Tesla Virtual Power Plant in CA

[YRide]

Just got the alert via Tesla app that there is a VPP tomorrow 8/28 from 6p-9p.

Just wondering, will my Powerwalls (4x, 54kWh) intuitively NOT discharge tomorrow starting at 4p…which is what it normally does?

They usually export (I am set with Grid Charging / PTO / Export Everything) from 4p to empty @ 11.9kW, using a slightly adjusted rate table (below).

Do I need to turn off EE just to be sure it doesn’t start discharging at 4p?

 

[YRide]

After 4pm and it's behaving normally and covering my house load and solar is going to the grid.
View attachment 968709

But the VPP page is showing like it is an active VPP.
View attachment 968710

Mine is same as yours…

Showing an active VPP event, but when you click in it says 6-9p tomorrow. So I don’t think there is VPP right now.

Hopefully not, because my PW export behavior (TBC, EE, PTO & GC…with PGE EV2A) is the same as normal…dumps max (4x PW, 11.9kW) starting right at 4p.

I would expect/hope that the PW is smart enough to know that $2/kWh VPP >>> my $0.56/kWh export rate at summer peak…and stat until 6p tomorrow.

Was thinking if maybe flipping off EE after tonight, just to be safe? I assume having VPP activated overrides having EE toggled off?

 

[Redhill_qik]

Just got the alert via Tesla app that there is a VPP tomorrow 8/28 from 6p-9p.

Just wondering, will my Powerwalls (4x, 54kWh) intuitively NOT discharge tomorrow starting at 4p…which is what it normally does?

They usually export (I am set with Grid Charging / PTO / Export Everything) from 4p to empty @ 11.9kW, using a slightly adjusted rate table (below).

Do I need to turn off EE just to be sure it doesn’t start discharging at 4p?

During the VPP events last year no discharges occurred until the start of the event. I expect the same this year with no discharge from 4-6pm and then maximum allowed site discharge from 6-9pm or when your Powerwall reaches the reserve level.

 

[GuyHall]

Seems to me that someone screwed up the start time at Vpp Central.

 

[YRide]

During the VPP events last year no discharges occurred until the start of the event. I expect the same this year with no discharge from 4-6pm and then maximum allowed site discharge from 6-9pm or when your Powerwall reaches the reserve level.

Perfect. Hope that behavior remains. I’ll set an alarm for 6p.

Btw, is maximum site export rate documented somewhere? Like on your application? Or NEM2 interconnect paperwork? Or in your PGE account? Or a document in your Tesla account?

I max at 11.9kW, but I can import at 21.6kW. I think that makes sense…5.8kVA continuous should be about that, right? Just can’t understand why my export is 50% of my import.

 

[Redhill_qik]

Perfect. Hope that behavior remains. I’ll set an alarm for 6p.

Btw, is maximum site export rate documented somewhere? Like on your application? Or NEM2 interconnect paperwork? Or in your PGE account? Or a document in your Tesla account?

I max at 11.9kW, but I can import at 21.6kW. I think that makes sense…5.8kVA continuous should be about that, right? Just can’t understand why my export is 50% of my import.

If you login to the gateway there is a summary page that has this information.

 

[jboy210]

Add me to the list for tonight's Grid Load Reduction event. I will start pre-colling a little early today. Temp should peak at 88 or so. So, once pre-cooled, the house should not need any AC tonight.

 

[YRide]

If you login to the gateway there is a summary page that has this information.

Ok. Found that, Site Output Limit is 11.88kW.

But I guess the real question is what is behind what this is set at? Was this something I agreed to with PGE? Or did they force this upon me? Is it due to the HW I have? Number & size of inverters? Or is it limited by the OCPD that sits between GW2 and Grid? Other?

 

[Redhill_qik]

Ok. Found that, Site Output Limit is 11.88kW.

But I guess the real question is what is behind what this is set at? Was this something I agreed to with PGE? Or did they force this upon me? Is it due to the HW I have? Number & size of inverters? Or is it limited by the OCPD that sits between GW2 and Grid? Other?

There have been some discussions here about the site export limit without any clear simple answer. It wouldn't be any more than the maximum AC rating of your solar inverter(s) and might be limited by the maximum that can be produced by the solar panel array (size and orientations). My interconnect agreement says the AC rating is 7.556 kW, but my array won't generate more than 6.4 kW and I have a site export limit of 7.16kW with two Powerwalls.

The interconnect agreements allow PG&E to calculate the maximum generation that will be seen across each grid segment and they do/can deny an interconnect if the local transformer would be overloaded if more solar was added. Exceeding the export that has been agreed to could be very bad for the system. During past VPP event my Powerwalls do get close to 10kW when my house load is high enough to limit the grid export to below the 7.16kW.

In your past posts I see mentions of 10.8kW PV, and I think you have multiple Powerwall 2+ with the built in inverters likely a 7.6kW and 3.8kW which is 11.4kW, so a site export limit of 11.88kW is more than you could like ever produce from Solar.

 

[Redhill_qik]

PSA, if you haven't lowered your reserve yet now is the time. I dropped my reserve to 10% earlier today. I have had my reserve set to 85% for most of the summer as I don't need the full peak credits as a net generator. I usually hit the 85% level prior to 6:00pm, so should get the full discharge credit today.

The VPP tab is showing 5,906 Fleet Homes and with what looks like grid discharge at 190 kW, that dropped to 156 kW and then spiked 350 kW and seems to be in a cycle between 150-350kW over a span of about 4 mins. I'm not sure what this is at the moment, I thought it might represent grid charging for anyone not at 100%, but I'm not sure today. The grid flow is indicating from the houses to the grid, maybe this is the way it always was and they didn't create/code the reverse flow.

 

[Zorg]

Let's see if we break 30MW tonight

 

[Redhill_qik]

The Tesla app just changed to main page to say "Powerwall is preparing for a grid event" and on the VPP page it is now "Scheduled Event August 28, 6:00PM".

Better late than never, but at least someone at Tesla finally noticed that something was wrong and fixed it.

 

[Zorg]

27MW at 6:09pm

 

[dailo]

Seems like recent updates have changed the behavior for me. It used to discharge up to the max if my two powerwalls (10.8 kW) until it hit my reserve but today it is throttled for some reason. Only discharging at 3.5 kW.

 

[yblaser]

Event started but the discharge behavior seems a bit different then normal. Normally the PW would discharge at a rate to bring me to my export limit (~7.4kW), but right now they are bouncing between 5.5 kW and 6.4 kW with my solar pretty much covering the house load.

 

[dailo]

Also interesting that CAISO doesn't show any load reduction event in the demand curve for today's event.

 

[gsdubs]

Same here, VPP and my one PW is discharging at 3.3-3.5kW. Hope this allows me to make it to 9pm while staying above my 25% reserve, minimize grid import from 8-9pm

 

[Benjamin Brooks]

Yep, something is different with this VPP event than all prior ones... it's not exporting from batteries to grid at max AC inverter power.
It's definitely not discharging my batteries into the grid, it's only making my Self Powered mode act like I'm in Time Based mode (exporting solar and running home loads off PWs)

 

[charlesj]

I am discharging 4kW into the grid.

 

[astrorob]

yeah mine seems to be discharging the max for me, which is about 5.4Kw.

this is a weird one though as noted upthread. there’s no event over at CAISO. i guess it is another tesla test?