If you’ve been looking to get the most out of your solar system, you may have considered a solar energy storage battery. The Tesla Powerwall has certainly generated a lot of buzz. In this guide, you will find out more about the product, and assess if it’s right for you.
You will learn answers to the following questions:
Let’s start exploring these questions now.
To put it simply, the Tesla Powerwall is an energy storage battery. When paired with solar energy rooftop panels, the duo will create a reliable and efficient energy solution to power your home, potentially for 24 hours a day.
The battery will allow you to get more out of your solar system. Let me explain. Of course, solar photovoltaic (PV) systems are dependent on sunlight to generate energy. For example, they’re unable to generate energy overnight. Rather than needing to convert to on-grid electricity at night time, the battery will supply you with your stored energy. The Tesla battery also detects power outages and automatically starts to supply your house with the stored energy.
By adding a Tesla Powerwall to your solar set-up, you will be able to power your home for days, simply by using the stored energy from sunlight. As such, it’s an effective way to create a virtually off-grid solar energy solution. It also prevents you from incurring the charges of on-grid electricity, when you could simply use stored solar energy generated by your panels.
According to Tesla, a Powerwall system consists of at least one battery, plus a backup gateway (which provides energy management, metering and monitoring). Put simply, the backup gateway is what controls the connections/disconnections between your home and the grid as needed.
One Tesla Powerwall battery stores 14kWh of electricity. An average Australian house consumes about 18 KiloWatt (KW) of energy per day. By this measure, a single Powerwall can store an average of just over 18 and a half hours of electricity alone, without any further supply from the solar panels.
It’s true that Tesla Powerwalls allow you to save on on-grid energy power bills, and possibly become self-sustainable. Essentially, this means you could keep the power that your solar panels generate, rather than buying it back at a higher price.
However, you may be wondering if a Powerwall is viable after the up-front costs are accounted for.
The answer will depend on your individual circumstances, such as your energy use. For example, if you find that you are putting a significant amount of energy back into the grid, a Tesla Powerwall may be a perfect fit, as that energy could be going into your battery. By contrast, if you are not putting much energy back into the grid, there would not be much energy going into your battery, and therefore it could not generate much of a saving.
To evaluate if the Tesla Powerwall is right for you, consider how much on-grid energy you are consuming, and how much power is currently being put back into the grid (which could be used to replace this).
Another important benefit is that you can still put energy back into the grid after your battery is charged.
When it comes to Tesla Powerwall installation, there are safety restrictions that specify where you can and cannot install the battery, including the following:
It is to be floor mounted or wall mounted.
It cannot be mounted in direct sunlight.
It cannot be installed inside or outside of a habitable room (unless a fireproof sheet is installed).
Your Powerwall will need to be connected to your solar panels, inverter and switchboard. Ensure that you are able to run a cable across these distances.
It is best to have the battery installed in a sheltered location where possible, as keeping the Powerwall out of the weather will help preserve its life and operation.
Here at Shoalhaven Solar, we are proud to be suppliers and fully qualified installers of Tesla Powerwall batteries.
Contact our friendly team today to find out if the Powerwall could be right for you.