Tesla Powerwall 2 User Discussion Thread
July 3rd, 2017Disclosure: I sell solar power systems in New Zealand.
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There is very little concrete information publicly available about the Powerwall 2’s actual capabilities. I think that the reason for Tesla’s coyness is that they are still heavily iterating on the systems that have been sold to customers. Tesla does this with cars that people are driving around on public roads, so no surprise here with the Powerwall 2 situation.
As a potential Powerwall 2 customer, I’m not willing to see if my requirements will be met with some future app or firmware update, so I’m waiting and reading about the experiences other people are having. I’m very interested in backup and offgrid capabilities, but those are the the most nebulous details to try to nail down right now. Tesla has consistently promoted the Powerwall 2 as being suitable for off grid applications, while providing no technical details about how that would work.
As of now, this text appears on Tesla’s New Zealand Powerwall page:
Reliable Power Day and Night
Powerwall provides backup power during utility outages, natural disasters and even the Zombie Apocalypse (you know it’s coming). Compact, stackable and with a built-in inverter, Powerwall also comes ready to integrate seamlessly with solar, enabling you to self-power your home and even go off-grid, if you like.
I’ve been reading through a thread where end users are left to try to figure out the details, and I think bkp_duke summed it up pretty well:
Typical Tesla . . . we are all glorified Alpha / Beta testers.
It’s astonishing that a product that seems to be in an advanced beta stage of development (at best) has everyone in the industry standing around, bug eyed and in awe. Although I’m dazzled, I’m keeping my wallet shut for now.
That said, if anyone with access to Powerwall 2 installer manuals would like to send copies my way, I’d really appreciate it. Most of all, I’d like to see wiring diagrams, technical specifications, operating manuals and/or installation manuals related to the “Backup Gateway.” This seems to be the secret sauce. The Powerwall 2 is fully AC coupled (the DC version is definitely cancelled outside the U.S.), so it’s using your inverted PV generation or grid supplied AC to charge. From what I can gather, there is no additional generator input, DC or AC.
So how is thing suitable for off grid without a backup mechanism for charging? Or, if there is a backup mechanism for charging (besides the grid and solar), what is it?
Anyway, my hat is off to the early adopters/pioneers who are paying to beta test this thing! Thank you.
