The Tesla Powerwall is a home battery system designed to store excess solar energy generated by your system. The majority of solar energy is generated during the day, when demand is low. The Powerwall stores the solar energy produced during the day for later use.
Features and Specs
- The Tesla Powerwall battery is an AC battery, meaning it requires an additional solar inverter to operate with your solar panels. The good thing is it can be integrated into any solar system with any inverter type.
- The Powerwall can store 13.5 kWh of energy, which is almost half of a typical home's daily energy needs;
- The Powerwall's grid-connected batteries can deliver 7.6 kW when the sun is shining and 5.6 kW when it's not. This means that a single Powerwall can supply power to lights, outlets, and 120-volt appliances.
- The Powerwall's storage battery can provide additional energy off-grid, ranging from 7 kW to 9.6 kW, depending on weather conditions. So it can power several additional appliances in your home while it's not plugged in (for example, during a power outage).
- Along with continuous power, batteries have a peak power rating, which is the most power a battery can deliver in a short time (usually about 10 seconds). Basically, peak power evaluates a battery's ability to handle short spikes in voltage, such as when electrical appliances need more power to start.
- AC batteries are slightly less efficient compared to DC batteries as some charging and discharging losses are involved along with some power conversion losses. However, on a single charge, the Powerwall can power a refrigerator, WiFi, multiple outlets, and multiple light bulbs for about 24 hours.
The Powerwall uses a lithium nickel-manganese-cobalt (NMC) cell chemistry. The unit features an integrated battery management system (BMS), liquid thermal management, and inverter charger.
Advantages
- One of the main advantages is that the Tesla Powerwall battery performance is not affected by the temperatures, neither high nor low. So it can safely be installed outdoors, though better be kept out of direct sunlight anyway.
- More batteries will give more power, as its output is stackable
- Industry-leading software
The Tesla App enables monitoring of the solar system performance and has different operating modes. These modes allow you to control how and when you use and save energy:
Self-Powered mode
In this mode you can power your home with renewable energy, storing excess solar power that you can use later when the sun is not shining.
Backup Power
In Backup Power mode, you can choose to have the Powerwall simply serve as an emergency backup battery in the event of a power outage.
Time-Based Control
The Time-Based Control mode is useful when utilities charge different rates depending on the time of the day. Your Powerwall will automatically charge the battery when electricity is cheapest and discharge it when electricity is most expensive, saving you money on your utility bills.
Storm watch
Automatically charges the Powerwall in the event of a major storm or blackout.
Summary
The Tesla Powerwall is one of the most popular options on the market that is compatible with almost every solar system. It offers a great storage capacity, incredible warranty and a unique liquid-cooling technology. Feel free to contact us to learn more about the Tesla Powerwall batteries’ advantages and pricing!
