If you’re on a mission to create a more sustainable home, solar power is likely to play a big part in that. At some point, you might start investigating a home solar battery, like the Tesla Powerwall. The Powerwall is arguably the most popular home battery on the Australian market, but for a lot of people, it’s nothing more than a buzzword.
There’s a lot to know about what a Powerwall does, how it works, and how it can impact your home. Today, we’ll take a closer look at this popular home addition and answer the question, “what is the Tesla Powerwall?”.
So, what is the Tesla Powerwall?
In the simplest terms, a Tesla Powerwall is a really powerful solar battery. It’s usually (but not always) installed to store power generated by rooftop solar panels. All Tesla Powerwalls can be paired with new solar system installations or retrofitted to an existing system.
How does a Tesla Powerwall work?
Operation
For the sake of this article, we’ll assume you already have solar panels (or intend on getting them). Currently, your solar system is generating power during the day. Anything you don’t use goes into “the grid” — the network that carries electricity from power stations to properties. But, if you have a battery storage system (like our friend, Tesla Powerwall), rather than send power into the grid, the battery system stores the extra energy you haven’t used.
That energy stays inside the battery until it’s needed and the battery system kicks in. This occurs when your home’s power consumption exceeds what your solar system is generating. This is usually at night but can also happen on very cloudy days. Now, instead of drawing from the grid, you can use the green energy you’ve generated during the day.
The Tesla app
Your Powerwall comes with the Tesla app. The app is highly intuitive and has incredible functionality where you can essentially control every aspect of your Powerwall. You can also see heaps of stats, like power usage insights, live consumption data, how much power your solar panels are producing, and how much energy your home is consuming. This means you can monitor and control your energy usage from the palm of your hand.
Installation
Some competitor batteries have significant placement limitations because they can’t be installed outdoors. A Powerwall is not one of them – it can be installed just about anywhere, as long as it’s in line with regulatory guidelines.
Your Powerwall can be installed inside or outside (fixed to a wall either way) but is most commonly placed on an exterior wall near your meter box. Although it can’t get too much direct sun, it can handle harsh winds and rain with no problem at all.
Installation time varies depending on the complexity of the job. Cable run, battery positioning, and the house’s infrastructure all contribute to how long it takes to install the battery. In our experience, an average Tesla Powerwall installation takes about four to six hours (with two Installers).
Tesla Powerwall FAQs
What if I have a power outage?
From not being able to see at night to losing all your food in the fridge, blackouts are always frustrating and inconvenient. It’s even more annoying if you work from home and lose internet connectivity, or your electric gates and garage stop functioning.
When the grid goes down, Tesla Powerwall powers up and saves the day. You’ve instantly got power where and when you need it. You can set it to power your whole house or select specific circuits to make your battery-stored power last even longer.
Tesla has also included a feature where you can set a minimum power reserve to ensure you always have something in the tank in the event of a blackout. This feature is especially popular for people who regularly experience blackouts, such as suburbs in the Perth Hills. These areas are often subject to strong weather conditions and fires, and experience more power outages as a result.
I don’t have solar panels; can I still get a Tesla Powerwall?
Yes! There’s a lot of confusion here because a Tesla Powerwall is mainly used to complement a solar panel system. However, it can be fitted to a home with or without solar panels. When installed without solar, your Powerwall essentially acts as a “backup generator” for blackouts. It charges from the grid and provides power during power outages.
Will one Powerwall power my whole house?
For small to medium houses, certainly. If you have a very large home, you can easily stack (vertically or parallel) multiple Powerwalls to increase the backup and storage capacity. During your consultation, your Installer can advise on how many you’ll need.
Get a Tesla Powerwall quote with Middle Swan Solar
Middle Swan Solar is proud to be a Certified Tesla Installer. We’re in constant contact with the Tesla Assurance Team to ensure installation compliance, and we keep up to date updates with industry changes and updates. If you’d like to explore how solar could benefit your home and family, contact us.
