2 powerwalls? Later. When I can afford it. I think I will add 2 more. I will be able to afford it I. Two years. I think.

It’s pretty good for now. I think in the winter it’s more than enough but for the summer timeframe I’m thinking it’s still going to be a bit shy of what I truly would like. I plan to wait and see if they release a new model with even more capacity and then add another. I have been leaving it at 50% recently so one for backup and one for usage. This would never work in the summer with the AC usage.

 

[Jones1]

It’s pretty good for now. I think in the winter it’s more than enough but for the summer timeframe I’m thinking it’s still going to be a bit shy of what I truly would like. I plan to wait and see if they release a new model with even more capacity and then add another. I have been leaving it at 50% recently so one for backup and one for usage. This would never work in the summer with the AC usage.

I’m at 58% right now. That’s why I was thinking 3 would be perfect.

 

[Jones1]

100% rain today.
Only 5kwh’s produced.

 

[DrewHou]

100% rain today.
Only 5kwh’s produced.

Yeah I am matching that today. Ironically I ended up switching to that truly free nights plan and now I have several days of high cloud cover to get through. Good way to put my math to the test haha. 3 hours before I can switch back to the grid and powerwalls are at 70%. I want to flip on allow grid charging but since I want to take the tax credit I don’t think that’s allowed.

 

[Jones1]

I just noticed. My Powerwall backup is set at 50%. After a day of only 5.1kwh production. My PW has drained down to 49%.
I guess it’s like a Tesla vehicle. Phantom Drain.

 

[wiltoking]

Glad you guys are enjoying your system! I'm finally on the Amigo Night Free plan and my first bill was half of the old plan's. Once Solar is installed it's going to drop to almost nothing, can't wait! Tesla just resent my Payment Terms and rates stayed the same from what they offered in June, so that's good I suppose.

My one unknown is my desire to end up with a "Whole Home Backup" setup. There was only one 60a load (for the air handler emergency heater single coil) that exceeded Powerwall specs and would not be backed up. Turns out it didn't even need that size breaker! The plan is to swap out the 60a breaker for a 50a when Tesla arrives and have no non-backup loads. This led me down a rabbit hole where I saw that Tesla installs Backup Switches (no Gateway) for Whole Home Backups. My design does not show a Backup Switch, did anyone here get a Whole Home Backup without the Gateway?

 

[Jones1]

Glad you guys are enjoying your system! I'm finally on the Amigo Night Free plan and my first bill was half of the old plan's. Once Solar is installed it's going to drop to almost nothing, can't wait! Tesla just resent my Payment Terms and rates stayed the same from what they offered in June, so that's good I suppose.

My one unknown is my desire to end up with a "Whole Home Backup" setup. There was only one 60a load (for the air handler emergency heater single coil) that exceeded Powerwall specs and would not be backed up. Turns out it didn't even need that size breaker! The plan is to swap out the 60a breaker for a 50a when Tesla arrives and have no non-backup loads. This led me down a rabbit hole where I saw that Tesla installs Backup Switches (no Gateway) for Whole Home Backups. My design does not show a Backup Switch, did anyone here get a Whole Home Backup without the Gateway?

Congratulations on the plan switch and savings. I have whole home back up. With gateway.

 

[wiltoking]

Looks Great. I’m loving it.


. View attachment 872952View attachment 872951View attachment 872949View attachment 872948

Have a picture of what they did by your Power Meter and Main Breaker? For some reason on my design drawings, they have the Gateway next to it but you seem to have it inside the garage next to the Powerwall. My Powerwall is also opposite my Distribution Panel which is another thing that is going to have to be adjusted at installation.

 

[Jones1]

Have a picture of what they did by your Power Meter and Main Breaker? For some reason on my design drawings, they have the Gateway next to it but you seem to have it inside the garage next to the Powerwall. My Powerwall is also opposite my Distribution Panel which is another thing that is going to have to be adjusted at installation.

My gateway is outside. The powerwall + and the second inverter are in my garage. I have 2 inverters 7.6 & 3.8 . Outside is the Gateway and a Disconnect box. Also there is a terminal pull box located out side.

When the Tesla Quality Control tech came. I had him explain the different boxes. What they do and how they work. He was very helpful.

 

[Jones1]

Now it seems simple to me. The layout of what is what. At first. I didn’t know what I was looking at. I knew the powerwall and that was it. Until I played around with it and asked questions.

 

[DrewHou]

Have a picture of what they did by your Power Meter and Main Breaker? For some reason on my design drawings, they have the Gateway next to it but you seem to have it inside the garage next to the Powerwall. My Powerwall is also opposite my Distribution Panel which is another thing that is going to have to be adjusted at installation.

So here’s mine. I have whole home backup. 2 powerwalls+ in the garage and this is the setup near my meter and breaker.

 

[Jones1]

Maybe I’m a little paranoid. But I put water resistant locks on the Disconnect and Gateway.

 

[DrewHou]

Maybe I’m a little paranoid. But I put water resistant locks on the Disconnect and Gateway.
View attachment 876471View attachment 876472

I do the same. I have one for my breaker box too. I was raised in Kentucky and there breaker boxes are inside, so when I moved down here about 6 years ago I was so confused with how easy it would be for someone to cut your power from the outside. It was actually my first question to my Span panel salesperson “does this thing lock?” Haha

 

[Jones1]

I do the same. I have one for my breaker box too. I was raised in Kentucky and there breaker boxes are inside, so when I moved down here about 6 years ago I was so confused with how easy it would be for someone to cut your power from the outside. It was actually my first question to my Span panel salesperson “does this thing lock?” Haha

I guess it’s the home builder that decides.
My first house. The Breaker box was out side.
My water shut off valve was also outside.
My current home has a water shut off valve and breaker box. In my garage.

I never thought I would use the Heated Steering wheel feature on my MYP. I love it. I never thought a warm wheel would make me smile.

 

[wiltoking]

So here’s mine. I have whole home backup. 2 powerwalls+ in the garage and this is the setup near my meter and breaker. View attachment 876372

Interesting doesn't look like they run a new conduit for the Main Load Panel, they just reroute it through the Gateway. One of my concerns is how much conduit they're going to run because the Meter is catty-corner to the Load Panel / Batteries. The one-line shows power going first to the battery and then to the Gateway thru the AC Disconnect. It just sits right to the side of the Gateway in your picture... I assume the conduit going down from it is to the Powerall, so I might have something like that going around the whole house. It would be great if they can bury it if that's the case.

 

[Jones1]

Interesting doesn't look like they run a new conduit for the Main Load Panel, they just reroute it through the Gateway. One of my concerns is how much conduit they're going to run because the Meter is catty-corner to the Load Panel / Batteries. The one-line shows power going first to the battery and then to the Gateway thru the AC Disconnect. It just sits right to the side of the Gateway in your picture... I assume the conduit going down from it is to the Powerall, so I might have something like that going around the whole house. It would be great if they can bury it if that's the case.

The installers will choose the shortest path. At least that’s what they told me. The hey will ask you about a couple of different routes to run the Conduit. I chose to use less conduit. So they changed my panel layout a little. They do a pretty good job of hiding it. Painting it would also be the best choice.

I believe they tap in between your Meter. Before it gets to your breaker panel for whole home. I opened a terminal pull box. That is located out side. To see what was in it. It had ground and 2 /110’s. I thought they would tap in at the main breaker panel. They didn’t. They did it before it gets to the breaker. At least for my whole home backup.