What Factors does Cost Saving Mode Take into Consideration?

[RKCRLR]

Like I said, it depends on the relative size of your solar system, batteries, and Peak consumption. This is yesterday on my system. It is just about exactly what I want the system to do. It charges my car from Off-Peak grid power and charges the Powerwalls from solar. If it thinks there will be extra solar, it will only charge from surplus solar (above what the house is using) and sometimes changes its mind during the day. On this day, it reached 100% at 3:30 after the start of the Part-Peak period. If I was to change anything, I would completely disallow the discharge that happened from 7-8am and just wait to start charging the PWs until the solar exceeded the household consumption.

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I think one of the key differences between your and my use is I don't have an EV.

My goal is to have a $0 True-Up while maintaining the maximum reserve possible for power outages.

With Cost Saving and a 50% reserve I normally can make it through peak and part peak (3pm to midnight) on battery power.
My house runs off the grid during off peak until the Powerwalls have been fully recharged by solar the next day. Even on partially cloudy days my Powerwalls are usually fully recharged by 3pm.

Right now it appears I'm going to overshoot $0 True-Up so I can increase the reserve percentage and/or reduce the part peak hours in the app to come closer to the $0 True-Up.

What advantage would Balanced have over Cost Saving in my situation?

 

[miimura]

I think one of the key differences between your and my use is I don't have an EV.

My goal is to have a $0 True-Up while maintaining the maximum reserve possible for power outages.

With Cost Saving and a 50% reserve I normally can make it through peak and part peak (3pm to midnight) on battery power.
My house runs off the grid during off peak until the Powerwalls have been fully recharged by solar the next day. Even on partially cloudy days my Powerwalls are usually fully recharged by 3pm.

Right now it appears I'm going to overshoot $0 True-Up so I can increase the reserve percentage and/or reduce the part peak hours in the app to come closer to the $0 True-Up.

What advantage would Balanced have over Cost Saving in my situation?

For a rate plan like EV2-A that has significant Off-Peak solar generation every day, there may not be that much difference. There was a more noticeable difference on EV-A with Part-Peak from 7am-2pm. In that case, Cost Saving really didn't want to fully charge the batteries, especially toward the end of the week when there was upcoming weekend Off-Peak generation to be had. I also have a huge true-up balance to pay and don't pay NBCs, so I haven't really thought through all the nuance of your situation. Sorry I don't have anything more specific to offer.

 

[RKCRLR]

During Off-Peak, Cost Savings mode prioritizes solar production to first recharge the Powerwalls, then powering my home and sending the excess to the grid. This is what I want.
However, during Shoulder and Peak, all solar goes to the grid. I'd like my house usage to be the solar priority with the excess going to the grid; and the house running of the Powerwalls when there isn't enough solar. Is there a setting that allows for this while retaining the Off-Peak behavior?

 

[skepticcyclist]

During Off-Peak, Cost Savings mode prioritizes solar production to first recharge the Powerwalls, then powering my home and sending the excess to the grid. This is what I want.
However, during Shoulder and Peak, all solar goes to the grid. I'd like my house usage to be the solar priority with the excess going to the grid; and the house running of the Powerwalls when there isn't enough solar. Is there a setting that allows for this?

This was my issue as well. I wish I shoulder will still prioritize solar over discharging the PW. So what I do is as the sun sets later each month, I slowly change my shoulder or peak to begin later. My peak TOU rate is from 4:00pm - 9:00pm. During the winter I have it set to begin at 4:00pm. Currently I have it set to begin at 5:30pm as I still get enough solar to run the house up to this time. Once we get closer to summer I will have it begin at 6:00pm or 6:30pm

 

[RKCRLR]

This was my issue as well. I wish I shoulder will still prioritize solar over discharging the PW. So what I do is as the sun sets later each month, I slowly change my shoulder or peak to begin later. My peak TOU rate is from 4:00pm - 9:00pm. During the winter I have it set to begin at 4:00pm. Currently I have it set to begin at 5:30pm as I still get enough solar to run the house up to this time. Once we get closer to summer I will have it begin at 6:00pm or 6:30pm

Yea, but I'm trying to avoid micromanagement. I'm looking for a set it and forget it configuration. Maybe changing the settings a couple of times a year.

 

[skepticcyclist]

Yea, but I'm trying to avoid micromanagement. I'm looking for a set it and forget it configuration. Maybe changing the settings a couple of times a year.

Yeah. Understandable. Unfortunately the only setting that does what you want during shoulder is Balanced. I only change it 4 times a year (the four seasons - two of the times at the beginning and ending of DLST). You may want to just do it twice (either just after spring and fall or the two times we change the clocks)

 

[RKCRLR]

Yeah. Understandable. Unfortunately the only setting that does what you want during shoulder is Balanced. I only change it 4 times a year (the four seasons - two of the times at the beginning and ending of DLST). You may want to just do it twice (either just after spring and fall or the two times we change the clocks)

The problem with Balanced is it discharges the Powerwalls during Off-Peak periods which I don't want.
I guess I'll live with the way Cost Savings works and just adjust my reserve.

 

[skepticcyclist]

The problem with Balanced is it discharges the Powerwalls during Off-Peak periods which I don't want.
I guess I'll live with the way Cost Savings works and just adjust my reserve.

It is as easy to just slide the shoulder to start later as it is to adjust reserve. And you will get the benefit of using your produced solar for longer

 

[RKCRLR]

It is as easy to just slide the shoulder to start later as it is to adjust reserve. And you will get the benefit of using your produced solar for longer

I might give it a try. I think the first thing I'd do is eliminate the Shoulder period from 3pm to 4pm.

 

[MJ_CA_2019]

I might give it a try. I think the first thing I'd do is eliminate the Shoulder period from 3pm to 4pm.

The only downside I see with current native App options is that changing the price schedule also changes how your data is reported.
For example I was on Self Powered for a while but my rate plan still has peak and off peak. The time I spent on self powered will not report peak / off peak usage after changing to Advanced / Time Based.

 

[RKCRLR]

The only downside I see with current native App options is that changing the price schedule also changes how your data is reported.
For example I was on Self Powered for a while but my rate plan still has peak and off peak. The time I spent on self powered will not report peak / off peak usage after changing to Advanced / Time Based.

I have a similar concern but different. My main priority is to consistently hit a $0 annual True-Up using the most hands-off method.
The more I make changes the more difficult it will be to estimate that target.

 

[h2ofun]

I have a similar concern but different. My main priority is to consistently hit a $0 annual True-Up using the most hands-off method.
The more I make changes the more difficult it will be to estimate that target.

Yep, and I am doing that by touching nothing in balanced. I probably will end up being a generator