Time-Based Control?

[powersaver]

Does anyone have access to the "Time-Based Control" mentioned on the powerwall support page?

Time-Based Control | Tesla

From the Powerwall home screen in the Tesla app, select Customize and then Advanced Time-Based Control. Within this mode there are two strategies ‘Balanced’ and ‘Cost Saving’. Balanced uses stored solar to power your home when electricity is expensive and after the sun goes down. Cost Saving uses stored low cost energy to power your home when electricity is expensive, maximizing your savings. ​

 

[cwied]

Does anyone have access to the "Time-Based Control" mentioned on the powerwall support page?

I believe this is part of the TOU feature set that is hoped to be coming in March.

 

[GenSao]

Not yet. As of today for Powerwall App Version 1.12.0 (Tesla App 3.3.1) on android, only the following two are available: Backup Only and Self-Powered.

Time based control is "coming soon". Looks like the FAQ is updated to show the new feature. I am very excited and look forward to TOU use.

 

[BJReplay]

Chatted to Telsa support today - apparently 1.14.0 is the magic version number for the gateway for ToU - rolling out in batches. Hopefully someone who hangs around these forums will report soon.

 

[dhu1]

So what this document is suggesting is that if you do have solar, you do not have the ability to charge from the grid at all. All the TOU does is automate what many of us do now via changing our reserve % on self power mode. It does not provide the ability to do rate arbitrage beyond shifting solar generation during partial peak hours to peak hours. If this is indeed true, then the economic case for the powerwall just got diminished greatly.

 

[SoundDaTrumpet]

This is good news. The "Advanced Time-Based Control (Cost Savings)" operating mode is exactly what I was expecting from Tesla Energy. I have noticed two areas of deficiency:

1. Ability to limit discharge only to peak times. This can be easily worked around by not having a shoulder time in the evening. (e.g. off-peak starting at 9PM instead of 11PM for PG&E EV rate schedule). This is a small nit.

2. Ability to charge from grid with attached solar. Not interested in this for the first 5 years of Powerwall operation because I am planning to claim the Federal Incentive Tax Credit (ITC). This is a nit that I hope will be worked out.

I will be looking forward to the "Demand Response Participation" feature in the future. I believe this feature alone with greatly enhance the return on investment for Powerwall.

 

[nswfugitive]

2. Ability to charge from grid with attached solar. Not interested in this for the first 5 years of Powerwall operation because I am planning to claim the Federal Incentive Tax Credit (ITC). This is a nit that I hope will be worked out.

Yeah, hopefully for other markets they are taking into account the difference between USA rules and the rest of the world. This isn't applicable to Australia for instance.

 

[BJReplay]

My app updated this morning to 3.3.2. Tried to update gateway - still said new new version available.

 

[liuping]

My app updated this morning to 3.3.2. Tried to update gateway - still said new new version available.

I just picked up iOS version 3.3.2 as well. Hopefully it means the TOU firmware roll out is imminent.

 

[nswfugitive]

Some interesting links posted on whirlpool.net.au....

See Time-Based Control | Tesla and Powerwall Modes of Operation with Solar for more info.

 

[Frankman60]

This looks great. Does anyone have access to the two new modes in the mobile app?

Some interesting links posted on whirlpool.net.au....

See Time-Based Control | Tesla and Powerwall Modes of Operation with Solar for more info.

 

[GKPW2]

Hello,

My Powerwall2 was upgraded to v1.15.0 overnight. No sign of time based control yet.....

 

[GKPW2]

Hello,

My Powerwall2 was upgraded to v1.15.0 overnight. No sign of time based control yet.....View attachment 286588

Only two options in customise screen.

 

[BJReplay]

I'm testing my (windows service based) time based control - looking promising but early days, and it is a hack that works for me:

• If next day's insolation forecast is less than my normal peak usage (not enough sun to re-charge powerwall sufficiently to cover peak usage), it pre-charges between midnight and 7am (off peak hours) by setting the mode to self consumption, but the backup reserve percentage high enough so that the combination of pre-charge and expected solar output should fill the powerwall sufficiently to then match evening consumption
• It turns it back to self consumption mode between 6:40am and 7am (regardless of whether it has charged sufficiently to avoid charging on peak rates (sets reserve percentage back to 5%)
• If it has pre-charged sufficiently, or an updated solar forecast indicates sufficient solar generation, it sets the backup percentage back to 5%

It is pretty rough - it doesn't do anything to predict tomorrow's peak consumption (based on like days / day of week) - it just uses an average I've logged and calculated as a program setting.

Similarly, it doesn't predict overnight and early morning consumption either when working out if it needs to pre-charge to avoid peak consumption early in the morning, it just uses an average I've calculated as program settings.

That said, it is pretty cool to see it detect the need for pre-charging, set the reserve percentage high enough, and see the powerwall start charging from the grid

Once it is working reliability enough for me to share a public alpha, I'll do that.

 

[joeho717]

Same here, at version 1.15.0, no time based control. I am Solar only, cannot charge from utilities and on the SGIP program.

 

[nswfugitive]

Once it is working reliability enough for me to share a public alpha, I'll do that.

I look forward to seeing the alpha version and all the ones to follow. Not sure how much help it will be for most of the US folks since if they have solar they can't charge from the grid (at least those that are getting the tax credit) but we Aussies will certainly appreciate it .

 

[BJReplay]

I look forward to seeing the alpha version

didn't work so well last night - triggered charging as expected, but immediately (due to a schoolboy logic error) decided it didn't need to charge, so switched back. Deploying v0.3 alpha now, will see how we go tonight.

 

[nswfugitive]

There is someone on the Whirpool.net.au forum that claims his/her app shows an Advance tab that has TOU settings - I don't see it at present - anyone else see it?

 

[AnthonyB]

Once it is working reliability enough for me to share a public alpha, I'll do that.

Great work! Looking forward to seeing the results. Hope you can also design it to factor in different scenarios other than your own, e.g. PV+battery with no grid charging ability.

 

[BJReplay]

e.g. PV+battery with no grid charging ability

Hi Anthony, not sure what you'd be after for something with "no grid charging ability" - that's the only thing it does differently from the current powerwall firmware / app - it pre-charges from the grid so your charge can allow you to ride through peak period on a low solar day. Without the charging, it wouldn't do anything.

What are you thinking it should do?

Not promising anything, but if it's a good idea, happy to have a crack.

Will open source it, so anyone can look and reuse if they want.

Aside from that, running my 0.4 release tonight - I expect to see it pre-charge on Friday night Melbourne time (even though there's no point, because the weekend is all off peak) with a forecast for rain on Saturday and total forecast PV generation of only 9kW for Saturday.