Tesla Virtual Power Plant in CA

[Zorg]

Hi Bruce,

You are correct, it was preparing for a VPP event the entire time and it basically stopped the PW from powering the home for this preparation.

Right now it's in the VPP event again tonight and it's actually outputting 7-8kW into the grid. So exciting.

Was it a real VPP event or was it Tesla testing it on a select number of PW?

 

[clos000]

Yea, I only was able to send about 10-15% of the PW to try out. I wonder if it's worth it to participate in these events while powering the house during peak rates.

Kinda odd, it's doing a VPP event during a rain session (these last two days have been overcast with rain).

 

[bmah]

Another VPP event here...scheduled for 6-9PM tonight. So now my house is drawing power from the grid during peak, and charging Powerwalls from solar, presumably in anticipating of sending power to the grid later. Again there appears to be plenty of capacity in the grid, so I would hypothesize this is some sort of test (again)?

Bruce.

 

[SaveOurPlanet]

Just curious, you are still getting solar in the East Bay after 5:30?

 

[holeydonut]

Another VPP event here...scheduled for 6-9PM tonight. So now my house is drawing power from the grid during peak, and charging Powerwalls from solar, presumably in anticipating of sending power to the grid later. Again there appears to be plenty of capacity in the grid, so I would hypothesize this is some sort of test?

Bruce.

Yeah this is a weird time for VPP to kick in. When it kicks in do you export for a fixed duration and fixed kW? Or is it kind of like a "we may VPP you" and it is a variable outcome?

PS, PG&E is not getting a extra kWh of power from these Powerwalls if I can help it. Grrrrrr

 

[holeydonut]

Just curious, you are still getting solar in the East Bay after 5:30?

Big fat 0 for me in East Bay

 

[bmah]

Yeah this is a weird time for VPP to kick in. When it kicks in do you export for a fixed duration and fixed kW? Or is it kind of like a "we may VPP you" and it is a variable outcome?

PS, PG&E is not getting a extra kWh of power from these Powerwalls if I can help it. Grrrrrr

You export until you hit your Powerwall reserves. There's an ending duration, so I presume if you hadn't drawn down to your reserves by then, it'd just go back to whatever operating mode you were in before.

Just curious, you are still getting solar in the East Bay after 5:30?

About 50W according to the API. The Tesla app shows it as zero.

Bruce.

 

[powerwall88]

Is VPP participation limited to those with Tesla solar? I had PWs installed with pre existing 3rd party solar and do not have the VPP option in my app.

 

[bmah]

Is VPP participation limited to those with Tesla solar? I had PWs installed with pre existing 3rd party solar and do not have the VPP option in my app.

I don’t think it’s limited to Tesla solar but I don’t know definitively. Are you within the PG&E service area?

Bruce.

 

[holeydonut]

Is VPP participation limited to those with Tesla solar? I had PWs installed with pre existing 3rd party solar and do not have the VPP option in my app.

Sunrun installed my system, and I had the VPP option on the Tesla app. I opted out immediately when I saw it though.

 

[powerwall88]

I don’t think it’s limited to Tesla solar but I don’t know definitively. Are you within the PG&E service area?

Bruce.

Yes, I’m in the east bay also

 

[charlesj]

Big fat 0 for me in East Bay

You mean you don't have giant reflectors directing the last rays unto your panels?

 

[powerwall88]

Sunrun installed my system, and I had the VPP option on the Tesla app. I opted out immediately when I saw it though.

Did you opt out permanently? I thought I read participants can opt in to or out of individual events, but I can’t remember for sure

 

[bmah]

Did you opt out permanently? I thought I read participants can opt in to or out of individual events, but I can’t remember for sure

First you have to explicitly opt-in to the program. Then for each event, you can opt out of it anytime until the end of the event. You can also opt-out of the program at anytime.

Bruce.

 

[Zorg]

Bruce, it looks like Tesla is picking on you. Also in the east bay, 40 miles away from you and no VPP event.

 

[sunwarriors]

You export until you hit your Powerwall reserves. There's an ending duration, so I presume if you hadn't drawn down to your reserves by then, it'd just go back to whatever operating mode you were in before.

I thought I read in some other post that your export can pass your reserve limit? (like you can't sign up for VPP and set a reserve of 90%, it'll blow pass it from those posts for some east coast owners (they aren't exactly VPP, but their own style program)).

 

[jboy210]

Another VPP event here...scheduled for 6-9PM tonight. So now my house is drawing power from the grid during peak, and charging Powerwalls from solar, presumably in anticipating of sending power to the grid later. Again there appears to be plenty of capacity in the grid, so I would hypothesize this is some sort of test (again)?

Bruce.

Does the anticipation of a VPP also trigger grid PW charging in real conditions or only when testing? If it does anticipatory charging I might sign up.

 

[evalltheway]

Does the anticipation of a VPP also trigger grid PW charging in real conditions or only when testing? If it does anticipatory charging I might sign up.

No anticipatory charging from Grid for an upcoming VPP.

 

[hiddensolar]

I'm in Marin and we are having another VPP event, 5 PM to 9 PM. Based on the draw rate on our system (~8 kW) it would be impossible to last through a full VPP without a huge system. It seems like they should limit draw to last the event duration based on your reserve. We have 8 kW and 2 PWs which will be about 125% of our annual usage and our PWs have been drawn down to 35% reserve well before the VPP events end. I bumped up reserve on this one and will turn it back down so we are not buying peak power again. I don't see anyone in California practically having a system that will still be providing power toward the end of the events if they don't change something.

 

[hiddensolar]

To some questions of the questions:

- 5:30 PM at about 900 W and dropping quickly. Our panels face slightly west and are not shaded before sunset behind the coastal range.
- We have only seen anticipatory charging for Storm Watch.
- This will be the 3rd VPP and no anticipatory charging from the grid.