Tesla Powerwall
Based on the Tesla Motors rechargeable lithium battery, Tesla Energy offers power storage batteries for homes, businesses, and utilities. The Tesla Powerwall Battery charges using electricity generated from solar panels, or the grid when utility rates are low, to power your home in the evening. It also fortifies your home against power outages by providing a backup electricity supply. Automated and compact, Powerwall offers independence from the utility grid and the security of an emergency backup.
Tesla Powerwall 3 has a 10-year warranty with 5.8 kW of continuous power output and up to 11.5 kW of peak power with up to 3 expansion units.
We recommend comparing the Tesla Powerwall to other batteries with higher capacity, longer life, lower cost, and support for DIY installation projects. These include the Fortress Power 12k inverter with 12,000 watts of continuous AC power or the bigger Sol-Ark 15k inverter with 15,000 watts, then paired with the Fortress eBoost 16 kWh battery. These batteries cost less than Tesla without being locked-in to their proprietary system.
Tesla Powerwall 2 has a 10-year warranty with 7kW of peak power and 5kW of continuous power use. It has a 13.5 kWh usable capacity. The Powerwall can be installed indoors or outdoors, with floor or wall mounting. It is grid code compliant and meets North American and International certification standards. Compare the Tesla Powerwall price to other battery solutions.
The Tesla Installation Manual states that a Tesla Energy Certified Installer must install Powerwall. Contact Tesla for details.
WANT A TESLA POWERWALL SYSTEM AT THE LOWEST COST? START SOLAR DESIGN
Backup Loads Supported per Powerwall
The largest load in the backup circuit is limited by the quantity of Powerwalls; each Powerwall 3 can support the largest load/breaker size of 60A.
When considering what Powerwall can back up, power is the most important factor to avoid poor customer experience from repeatedly overloading the Powerwall system. Customers are expected to manage their energy usage during an outage, so it is not recommended to factor in energy capacity when determining how many Powerwalls are needed for a system. For that reason, Powerwall 3 Expansion units do not impact the backup loads that can be supported by the system. Adding more Powerwall 3 Expansion units does increase energy capacity and duration during an outage.
Air Conditioning AC Units and Large Motor Loads
- Inrush current (largest instantaneous current draw when a motor starts) is limited to 185 A LRA per Powerwall 3.
- For air conditioner units, use LRA on equipment label as inrush current.
- Other motor loads – Code Letter per 2017 NEC Table 430.7(B), measure inrush via clamp meter identified by manufacturer as capable of measuring < 0.25 second inrush current, or oscilloscope if no code letter or LRA value is listed.
- Design Options if motor LRA is greater than the number of Powerwall 3 units multiplied by 185A: Increase number of Powerwalls or Relocate AC unit/motor load out of backup circuit
- Example: Motor Load unit with 200 A LRA and utilizes a 60A/2P Breaker; Required Powerwall(s): (2) Powerwall 3 units required, so that 200A < 370A; Double-check that the AC breaker follows the Powerwall breaker sizing rules.
Tesla purchased SolarCity in 2016 to merge Tesla battery backup service with Tesla solar panels for complete home solar power. Tesla is based in California and was founded in 2006. Tesla, Inc., is a publicly-traded company (NASDAQ: TSLA).