Ok! So I am in the planning phase of installing Tesla solar. I need to install a 15kw (approx)system with at least 2 power walls for my need which puts me over 10kw net metering cap in my state. I want to use the power walls to solely for nighttime use since I dont want to use grid power at night for obvious reason. I have ng powered backup generator already. As for combining the power walls and generator Tesla’s website says during power outage the power walls will kick in first and only after they are at a very low percentage the generator will kick in. Is there anyway to set this so that the power walls dont discharge power during an outage at all and the generator takes all the load? I would like to keep the power wall energy stored for the nighttime use once the power is restored. I can probably ask this question when they contact me after system design but I am too impatient. Lol. Thank you.
-
Want to remove ads? Register an account and login to see fewer ads, and become a Supporting Member to remove almost all ads.
Can I have tesla power wall not kick in at all and have the generator kick in during a power outage?
- Thread starter snider00
- Start date
jhn_
Member
Yes. Have your Powerwalls configured for whole home backup as the install spec. This usually involves Tesla “changing” your existing main panel into a backup loads panel. In reality little changes with the main panel and they just put the Tesla Gateway and a new panel between the grid and your formerly main panel. Then have you generator transfer switch attached to your former main panel, now the “backup” panel but have a grid sensing relay installed for the transfer switch before the Tesla equipment at the grid edge. Tesla won’t do this part for you so find an electrician comfortable with the generator side of things. There may be other ways of accomplishing this, but this way works and keeps the generator independent from the Tesla equipment. It’s much harder to find someone willing to integrate the generator and Tesla equipment as described on Tesla’s website.
Seems to me one of the advantages of having PWs and a generator would be to ensure that the noisy generator doesn't run at night. In which case you could bring two pairs of conductors to the vicinity of the generator transfer switch sense relay, one from each side of the GW, and use a time clock or other method to switch which pair runs through the sense relay.
That is, the connectivity from the grid to the backup loads would be: grid - GW - generation panel (PV/PWs) - generator transfer switch - backup loads. Then during an outage, when the generator sense relay is sampling on the grid side of the GW, your backup loads would run from the generator and the PV could still charge from the PWs. While when the generator sense relay is sampling from the PW side of the GW, the generator won't run unless the PWs are discharged.
Cheers, Wayne
That is, the connectivity from the grid to the backup loads would be: grid - GW - generation panel (PV/PWs) - generator transfer switch - backup loads. Then during an outage, when the generator sense relay is sampling on the grid side of the GW, your backup loads would run from the generator and the PV could still charge from the PWs. While when the generator sense relay is sampling from the PW side of the GW, the generator won't run unless the PWs are discharged.
Cheers, Wayne
ArizonaJon
Member
I have solved a related problem that may be of help to you. I had my whole house, including my EVSE, on battery backup - 2 PWs. Later I decided to not want my EVSE to drain the PWs. My installer put in a normally open relay powered by the grid in the feed line for the EVSE. When the grid is down, the EVSE cannot be powered. You could do a similar thing by using a normally open relay on each of the power wall connections to you breaker box.
Similar threads
