* NOTES SINCE PRODUCTION * 1. Contrary to what I said in the video at 3:58, it seems you can have only up to 3 DC expansion units on the first PW3 in a group of PW3s - see here for details: energylibrary.tesla.com/docs/Public/EnergyStorage/Powerwall/3/InstallManual/BackupSwitch/en-us/GUID-673226CB-1798-4BC9-AB04-D2A5CBA59305.html 2. I've had a questions from a couple of viewers asking me if I have received any compensation from Tesla for this video. I can confirm I have not received any compensation nor benefits from Tesla for this or any other videos I have made. And that I'll always mark videos as "Paid Promotion" should that ever be the case.
Great Summary Gary! I met with Tesla at the recent Intersolar event in Munich and Tesla Energy reps have told me it is LFP chemistry. Also good to note - PW3 has G98/99 approval for 3.68/5/6/7/8/9/10 & 11.04 kW (Not 11.5kW FYI) which means that even if the DNO places some restrictions on import/export at your home, you should still be able to have Powerwall 3 installed, just with a restricted charge/discharge rate. We are on the Tesla Powerwall 3 Installer Training in a couple of weeks time so will be posting a video update on our own channel in the coming weeks, but delivery estimates are for October right now so we are encouraging people to get on our waiting list as we anticipate high pent up demand. Those with PW2 who want to expand their capacity might consider doing so sooner rather than later as sales of PW2 will be phased out in the UK at the end of the year as PW3 starts to roll in. DC expansion for PW3 should be coming in Q1 2025 hopefully...
Thanks for the great feedback. Video should go live tomorrow. Hope you had a great time in Munich - I used to be there a lot with my day job (in the mobile industry). Sounds like it was a good show! Thanks for sharing the insight regarding PW3, and I look forward to your video post the training! Agreed, anyone thinking about a PW3 really does need to get on the waiting list now, to secure a (reasonably) early installation date. Artisan's website is www.artisanelectrics.co.uk
Bit worrying that G99 could mean a generation limit rather than an export limit, if it caps the output of the PW3. It also seems multiple PW3s are not DC interlinked, only AC, which is a shame.
@@richardskinner6391 Hi Richard, I've got a video coming out shortly, where I interviewed several DNOs on topics like export limits - could set your mind at rest...
@@rogerphelps9939 Do you have an example of that pricing please? I think you're looking at battery cell pricing rather than consumer battery pack pricing - two very different things...
Hi Gary. Thanks for a very informative report on Tesla Powerwall 3. I'm in a suburb of Melbourne Australia and have 7.5kW of rooftop solar panels as well a two Powerwall 2 batteries. I got the first Powerwall 2 about 4 years ago and it has worked without any issues since installation. Not once have I been without power during any power outages. I got the second Powerwall 2 around August 2023 and the whole system just works. I have no hesitation in recommending a Tesla battery system. As far as the price is concerned, you know the saying, 'You get what you pay for'. Cheers 🙂
It's such a shame that in many countries there is no real choice of energy supplier today - hopefully this will change over time. Human nature shows us time and time again that a competitive market is essential...
I have had the Power Wall 2 for four years without a hiccup. I live in California and got the Power Wall because of the risk of losing power during elevated fire risk periods. Well I haven’t lost power once since I had my solar and Power Wall installed.
Great insight as always Gary! You have such a professional demeanor and your videos have valued and concise information presented to a high standard! Look forward to your next installment
@atomicdmt8763, @garydoessolar . disabling the integrated inverter will cause the battery to supply DC into the house. The microinverters only convert the DC of the individual solar panels DC output to AC. It cannot convert the battery DC to AC
Great video Gary, and thank you for the kind words. Tesla do consistently hit the nail on the head and other battery manufacturers will have to follow suit. I look forward to continued collaboration in the future - Tok.
My pleasure, Tok :-) ...and yeah, I'm expecting to have some collaboration with a few solar installation companies soon with something I'm working on... All the best with the Many hundreds of PW3 installations I'll expect you'll be doing!
I have seen a few other videos about the Powerwall 3 and they mention efficiency and round trip efficiency. Apparently on the new model this has been improved to 97%. I suspect this is something to do with AC/DC conversion but this is just a guess. Might I suggest this as a future video. Keep the great videos coming
Thanks Andrew for your great feedback! Yeah, Spirit Energy certainly quoted 97% in a recent video of theirs. I covered AC/DC conversions in this video, which you might find useful: ua-cam.com/video/x83t1iCMXxw/v-deo.htmlsi=V_LgpotC6bcosjpO
Thanks for the review. I had a Powerwall 2 plus solar fitted last year it took ages and 4 attempts to get a 3 phase smart meter fitted. Now everything is working on Octopus Flux.
@@HecticGlenn that costs me £7500 + DNO fee. With the help of chatgpt, I estimate the breakeven point at 6.5 years. My average consumption is around 8-9kwh per day. 😉
Thanks Gary, I've recently had a give energy battery installed, 11 Kwh, and is working fine so far. I recently had my latest bill for the month and my use was priced at £1.00 and change. However my standing charge was over £15.00. Gutted!! 🤣🤣
Yeah, the UK government needs to fix the standing charge as soon as possible - so many elderly and vulnerable people are being disproportionately affected by it! And of course, it goes against the whole notion of homeowners trying to mitigate their grid pull.
I had a Powerwall 2 and solar installed in May this year, here in the UK. Despite the poor weather, I have been virtually 'off-grid' since then - though I have to advise that my solar panels are in the perfect position. The Powerwall 2 just does its thing and the app is great. Totally recommend it so far, will be interesting to see what happens over the full year.
As a tesla M3 owner I’ve had a great owenrship experience and am leaning towards a Powerwall 3. Your comments about the price being expected to fall as demand levels out are giving me a reason to wait a bit longer. Perhaps even waiting a year I will save considerably!
I'm hoping to get a Tesla one day, and so will look forward to the experience you are having! It's hard to predict the future, but lithium prices are dropping like a stone this year, so I expect that to be reflected in battery pack prices before long!
@@GaryDoesSolar I bought a used Tesla M3 with 58k miles just over a year ago. You'd be surprised how cheap they are used. I never thought I'd ever be able to afford one. They have little wear and tear and very little maintenance required so great to buy used. It's been amazing and I don't know any other car that compares, even other EVs. Just have a look at autotrader, for £15k you can buy a 2020 Model 3 like mine. If you have an ICE car you might save over £200 every month that could go a long way towards paying for the car if you get a loan. In my case I'm actually saving money compared to my previous 2015 Kia Diesel. For a while I was driving to work in central London costing me 50p return in electricity and less than £2 to park all day on the street instead of my £13.90 train ticket, every single day, just saving on train tickets it was already over £200 per month on top of driving at 2p/mile which since the 1st of July has gone down to 1.75p/mile. Do your proper research taking everything in account like not having any scheduled services, not needing to change oil, timing belt, event brake pads and they're hardly used, no road tax, no ULEZ, no congestion charge etc etc. You'll be very surprised.
Another succinct informative video Garry cheers. Ive just signed for a PW3 installation in September. Considered waiting a year to see if price comes down, but on Intelligent Octopus Go I'm keen to get the savings this winter running the home on 7p pkwh. Also demand for pw3 may go up with Tesla Energy launching next year, so possible prices of pw3 may not come down any time soon.
We have two power wall 2s. There are plenty of times we wish we had more storage, but all of these times happen because we don't have enough solar generation. I'm pretty sure if we doubled or quadrupled our solar production, then we'd really just need enough storage to get through dark hours and quite frankly if the battery depletes itself at 4AM, we may not notice.
Thanks for sharing your experience, Ian. Yeah, I can imagine that with products like PW3, and battery prices continuing to fall, that over the next 3-5 years, people (including yourself) will steadily expand their storage capacity to the levels you’ve quoted 😀👍🏻
The reason I would want more than 13.5kwh of storage is when I want to offset a lot more production to my own use - for more financial gain there. In a few years I will only get half of the money for energy I export to the grid vs paying to get energy. My best days generate 50kWh or more, so using say 20kwh easily from 4pm-2am would be great on those hot sunny days. I'm in the US by the way. I'll keep watching this, but PW3 seems like a winner and DC coupling another may make sense for me.
Gary just wanted to say that your videos are great and you as a person are very easy to listen to , I’ve learnt a lot so thanks . I’d also like to say that if anyone is looking for more energy independence you will need at least 2 Tesla batteries . I live in north wales roof SSW is a sun trap all day. If I didn’t have two batteries I would still be needing some grid power all through the summer . Have 12 panels and solar edge . But most of the uk has days that are cloudy and wet all through the summer and you just don’t get enough power generated to last through those dull days . Also all my appliances are new and of the highest energy efficiency . Personally I prefer being off grid , I’ve seen very irregular readings , what I would call criminal activity readings off the Tesla app and frankly don’t trust others being able to access and control my system and potentially doing anything they like with my power .
Great video. I'm amazed that in the US we have such an innovative company, one that doesn't just virtue signal. Tesla is changing the world, this costs money. Companies that create and improve on technology have to charge more because it cost money to do this, copying someone else's work is much cheaper, so you can offer it for less. Basically, if you have the money, it's best to go for Tesla, they aren't just a name, they are the ones making the changes we want and for them to continue they have to be able to pay for all the research. Basically, don't just say you want to save the world, go with a company that innovating to do that.
Well done Gary for not succumbing to the Tesla denier crowd. I will be waiting for the Powerwall 2 and 3 compatibility upgrade rather than getting a second pw2. The cost should come down as the annual run rate for PW3 is slated to be 700k. This is more than the total number of PW2 ever sold.
Cheers Colin - yeah, there’s certainly polarity on the Tesla/Musk topic-and Elon doesn’t help matters with some of the comments he makes! But there’s no denying Tesla makes great products and the PW3 is expected to be the best selling product globally because of that 👍🏻
Thank you! Informative as always. One question that could be illuminated in a further video re: PW3 is - what if the customer needs 3-phase home power?
In the UK 3 phase is still quite uncommon although I know some people are being converted to 3 phase when they have solar fitted as this is the way to avoid grid export restrictions that they’d get on single phase. Not heard about 3 phase heat pumps, I have two large heat pumps and they are on the same single phase
As an existing Powerwall 2 owner, I would raise a slight issue with your use of the word “seamlessly”, when talking about the PW taking over in the event of an outage. It’s definitely noticeable in the home: PCs will restart etc. If one simulates an outage, and manually isolates the house from the grid using the Tesla app, that is indeed seamless, so if someone was aware of a planned outage, then the blip could be mitigated against, I guess, but if it’s unexpected, I believe the cutover time is in the region of 20 ms. In fairness to Tesla, they don’t claim it’s got UPS capability, and I think the only current domestic solution (available in the UK) which does offer UPS is the Sigenergy SigenStor.
I have a PW2 and live in a rural area with frequent power cuts in NZ and mine is pretty much seamless. Just wonder if there is a glitz with your install?
It’s not UPS like but definitely you are not aware of power cuts unless you are staring at a light bulb. Granted that we are mostly laptop, even the fiber optic modem is kept up, and heat pumps. It’s a fraction of a second enough for the residual left electricity on the circuits not to reset the appliances. If your takes a second or more have the installer check his work.
I have Powerwall 2's as well and agree with this. The Powerwalls are not UPS and if you have a power outage it is not seamless backup. I have had to put small UPS units on some of my equipment to over come the delay. I spoke with Tesla support about this and they confirmed that there will be a delay in the Backup coming in if there is a heavy draw at the time of the Power outage. When I was sold the system I was told that it was seamless backup which it is not!
I installed a Tesla PW 2 about a year ago here in Melbourne Australia. In the first 6 months we had 3 power outages. For us it was a seamless experience and on 2 occasions I didn't know it had happened until the app told me. In all cases my computer (Apple Mac) just "soft blinked" and kept going. I run a recording studio at home, I don't want any interruption to the power supply. Part of the installation was fitting another fuse box that takes over from the regular one when the power goes out and the battery kicks in. I assume that all installations do this?
Great & Informative Vid. Gary as Always! Can't wait for the New Nine ones you mentioned! I'm close to deciding on my own New System inc. All in One Battery/Inverter Mgt. etc similar to the new PW3! 😃 I hope you have some help if necessary in producing these World Class Tutorials as it must be a Mammoth Task! ..... 😀👏👍
Thank you! :-) And good luck with your decision making. Meanwhile, it's just me I'm afraid, making the videos, but I'm hoping to put out one a week for the next few weeks...
I really love your videos Gary - thanks a lot! I just have one concern: you are clearly very positive about Tesla and their products. Please could you just state for the record that you are not receiving any compensation or benefits from Tesla?
Thanks for your very kind words, Mike. I am happy to make that statement. I have not received any compensation nor benefits from Tesla for this or any other videos I have made. I'll always mark videos as "Paid Promotion" should that ever be the case.
For those of us less knowledgeable, it would be good to ground it in actual outcomes. E.g. you mentioned, very briefly, about how long those KW/h and Pwr Output are required for a typical home. You said a couple of hours at full load? And powering off appliances. How much does a home consume, and how much do you prolong use from turning things off.
Hi Robert, here are a couple of videos I made that you might find useful: ua-cam.com/video/IzBHs4878BY/v-deo.htmlsi=IUM7JfyzUu0GzhDy ua-cam.com/video/qaNvzoJ5rVI/v-deo.htmlsi=T8Ycn0T0LUKu2gnA
Hi Gary. Great videos thanks. You say PW3 needs to be installed in a garage. The property we are renovating has no garage. Can it be installed in the house in a fire proof room?
Thanks for your kind worlds, Jim. Now, Tesla certainly prefers their Powerwalls to be installed outside or in a garage, but worth speaking with your installer about other potential options for you property 👍🏻
This looks quite appealing-and I agree with your “wait till next year” recommendation. In the meantime I’m going to have to see how I can connect my existing AC solar power feed directly into the unit -so I can retain that 40p/kWh FiT kick back I get. Alternatively: work out if/how I could use metering within the powerwall to measure the exact amount of energy supplied by DC coupled solar. Given our inverter is about 13/14 years old I should be planning for that soon anyway
Hi Steve, yeah - it's a great solution! Now, I'm not sure how it might affect your FiT contract. Worth looking at guidance on this forum here, where there is very good advice for those on the scheme: facebook.com/groups/2197329430289466/permalink/6080359505319753/
These appliances are complex in nature so having good hardware and software that “just work” is just as important and it costs. US companies such as Tesla/Enphase have fewer anomalies as Class Action lawsuits ensure they fix issues quickly and effectively unlike some mfrg entities in far east.
I’m a Tesla fanboy, so of course I like the PW3. I live in Fresno, California and I have a 7.695 kWp solar system installed by Sun Run in 2018 by the previous owner. I want to add 2 PWs and my quote is about $22,000 before federal and PG&E incentives. Probably about $14k after the incentives. I can’t justify spending $14k when my annual true up is less than $100.
Great video as always Gary. I'm surprised you didn't compare to the Givenergy All In 1 which I would have thought a direct competitor at 13.5kw, UK company and cheaper. Just to clarify the Tesla will cope regardless of straight DC from the roof or using Enphase inverters to AC ?
Thanks Ian - I wanted this video to be just about the PW3, really. And I'm sure other channels will make comparisons to other similar products. To your question, yes, let's say there was 16kW of solar, the PW3 is able to put 5kW DC into the battery and convert and output the remaining 11kW to AC.
Hi Garry, would you like to make a video about the Enwall from Enercap? This is a solid state battery, which will ultimately become the future. The specs: 100% DOD, 500,000 cycles and no degradation the first 15 years. I don't think 99% RTe is possible with converting ac-dc-ac. In any case, specifications are mind-blowing!
Specifications are both a little too good to be true (99% RTE) and also vague and poorly worded. It claims to be a hybrid solution of graphene, tantalum capacitors and sealed cells. No mention of what is inside the sealed cell. Their website has some schoolboy errors on it. I think they’ve got a way to go to be convincing
I was at the Intersolar in Munich and talked to Tesla technicians about PW3. 1. among other things, the AC battery is not yet available and expensive in Germany. Prices are only announced by the installer. 2. if you have a PW3(1) with 3 MPP string and add another PW3(2) with MPP, the PW3(2) must also be supplied with PV power. In other words, lay new cables and connect them to the MPP string. Otherwise it will not charge! This is a major problem, as the installed solar modules are usually connected to the PW3(1). Conclusion: PW3(1) cannot supply PW3(2) with power! PW3(2) needs its own PV modules and possibly new cabling. In my opinion, this is a negative point when it comes to expansion.
I'll try to get some more information on this. The most obvious solution for that requirement is to add a DC Expansion instead of another PW3, I guess...
@@GaryDoesSolar yes and no :-). With one PW3 you get 11,5kW output. With the 2. PW3 you want and get 23kW output. If 23kW is needed (or more) you have to make a plan B.
How much is the Power Input from Solar for each PW3? And what is the Peak Solar for the storage? May be you install 15kW on the roof. What would happens with that energy… a. empty 13,5 kWh storage b. 80% of 13,5 kWh full c. 100% full Question: the house needs 16kW, can one PW3 delivers it? I have 3 PW2 at home: this system delivers 12,9kW plus all 6kW solar.
We're in the process of getting the Eco4 grant for solar & heat pump. This grant doesn't permit hybrid inverters or batteries. So I'm looking for ...perhaps the Powerwall? Will V3 be able to do some diverting to an immersion heater for HW?
Hi Steven, did the grant say why hybrid is not allowed? Bear in mind that the built-in inverter in a PW3 is hybrid. You can still divert excess solar to an immersion heater irrespective of what inverter and battery you use as it's a separate system - see my video here for details: ua-cam.com/video/6zc1g1bz0eA/v-deo.htmlsi=TDP7g2vP86ySbnx3
Thanks. I like Anker products-and have used many of them over the years-so it is great to see them getting into the home battery market as well. It’s early days though, so I would like to see how people actually get on with this new (far more complex) product before reporting on it…
I have a powerwall2 and yes they are good and suites my needs. The powerwall3 rolls everything into one. This is not in my opinion great, unless they are absolutely reliable. The reason is the powerwall3 is battery, inverter and solar pv all in one. I would like to know if there are any failure modes that would allow the unit to still run some of the system. As I have had a solar inverter fail before I’m not keen on loosing everything in the system with a fault. That said if they are doing battery unit extra capacity (dc) that would reduce the cost of extra kWh’s on your system. Oh and the power backup switch is nice bonus, yes it’s been used a lot due to out area supply
Thanks Gary - another great video. I'm potentially looking for a battery only solution with Octopus Intelligent Go but install may have to be outside. Do you have any thoughts on how that could impair performance? I know my EV car range degrades significantly in cold weather and wondered if the same applies here?
Hi @airtyke - thanks for the kind words :-) Worth watching this video I made about how lithium-ion batteries manage in the cold: ua-cam.com/video/e_RNL03ync0/v-deo.htmlsi=GdtnXl6JbepaYwNc
Hi Gary , this along with your other videos are extremely informative to a ‘solar and battery newcomer’, thank you ! Quick clarification - given the huge us of Coal to generate power in China - can you confirm if any of the Tesla power wall 3 is produced in China - as this would be a big no no fir me as so counterproductive … Thank you again 😎👍
You're most welcome, James. Thanks for the great feedback :-) Now Tesla's Powerwall products are made in a number of different Tesla factories, including Nevada and Lathrop in the USA and Shanghai in China. Now, I can understand your reluctance to buy Chinese-related products, but I would imagine a fair proportion of the items in your house have at least one Chinese component in them. There is good reason China is often called the "world's factory"... :-/
Thanks Gary for the detailed video. For an existing system with Fronius Primo Gen24 plus hybrid inverter would you go for PW3 or for BYD HVM 13.8kw battery box. What would be rationale?
Hi Matt, as you can imagine, I receive a large number of questions about specific situations and needs, and unfortunately, I can't respond to them all individually. However, there are several solar and battery groups online, such as this one in the UK, where knowledgeable members are often happy to provide free advice and support: facebook.com/groups/2197329430289466. If you live in the UK and you'd like more personalised guidance from me directly, I offer a "Chat with Gary" service. While this isn't a free option, it does allow us to dive into your specific circumstances in detail: garydoessolar.com/chatwithgary/. Best of luck in finding the answers you need!
Gary, Powerwall 3 is not the "new" standard for home batteries. Tesla is finally choosing the LFP chemistry. There are other companies out there that are on their 10th generation of a Lithium Ion Phosphate residential battery. I am glad to see that Tesla has finally embraced the better, longer lasting, better performing battery chemistry. Also, make sure to read the fine print. Tesla batteries are built for self-consumption and backup. I believe they also have to be tied to solar, not direct to grid. The actual trend for energy storage is grid-tied batteries that complement solar. Batteries need to do much more than just simple backup. They must become resources that are to be used and leveraged daily versus wait on a grid outage. That is the only way to transition to a smarter grid and more responsive energy services.
Good to debate on this. My argument in the video is that the following specification is ideal for the mass market: - single unit - 13.5kWh battery storage - 11.5kW continuous power output - Circa 30kW peak power output (for starting AC units) - built-in string inverter with 3 (or 6) MPPTs handling up to 20kWp of arrays - Full home backup (including continued solar generation) To make a persuasive counter argument, perhaps you could identify products with a higher specification than this, or why any of these features are not important.
I believe that Tesla are running a virtual system which you have to sign up to but they can then remotely switch you battery to the grid in times of high demand...
Garry you’re a wealth of information! Can you tell me how compatible the Tesla power wall 3 would be installed at a residential property with 3 phase power? I’m in Brisbane Australia and have a 19.8 kw solar array (54 panels) that produces 120 kWh plus on a good sunny day, and 20 kWh on an overcast rainy day. I only get 5c per kWh exported and pay over 30c per kWh I purchase overnight.
Thanks for your kind words! :-) Now, for the situation you describe, I think PW3 would be eminently suitable come next year, when 3-phase support is added. PW3 is able to accommodate an array of that size without problem.
@@GaryDoesSolar Thank you for your reply. I will continue watching your channel and hold off just that little bit longer to see the 3-phase support added. Cheers!
Great specification, looks to be giving other battery manufacturers a real run for their money. Tesla do have a reputation for products just working out of the box unlike some other competitors where things like multi-battery setups are “coming soon” and there are still firmware issues. Of course any product is subject to teething problems but Tesla probably have a bigger testing budget than others. Considering that it includes a high capacity inverter, the price isn’t too awful
Well, I can see you seem very convinced by the Tesla products. I have no experience for them but the certainly sound good to hear you speak about them. You aren't on their Sales force are you?...:-)
Hi Peter, yeah I really do like Tesla products, and am happy to tell you I don't have any commercial relationship with them, nor have been asked to promote their products.
Gary, do you think the solar shingle type tile will be better than the panels. Just thinking about those historic and listed buildings and conservation areas of the UK?
Hi James, yeah, and the reason I believe this is that as home solar becomes more and more mass market, and societies benefit extremely well from that, governments will be looking to ensure that everyone is able to take part. As Tesla demonstrated many years ago that it was possible to make solar tiles look like typical roofing materials - and so I'm expecting several manufacturers to start bringing product evolutions of that to market soon... Interesting times!
Even though we share the same 230v 50Hz system PW3 is not announced for Ireland yet…. Don’t know why. Are you aware of any other batteries that can connect on the AC and that can cope with 10Kw load peak (trying to cope with 9kw heat pump)love the vids
Hi Gearoid - thanks for your kind words about my videos. I can't think of any batteries that can do this myself, but it might be that some of the modular AC Coupled brands are able to.
I’d advice people who can wait a year or two to do so. The cost of PW3’s will reduce significantly and guaranteed there will be some glitches with the first year or two’s models that need ironing out.
Cheers Richard - yeah, I'm expecting PW3 prices to fall in line with declining lithium battery prices generally - great news for anyone looking to buy a home battery!
Innovation, innovation, and more innovation. Thanks, Gary. Other systems are possibly cheaper, but this stands out, and for me [in the UK], Octopus integration is key... now making my investment in the GivEnergy AIO under scrutiny. And if your DNO would not allow you to have that level of output to the grid [limited] one could even consider going off grid with that capacity
Hi Kristian, yeah - I do like it that Tesla is showing the way for other manufacturers to follow. As it happens, I'm meeting with a number of DNOs in London next month, and I'll be quizzing them about how they determine export limits for domestic properties...
Now, that's a great question, Lalit. I'd suggest you couldn't go wrong with either solution. I really like the Tesla no-nonsense backup and high discharge rate. But I know the Enphase 5P battery is also quite good. It might come down to pricing then...
Very informative video Gary. Do you know if the PW3 supports 3 phase? I live in the countryside and have a 3 phase supply. And is it available in the EU, specifically Poland?
Hi Gary, great videos. UK based, is it definitive that we will be able to mix PW2 and 3? A friend has a PW2 and is wanting to add another battery for capacity only. What do you recommend please
Tesla PowerWalls are quite a bit more expensive here in Thailand but Chinese Batteries using CATL LFP cells are only £160 per kWh. I am off-grid with 20kW of PV 36kWh of domestic batteries and my BYD Seal’s V2L adding extra backup when needed. The feed-in tariff is only 5p/kWh with 5kW of PV max allowed (Videos of my setup on my channel)
Thanks very much for using my referral code - very much appreciated! Now I wouldn’t recommend adding another battery from a different manufacturer because they’ll end up fighting with each other. One day, there will some standard for communications between solar, battery and other related products, but today each manufacturer has their own communication ecosystem, which is closed to other manufacturers…
Hi Gary, what would be needed to run an average UK home plus an EV with a little extra in reserve that could run the home & car for all or most of the year off grid or as much as possible.
There's not much in the way of incentives at present, other than a tax exemption (and 0% loans in Scotland for homeowners). It's such a shame, because the EU is offering a range of incentives...
13.5 kWh wouldn’t be enough to power any of the homes here where I am in Canada, especially in the peak of summer and in the peak of winter. We would need three times that for single days use. Why the power wall is a pretty product, there are much more economical options out there that provide similar interface experience and automations. And for those that might have a little bit more interest on the tech side, you can do even better in terms of affordability.
It depends for how long. I'm also in Canada & it is sufficient for my needs. Emergency power & cheaper to run on Powerwall than prime time energy rate until I can charge back at low price after midnight.
Gary Just got myself a id buzz on the car settings it saying I can do bi-directional charging got myself givenergy set up, van saying it let's me use 4000kw of battery. If that works I belive on the right octopus tariff I could make 1-2k selling the electric? Do you know anything about this? Cheers for your time.
@@GaryDoesSolar thank you, van saying it gives 4000 hour of bi directional at a max of 10000kw after that you can't use the van battery. I'm paying £300 a month for a 2 year lease, that would definitely of set a nice chunk of money 🤑💰💵
I’m looking at a solar and battery storage system install at present. Average about 15kwh use a day. The PW3 with a 4.4kw array , no micro invertors, is an option. But, for slightly more, can have 20kwh Alpha battery with the same solar (which would have micro inverters on the panels). What would you say would be the better option?
As you can imagine, I receive a large number of questions about specific situations and needs, and unfortunately, I can't respond to them all individually. However, there are several solar and battery groups online, such as this one in the UK, where knowledgeable members are often happy to provide free advice and support: facebook.com/groups/2197329430289466. If you'd like more personalised guidance from me directly, I offer a "Chat with Gary" service. While this isn't a free option, it does allow us to dive into your specific circumstances in detail: garydoessolar.com/chatwithgary/. Best of luck in finding the answers you need!
I wonder if they do testing the power walls being in humidity… My garage is incredibly humid at least three months out of the year and I always am concerned about moisture getting into things overtime
I'm pretty sure they do. Remember that these units are designed to be installed outside and they can handle being submerged up to 60% in water. You'll be fine, I reckon :-)
I have solar and a Powerwall 2 (installed in 2019) and have had no issues. If we were to get a longer term power outage due to a cyclone then my understanding is that once the battery is empty we would be without any power because the inverter is separate so the home nor the batteries could be supplied by our solar panels without grid back up. Would this be different with the Powerwall 3 having a built in inverter? If so this would be a major selling point for locations such as ours.
My understanding is that with PW2 and PW3, your solar system will continue to operate in the event of a grid outage, irrespective of whether the inverter is external or internal (in the case of PW3). See the text in this link: www.tesla.com/powerwall "When an outage occurs, Powerwall will help keep your solar system running or, if using grid power, will transition your home to stored energy instantly."
Great that your Powerwall 3 is on its way. Now, the lithium-ion label alone is not an indication unfortunately, as both NMC and LFP are variants of lithium-ion. I think you can be confident from what everyone is saying though, that your battery will be LFP.
If we assume the installation cost is £750, a PW3 then costs £7000. At 37.8 MWh total throughout (warranty spec) that's £0.19 per kWh plus the amortised cost of the PV array used to charge the battery, let's say £0.29 all up. How does that compete with grid kWh charges?
A fair point. And I’d argue that if a financial return is your primary concern, there are other solutions out there that are better for that. Battery prices will continue to fall over time though and ROI cases will be made.
You said that the string inverter must be disabled to use micro inverters but I have read that you can use them together, 7.68kw of AC and 20kw of DC. Tricky to find official info whether this is true or not.
Hi Andy, now there are lots of complications running two inverters at the same time, linked to the same battery, so I wouldn't imagine that would be possible, but maybe someone else will know...
Any idea if Powerwall 3 UPS functionality is of the online or offline type? Offline UPSes are characterized by having to engage a relay to connect their inverter to power the loads hooked up to the UPS. This is usually noticeable as a "blip" in the power supply when the switchover occurs, which may cause lights to blink, and worse, electronic devices to crash, and/or restart, and as our lives are becoming more and more digital it is inconvenient if the wifi access point, networking router, fiber gateway etc go down right when you might need to be notified that a power outage is occurring. Also, it's not good in general for a computer to suddenly lose power, as this may lead to data loss and also data storage device file system corruption and so on. Therefore online UPSes are much preferred, where the inverter is constantly engaged and re-transforming incoming power (this also helps to clean up voltage swings, AC frequency dips and so on btw.)
Keen to know what Tesla offers for dynamic energy prices (hourly changing rates, EPEX). Does it support algorithms to charge in cheap or negative prices?
What part of the world are you in? I know Tesla Electric already operates in the US, and they're also coming to the UK next year. Worth taking a look at their website to see if your location is/will be covered... You can then look at their tariffs...
I am looking jealously at upgrading to PW2 or PW3, but being an early adopter with a PW1, I’m stuck. It’s incompatible and there is nowhere to take/sell a secondhand PW1. Only option seems to be to stick with a PW1 or convert it into a garden table.
Yeah, this is a perennial problem with buying initial release products I'm afraid... I'd buy a PW3 and store the PW1 for a decade or two - could be worth a lot of money by then...
The Tesla Powerwall 3 is so good that it can save you almost enough money, so that you can buy another one when the battery has degraded over time and use.
Hi I have a question... based on what you said here if I have a large home that needs 3-4 Powerwalls (I have 600A service and my monthly bill is about $500-600) then I cannot use Powerwall as a reasonable backup because only 1 unit can be used as backup limiting the power supplied?
I might if I get time - I've got 9 videos to finish first though. Worth watching Artisan Electric's video on the X1 here: ua-cam.com/video/gWUqrfZjfCs/v-deo.htmlsi=UKnXusJJ8fWdvF6r
@@GaryDoesSolar Thanks Gary. I have watched Artisans video. I think the Anker looks more attractive but wondered how it compares with the Tesla on a technical level. These are quite large investments to consider.
@@ilit5472 So, on my channel, I don't generally talk about brand new products to market as they don't yet have any kind of track record They might look good and tick lots of boxes, but perform poorly in the market. I make an exception if those products appear to be truly ground-breaking and/or are from manufacturers with a strong quality record. Let's see how Anker fares... they could well end up being a great competitor to Tesla and other major brands!
I'd need to look more deeply into community solar to answer that, but to answer your second question, Tesla batteries are typically installed in garages or outside in the UK - only occasionally are they installed inside the home itself, as far as I'm aware.
As I already have a Tesla PW 2 and an inverter I am thinking of just adding another PW2. I assume that the cost of PW 2's will fall or am I being too optimistic???
With the built-in inverter does that allow the Powerwall to be charged directly from a DC bypass of sorts, more efficiently, and then the inverter just does its job on the power going to the home? Or is it still going DC->AC->DC for the battery?
@@GaryDoesSolarWhat is your view on Tesla including a string inverter with the battery? I am no expert but it looks like a step backwards as the momentum seems to be behind microinverters these days. If PV is connected to PW3 and PW3's inverter gives up a ghost after five years, can it be easily replaced? I am wondering if it is still better to go with microinverters that are expected to last 25 years. I understand that instalation using PW3's inverter might be faster and cheaper but that goes out of the window if the inverter won't last 15 years like battery should.
@@kolifx So, as you might be aware, I'm a big fan of Enphase microinverters and feel that they are great for the mass market, covering all manner of roof sizes and orientations. I'm also a fan of Tesla products. For me, it's not a case of whether one is better than the other (in the same way that it's not a case of whether iOS is better than Android) - it comes down to personal preference of particular benefits of each.
Does the $5500 pounds ($7200 USD) price include installation? In the US 1 Powerwall is $10500 USD, if you buy 3 its $8600 each but includes installation in the US.
I don't yet have solar PV but can now see a case for adding a battery system to make better use of power generated with tariffs such as those from Octopus. My roof shape is complex and I had thought to start with one area that would allow me to use a smaller inverter so as to stay within the 3.68kw generation limit for an installation without having to seek approval from my DNO. Clearly a Powerwall 3 could output way more than 3.68kw, irrespective of the solar PV sizing, presumably this would require me to ask permission from my DNO which may not be granted ?
Worth chatting with some of your neighbours with solar already to see what limitation the DNO has placed for them. That’s not to say you’ll be offered the same, but it could provide a good indication.
That's true. If financial return is the primary factor, then there are far better solutions than the PW3. For example, I came across this video the other day, which is the cheapest approach I've seen to date: ua-cam.com/video/aH5Y_gJXOsI/v-deo.htmlsi=OPcWWytAx3a3OsNy
Until now, it seems as though Tesla power wall can't be synced up with my whole home generator. Do you know if this still holds true? I'd go with Poerwall 3 right now if it would synch however at this time, Enpphase sees the only solution and Franklin but I'm not interested in them.
Hi Gary, can you please tell me why on the Tesla App you can only add your tariff in pounds to two decimal points? My off peak tariff is 8.5p but I can only put in £0.08. This is now giving me inaccurate data. Many thanks, Jenny
Hi Jenny, thanks for your question. Unfortunately, I don't know the answer to that. Worth joining a Tesla online forum and asking the question there...
You can’t get around it i have faced the same issue but rather than put .075p put in .08p which means i over estimate my costs rather than underestimate. As it happens Octopus have dropped my OI Go to 0.07p anyway now so that sorts that out.
Looking at the prices in Australia - the PW2 (3 isn't out yet) on a price per kWh basis is very competitive. I think if you do the maths, it'd be similar in the UK.
* NOTES SINCE PRODUCTION *
1. Contrary to what I said in the video at 3:58, it seems you can have only up to 3 DC expansion units on the first PW3 in a group of PW3s - see here for details: energylibrary.tesla.com/docs/Public/EnergyStorage/Powerwall/3/InstallManual/BackupSwitch/en-us/GUID-673226CB-1798-4BC9-AB04-D2A5CBA59305.html
2. I've had a questions from a couple of viewers asking me if I have received any compensation from Tesla for this video. I can confirm I have not received any compensation nor benefits from Tesla for this or any other videos I have made. And that I'll always mark videos as "Paid Promotion" should that ever be the case.
Great Summary Gary! I met with Tesla at the recent Intersolar event in Munich and Tesla Energy reps have told me it is LFP chemistry. Also good to note - PW3 has G98/99 approval for 3.68/5/6/7/8/9/10 & 11.04 kW (Not 11.5kW FYI) which means that even if the DNO places some restrictions on import/export at your home, you should still be able to have Powerwall 3 installed, just with a restricted charge/discharge rate. We are on the Tesla Powerwall 3 Installer Training in a couple of weeks time so will be posting a video update on our own channel in the coming weeks, but delivery estimates are for October right now so we are encouraging people to get on our waiting list as we anticipate high pent up demand. Those with PW2 who want to expand their capacity might consider doing so sooner rather than later as sales of PW2 will be phased out in the UK at the end of the year as PW3 starts to roll in. DC expansion for PW3 should be coming in Q1 2025 hopefully...
Thanks for the great feedback. Video should go live tomorrow. Hope you had a great time in Munich - I used to be there a lot with my day job (in the mobile industry). Sounds like it was a good show! Thanks for sharing the insight regarding PW3, and I look forward to your video post the training!
Agreed, anyone thinking about a PW3 really does need to get on the waiting list now, to secure a (reasonably) early installation date.
Artisan's website is www.artisanelectrics.co.uk
Bit worrying that G99 could mean a generation limit rather than an export limit, if it caps the output of the PW3.
It also seems multiple PW3s are not DC interlinked, only AC, which is a shame.
@@richardskinner6391 Hi Richard, I've got a video coming out shortly, where I interviewed several DNOs on topics like export limits - could set your mind at rest...
With batery prices at around $50 per kwh Tesla is ripping people off.
@@rogerphelps9939 Do you have an example of that pricing please? I think you're looking at battery cell pricing rather than consumer battery pack pricing - two very different things...
Hi Gary. Thanks for a very informative report on Tesla Powerwall 3.
I'm in a suburb of Melbourne Australia and have 7.5kW of rooftop solar panels as well a two Powerwall 2 batteries.
I got the first Powerwall 2 about 4 years ago and it has worked without any issues since installation.
Not once have I been without power during any power outages.
I got the second Powerwall 2 around August 2023 and the whole system just works.
I have no hesitation in recommending a Tesla battery system.
As far as the price is concerned, you know the saying, 'You get what you pay for'.
Cheers 🙂
Hi Luke. Brilliant! Thanks for sharing. It’s hard to beat Tesla.
As an American.. that part where you were saying you had competition on electrical/power providers, really blew my mind.
It's such a shame that in many countries there is no real choice of energy supplier today - hopefully this will change over time. Human nature shows us time and time again that a competitive market is essential...
I have had the Power Wall 2 for four years without a hiccup. I live in California and got the Power Wall because of the risk of losing power during elevated fire risk periods. Well I haven’t lost power once since I had my solar and Power Wall installed.
That’s a great case study for the product - thanks for sharing! 👍🏻
Great insight as always Gary! You have such a professional demeanor and your videos have valued and concise information presented to a high standard! Look forward to your next installment
Wow - that's high praise indeed - thank you! Yeah, I've got quite a backlog of videos coming... Next up is PredBat!
Interesting point at 8:55 re disabling the inverter (option) and using microinverters! Good to have this flexibility. Thanks for the VIDEO.
You're very welcome! :-)
What if you have both, would it be possible to dc connect one system and ac ‘connect’ the other system?
@atomicdmt8763, @garydoessolar . disabling the integrated inverter will cause the battery to supply DC into the house. The microinverters only convert the DC of the individual solar panels DC output to AC. It cannot convert the battery DC to AC
Great video Gary, and thank you for the kind words. Tesla do consistently hit the nail on the head and other battery manufacturers will have to follow suit. I look forward to continued collaboration in the future - Tok.
My pleasure, Tok :-) ...and yeah, I'm expecting to have some collaboration with a few solar installation companies soon with something I'm working on... All the best with the Many hundreds of PW3 installations I'll expect you'll be doing!
Great video Gary! Very interesting to see the possibility of stacking 16 batteries using the DC Expansion packs.
Cheers Conor - yeah, that's a heck of a lot of capacity, but quite a price tag with it! :-)
I have seen a few other videos about the Powerwall 3 and they mention efficiency and round trip efficiency. Apparently on the new model this has been improved to 97%. I suspect this is something to do with AC/DC conversion but this is just a guess. Might I suggest this as a future video.
Keep the great videos coming
Thanks Andrew for your great feedback!
Yeah, Spirit Energy certainly quoted 97% in a recent video of theirs. I covered AC/DC conversions in this video, which you might find useful: ua-cam.com/video/x83t1iCMXxw/v-deo.htmlsi=V_LgpotC6bcosjpO
Thanks for the review. I had a Powerwall 2 plus solar fitted last year it took ages and 4 attempts to get a 3 phase smart meter fitted. Now everything is working on Octopus Flux.
You're most welcome. And great to hear your installation is running now! :-)
Officially signed up to install PW3 in October . Great informative video Gary
That’s brilliant - roll on October! And thank you for the great feedback on the video 😀❤️
How much did it come to altogether and do you have an estimation of how much it'll likely save you money each year / pay itself off?
@@HecticGlenn that costs me £7500 + DNO fee. With the help of chatgpt, I estimate the breakeven point at 6.5 years. My average consumption is around 8-9kwh per day. 😉
Thanks Gary, I've recently had a give energy battery installed, 11 Kwh, and is working fine so far. I recently had my latest bill for the month and my use was priced at £1.00 and change. However my standing charge was over £15.00. Gutted!! 🤣🤣
Yeah, the UK government needs to fix the standing charge as soon as possible - so many elderly and vulnerable people are being disproportionately affected by it! And of course, it goes against the whole notion of homeowners trying to mitigate their grid pull.
Well done 👍 Very informative. I’m looking forward to being able to upgrade and add powerwall 3 to my Tesla system here in US
Great stuff! And hopefully that won't be too long away... :-)
I had a Powerwall 2 and solar installed in May this year, here in the UK. Despite the poor weather, I have been virtually 'off-grid' since then - though I have to advise that my solar panels are in the perfect position. The Powerwall 2 just does its thing and the app is great. Totally recommend it so far, will be interesting to see what happens over the full year.
How much was the total cost of the solar battery and installation?
@@mrelaxed around £15k
That's brilliant :-)
As a tesla M3 owner I’ve had a great owenrship experience and am leaning towards a Powerwall 3. Your comments about the price being expected to fall as demand levels out are giving me a reason to wait a bit longer. Perhaps even waiting a year I will save considerably!
I'm hoping to get a Tesla one day, and so will look forward to the experience you are having! It's hard to predict the future, but lithium prices are dropping like a stone this year, so I expect that to be reflected in battery pack prices before long!
@@GaryDoesSolar
I bought a used Tesla M3 with 58k miles just over a year ago. You'd be surprised how cheap they are used. I never thought I'd ever be able to afford one. They have little wear and tear and very little maintenance required so great to buy used. It's been amazing and I don't know any other car that compares, even other EVs. Just have a look at autotrader, for £15k you can buy a 2020 Model 3 like mine. If you have an ICE car you might save over £200 every month that could go a long way towards paying for the car if you get a loan. In my case I'm actually saving money compared to my previous 2015 Kia Diesel. For a while I was driving to work in central London costing me 50p return in electricity and less than £2 to park all day on the street instead of my £13.90 train ticket, every single day, just saving on train tickets it was already over £200 per month on top of driving at 2p/mile which since the 1st of July has gone down to 1.75p/mile. Do your proper research taking everything in account like not having any scheduled services, not needing to change oil, timing belt, event brake pads and they're hardly used, no road tax, no ULEZ, no congestion charge etc etc. You'll be very surprised.
Thanks Gary. Very interesting. I was thinking of switching to Octopus anyhow, so seeing that you have a code for them is an extra bonus.
Hi John, cheers for the great feedback on the video. And I'd be honoured if you used my referral code - £50 for each of us - thank you! :-)
Another succinct informative video Garry cheers.
Ive just signed for a PW3 installation in September. Considered waiting a year to see if price comes down, but on Intelligent Octopus Go I'm keen to get the savings this winter running the home on 7p pkwh. Also demand for pw3 may go up with Tesla Energy launching next year, so possible prices of pw3 may not come down any time soon.
Thanks 🙏 Yeah, a little more expensive than the competition, but great batteries 😀 Hope all goes well with the install when it comes 👍🏻
Well put together overview of the latest iteration from the Powerwall Tesla series.
Thank you 🙏
Very interesting and informative.... All the best....keep up the great work bringing people up to speed.
Thanks very much for this great feedback! I'll keep the informative videos coming... :-)
We have two power wall 2s. There are plenty of times we wish we had more storage, but all of these times happen because we don't have enough solar generation. I'm pretty sure if we doubled or quadrupled our solar production, then we'd really just need enough storage to get through dark hours and quite frankly if the battery depletes itself at 4AM, we may not notice.
Thanks for sharing your experience, Ian. Yeah, I can imagine that with products like PW3, and battery prices continuing to fall, that over the next 3-5 years, people (including yourself) will steadily expand their storage capacity to the levels you’ve quoted 😀👍🏻
The reason I would want more than 13.5kwh of storage is when I want to offset a lot more production to my own use - for more financial gain there. In a few years I will only get half of the money for energy I export to the grid vs paying to get energy. My best days generate 50kWh or more, so using say 20kwh easily from 4pm-2am would be great on those hot sunny days. I'm in the US by the way. I'll keep watching this, but PW3 seems like a winner and DC coupling another may make sense for me.
Yeah, I think a PW3 plus a few Expansion Packs could be the ticket!
Gary just wanted to say that your videos are great and you as a person are very easy to listen to , I’ve learnt a lot so thanks .
I’d also like to say that if anyone is looking for more energy independence you will need at least 2 Tesla batteries . I live in north wales roof SSW is a sun trap all day. If I didn’t have two batteries I would still be needing some grid power all through the summer . Have 12 panels and solar edge . But most of the uk has days that are cloudy and wet all through the summer and you just don’t get enough power generated to last through those dull days . Also all my appliances are new and of the highest energy efficiency . Personally I prefer being off grid , I’ve seen very irregular readings , what I would call criminal activity readings off the Tesla app and frankly don’t trust others being able to access and control my system and potentially doing anything they like with my power .
Thanks very much for your kind words, and also for sharing those points.
Great video. I'm amazed that in the US we have such an innovative company, one that doesn't just virtue signal. Tesla is changing the world, this costs money. Companies that create and improve on technology have to charge more because it cost money to do this, copying someone else's work is much cheaper, so you can offer it for less.
Basically, if you have the money, it's best to go for Tesla, they aren't just a name, they are the ones making the changes we want and for them to continue they have to be able to pay for all the research. Basically, don't just say you want to save the world, go with a company that innovating to do that.
Agreed! And thanks for your kind words about the video :-)
Well done Gary for not succumbing to the Tesla denier crowd. I will be waiting for the Powerwall 2 and 3 compatibility upgrade rather than getting a second pw2. The cost should come down as the annual run rate for PW3 is slated to be 700k. This is more than the total number of PW2 ever sold.
Cheers Colin - yeah, there’s certainly polarity on the Tesla/Musk topic-and Elon doesn’t help matters with some of the comments he makes! But there’s no denying Tesla makes great products and the PW3 is expected to be the best selling product globally because of that 👍🏻
Thank you! Informative as always. One question that could be illuminated in a further video re: PW3 is - what if the customer needs 3-phase home power?
Cheers for the great feedback! My understanding is that 3-phase support is coming early next year :-)
A very good question, because a lot of residential heat pumps are running on 3 phase. As such people need to heat home or warm water in a backup way.
In the UK 3 phase is still quite uncommon although I know some people are being converted to 3 phase when they have solar fitted as this is the way to avoid grid export restrictions that they’d get on single phase. Not heard about 3 phase heat pumps, I have two large heat pumps and they are on the same single phase
Been waiting for this video ❤
Cheers - hope you like it.
For everyone else, I promise not to go on about Tesla Powerwalls for a while - I know they’re not everyone’s cup of tea 👍🏻
As an existing Powerwall 2 owner, I would raise a slight issue with your use of the word “seamlessly”, when talking about the PW taking over in the event of an outage. It’s definitely noticeable in the home: PCs will restart etc. If one simulates an outage, and manually isolates the house from the grid using the Tesla app, that is indeed seamless, so if someone was aware of a planned outage, then the blip could be mitigated against, I guess, but if it’s unexpected, I believe the cutover time is in the region of 20 ms. In fairness to Tesla, they don’t claim it’s got UPS capability, and I think the only current domestic solution (available in the UK) which does offer UPS is the Sigenergy SigenStor.
I have a PW2 and live in a rural area with frequent power cuts in NZ and mine is pretty much seamless. Just wonder if there is a glitz with your install?
Worth getting your PW2 checked... In any case, I believe the PW3 is seamless.
It’s not UPS like but definitely you are not aware of power cuts unless you are staring at a light bulb. Granted that we are mostly laptop, even the fiber optic modem is kept up, and heat pumps. It’s a fraction of a second enough for the residual left electricity on the circuits not to reset the appliances. If your takes a second or more have the installer check his work.
I have Powerwall 2's as well and agree with this. The Powerwalls are not UPS and if you have a power outage it is not seamless backup. I have had to put small UPS units on some of my equipment to over come the delay. I spoke with Tesla support about this and they confirmed that there will be a delay in the Backup coming in if there is a heavy draw at the time of the Power outage. When I was sold the system I was told that it was seamless backup which it is not!
I installed a Tesla PW 2 about a year ago here in Melbourne Australia. In the first 6 months we had 3 power outages. For us it was a seamless experience and on 2 occasions I didn't know it had happened until the app told me. In all cases my computer (Apple Mac) just "soft blinked" and kept going. I run a recording studio at home, I don't want any interruption to the power supply. Part of the installation was fitting another fuse box that takes over from the regular one when the power goes out and the battery kicks in. I assume that all installations do this?
Great & Informative Vid. Gary as Always!
Can't wait for the New Nine ones you mentioned!
I'm close to deciding on my own New System inc. All in One Battery/Inverter Mgt. etc similar to the new PW3! 😃
I hope you have some help if necessary in producing these World Class Tutorials as it must be a Mammoth Task! ..... 😀👏👍
Thank you! :-) And good luck with your decision making. Meanwhile, it's just me I'm afraid, making the videos, but I'm hoping to put out one a week for the next few weeks...
Great breakdown mate 👌 Cheers
That’s great feedback, thank you! 🙏
I really love your videos Gary - thanks a lot! I just have one concern: you are clearly very positive about Tesla and their products. Please could you just state for the record that you are not receiving any compensation or benefits from Tesla?
Thanks for your very kind words, Mike. I am happy to make that statement. I have not received any compensation nor benefits from Tesla for this or any other videos I have made. I'll always mark videos as "Paid Promotion" should that ever be the case.
As usual, Tesla comes with an excellent product
Yeah, I'm finding it hard to fault it! The price is an issue, but actually, it's not that much more expensive than other brands....
For those of us less knowledgeable, it would be good to ground it in actual outcomes. E.g. you mentioned, very briefly, about how long those KW/h and Pwr Output are required for a typical home. You said a couple of hours at full load? And powering off appliances. How much does a home consume, and how much do you prolong use from turning things off.
Hi Robert, here are a couple of videos I made that you might find useful:
ua-cam.com/video/IzBHs4878BY/v-deo.htmlsi=IUM7JfyzUu0GzhDy
ua-cam.com/video/qaNvzoJ5rVI/v-deo.htmlsi=T8Ycn0T0LUKu2gnA
Once again a very imformative video. thank you
Cheers Philip - this one took quite a while to make! :-)
Well done, great video.
Hi Gersh, thank you for your kind words! :-)
Hi Gary. Great videos thanks. You say PW3 needs to be installed in a garage. The property we are renovating has no garage. Can it be installed in the house in a fire proof room?
Thanks for your kind worlds, Jim. Now, Tesla certainly prefers their Powerwalls to be installed outside or in a garage, but worth speaking with your installer about other potential options for you property 👍🏻
This looks quite appealing-and I agree with your “wait till next year” recommendation. In the meantime I’m going to have to see how I can connect my existing AC solar power feed directly into the unit -so I can retain that 40p/kWh FiT kick back I get. Alternatively: work out if/how I could use metering within the powerwall to measure the exact amount of energy supplied by DC coupled solar. Given our inverter is about 13/14 years old I should be planning for that soon anyway
Hi Steve, yeah - it's a great solution! Now, I'm not sure how it might affect your FiT contract. Worth looking at guidance on this forum here, where there is very good advice for those on the scheme: facebook.com/groups/2197329430289466/permalink/6080359505319753/
These appliances are complex in nature so having good hardware and software that “just work” is just as important and it costs. US companies such as Tesla/Enphase have fewer anomalies as Class Action lawsuits ensure they fix issues quickly and effectively unlike some mfrg entities in far east.
I agree, and good point about the lawsuits.
Great summary!
Thanks for the great feedback! 😀
I’m a Tesla fanboy, so of course I like the PW3. I live in Fresno, California and I have a 7.695 kWp solar system installed by Sun Run in 2018 by the previous owner. I want to add 2 PWs and my quote is about $22,000 before federal and PG&E incentives. Probably about $14k after the incentives. I can’t justify spending $14k when my annual true up is less than $100.
That's fair comment. I'm expecting home battery prices to continue to fall over the next year, which might help with the justification...
Great video as always Gary. I'm surprised you didn't compare to the Givenergy All In 1 which I would have thought a direct competitor at 13.5kw, UK company and cheaper. Just to clarify the Tesla will cope regardless of straight DC from the roof or using Enphase inverters to AC ?
Thanks Ian - I wanted this video to be just about the PW3, really. And I'm sure other channels will make comparisons to other similar products. To your question, yes, let's say there was 16kW of solar, the PW3 is able to put 5kW DC into the battery and convert and output the remaining 11kW to AC.
Hi Garry, would you like to make a video about the Enwall from Enercap? This is a solid state battery, which will ultimately become the future. The specs: 100% DOD, 500,000 cycles and no degradation the first 15 years. I don't think 99% RTe is possible with converting ac-dc-ac. In any case, specifications are mind-blowing!
I’ll take a look. Thanks for sharing 👍🏻
Specifications are both a little too good to be true (99% RTE) and also vague and poorly worded.
It claims to be a hybrid solution of graphene, tantalum capacitors and sealed cells. No mention of what is inside the sealed cell.
Their website has some schoolboy errors on it. I think they’ve got a way to go to be convincing
I was at the Intersolar in Munich and talked to Tesla technicians about PW3.
1. among other things, the AC battery is not yet available and expensive in Germany. Prices are only announced by the installer.
2. if you have a PW3(1) with 3 MPP string and add another PW3(2) with MPP, the PW3(2) must also be supplied with PV power. In other words, lay new cables and connect them to the MPP string. Otherwise it will not charge! This is a major problem, as the installed solar modules are usually connected to the PW3(1).
Conclusion: PW3(1) cannot supply PW3(2) with power!
PW3(2) needs its own PV modules and possibly new cabling.
In my opinion, this is a negative point when it comes to expansion.
you wouldn't connect a second PW3, you'd connect a DC expansion though.
I'll try to get some more information on this. The most obvious solution for that requirement is to add a DC Expansion instead of another PW3, I guess...
@@GaryDoesSolar yes and no :-). With one PW3 you get 11,5kW output. With the 2. PW3 you want and get 23kW output. If 23kW is needed (or more) you have to make a plan B.
@@smartLooser Ok, let me do a bit of digging around that then - it does seem a bit of a restriction... Thanks for highlighting! 👍
How much is the Power Input from Solar for each PW3? And what is the Peak Solar for the storage?
May be you install 15kW on the roof. What would happens with that energy…
a. empty 13,5 kWh storage
b. 80% of 13,5 kWh full
c. 100% full
Question: the house needs 16kW, can one PW3 delivers it?
I have 3 PW2 at home: this system delivers 12,9kW plus all 6kW solar.
We're in the process of getting the Eco4 grant for solar & heat pump. This grant doesn't permit hybrid inverters or batteries. So I'm looking for ...perhaps the Powerwall? Will V3 be able to do some diverting to an immersion heater for HW?
Hi Steven, did the grant say why hybrid is not allowed? Bear in mind that the built-in inverter in a PW3 is hybrid. You can still divert excess solar to an immersion heater irrespective of what inverter and battery you use as it's a separate system - see my video here for details: ua-cam.com/video/6zc1g1bz0eA/v-deo.htmlsi=TDP7g2vP86ySbnx3
@@GaryDoesSolar thanks. It looks like you can fit the diverter yourself.
Very informative! Any thoughts on the Anker Solix X1? Would love your expert advice. Thanks, Gary! 😊
Thanks. I like Anker products-and have used many of them over the years-so it is great to see them getting into the home battery market as well.
It’s early days though, so I would like to see how people actually get on with this new (far more complex) product before reporting on it…
excellent
Thank you! 😀😀
I have a powerwall2 and yes they are good and suites my needs. The powerwall3 rolls everything into one. This is not in my opinion great, unless they are absolutely reliable. The reason is the powerwall3 is battery, inverter and solar pv all in one. I would like to know if there are any failure modes that would allow the unit to still run some of the system.
As I have had a solar inverter fail before I’m not keen on loosing everything in the system with a fault.
That said if they are doing battery unit extra capacity (dc) that would reduce the cost of extra kWh’s on your system.
Oh and the power backup switch is nice bonus, yes it’s been used a lot due to out area supply
That's a great point - I'll see what I can find out...
Thanks Gary - another great video. I'm potentially looking for a battery only solution with Octopus Intelligent Go but install may have to be outside. Do you have any thoughts on how that could impair performance? I know my EV car range degrades significantly in cold weather and wondered if the same applies here?
Hi @airtyke - thanks for the kind words :-)
Worth watching this video I made about how lithium-ion batteries manage in the cold: ua-cam.com/video/e_RNL03ync0/v-deo.htmlsi=GdtnXl6JbepaYwNc
I'd like to see a comparison between Tesla Powerwall 3 and the Ecoflow product
I wish I had the time to create videos like that - maybe one day… 😀🙏
Hi Gary , this along with your other videos are extremely informative to a ‘solar and battery newcomer’, thank you !
Quick clarification - given the huge us of Coal to generate power in China - can you confirm if any of the Tesla power wall 3 is produced in China - as this would be a big no no fir me as so counterproductive …
Thank you again 😎👍
You're most welcome, James. Thanks for the great feedback :-)
Now Tesla's Powerwall products are made in a number of different Tesla factories, including Nevada and Lathrop in the USA and Shanghai in China. Now, I can understand your reluctance to buy Chinese-related products, but I would imagine a fair proportion of the items in your house have at least one Chinese component in them. There is good reason China is often called the "world's factory"... :-/
Thanks Gary for the detailed video. For an existing system with Fronius Primo Gen24 plus hybrid inverter would you go for PW3 or for BYD HVM 13.8kw battery box. What would be rationale?
Hi Matt, as you can imagine, I receive a large number of questions about specific situations and needs, and unfortunately, I can't respond to them all individually.
However, there are several solar and battery groups online, such as this one in the UK, where knowledgeable members are often happy to provide free advice and support: facebook.com/groups/2197329430289466.
If you live in the UK and you'd like more personalised guidance from me directly, I offer a "Chat with Gary" service. While this isn't a free option, it does allow us to dive into your specific circumstances in detail: garydoessolar.com/chatwithgary/.
Best of luck in finding the answers you need!
Gary, Powerwall 3 is not the "new" standard for home batteries. Tesla is finally choosing the LFP chemistry. There are other companies out there that are on their 10th generation of a Lithium Ion Phosphate residential battery. I am glad to see that Tesla has finally embraced the better, longer lasting, better performing battery chemistry. Also, make sure to read the fine print. Tesla batteries are built for self-consumption and backup. I believe they also have to be tied to solar, not direct to grid. The actual trend for energy storage is grid-tied batteries that complement solar. Batteries need to do much more than just simple backup. They must become resources that are to be used and leveraged daily versus wait on a grid outage. That is the only way to transition to a smarter grid and more responsive energy services.
Good to debate on this. My argument in the video is that the following specification is ideal for the mass market:
- single unit
- 13.5kWh battery storage
- 11.5kW continuous power output
- Circa 30kW peak power output (for starting AC units)
- built-in string inverter with 3 (or 6) MPPTs handling up to 20kWp of arrays
- Full home backup (including continued solar generation)
To make a persuasive counter argument, perhaps you could identify products with a higher specification than this, or why any of these features are not important.
I believe that Tesla are running a virtual system which you have to sign up to but they can then remotely switch you battery to the grid in times of high demand...
Garry you’re a wealth of information!
Can you tell me how compatible the Tesla power wall 3 would be installed at a residential property with 3 phase power?
I’m in Brisbane Australia and have a 19.8 kw solar array (54 panels) that produces 120 kWh plus on a good sunny day, and 20 kWh on an overcast rainy day. I only get 5c per kWh exported and pay over 30c per kWh I purchase overnight.
Thanks for your kind words! :-)
Now, for the situation you describe, I think PW3 would be eminently suitable come next year, when 3-phase support is added. PW3 is able to accommodate an array of that size without problem.
@@GaryDoesSolar Thank you for your reply. I will continue watching your channel and hold off just that little bit longer to see the 3-phase support added. Cheers!
Great specification, looks to be giving other battery manufacturers a real run for their money. Tesla do have a reputation for products just working out of the box unlike some other competitors where things like multi-battery setups are “coming soon” and there are still firmware issues. Of course any product is subject to teething problems but Tesla probably have a bigger testing budget than others. Considering that it includes a high capacity inverter, the price isn’t too awful
I agree. And the UK price seems to be similar to the GivEnergy AIO.
Well, I can see you seem very convinced by the Tesla products. I have no experience for them but the certainly sound good to hear you speak about them. You aren't on their Sales force are you?...:-)
Hi Peter, yeah I really do like Tesla products, and am happy to tell you I don't have any commercial relationship with them, nor have been asked to promote their products.
Gary, do you think the solar shingle type tile will be better than the panels. Just thinking about those historic and listed buildings and conservation areas of the UK?
Hi James, yeah, and the reason I believe this is that as home solar becomes more and more mass market, and societies benefit extremely well from that, governments will be looking to ensure that everyone is able to take part. As Tesla demonstrated many years ago that it was possible to make solar tiles look like typical roofing materials - and so I'm expecting several manufacturers to start bringing product evolutions of that to market soon... Interesting times!
@@GaryDoesSolar do you know of any stockists in the north east please? 🙏🏻
@@MrBowjimgles jdm earth fitted mine on 19th 8 days ago been flawless fitted to existing fit system
@@peternewson7263 cheers what did you have done
Even though we share the same 230v 50Hz system PW3 is not announced for Ireland yet…. Don’t know why. Are you aware of any other batteries that can connect on the AC and that can cope with 10Kw load peak (trying to cope with 9kw heat pump)love the vids
Hi Gearoid - thanks for your kind words about my videos. I can't think of any batteries that can do this myself, but it might be that some of the modular AC Coupled brands are able to.
I’d advice people who can wait a year or two to do so. The cost of PW3’s will reduce significantly and guaranteed there will be some glitches with the first year or two’s models that need ironing out.
Cheers Richard - yeah, I'm expecting PW3 prices to fall in line with declining lithium battery prices generally - great news for anyone looking to buy a home battery!
Innovation, innovation, and more innovation. Thanks, Gary. Other systems are possibly cheaper, but this stands out, and for me [in the UK], Octopus integration is key... now making my investment in the GivEnergy AIO under scrutiny. And if your DNO would not allow you to have that level of output to the grid [limited] one could even consider going off grid with that capacity
Hi Kristian, yeah - I do like it that Tesla is showing the way for other manufacturers to follow. As it happens, I'm meeting with a number of DNOs in London next month, and I'll be quizzing them about how they determine export limits for domestic properties...
@@GaryDoesSolar Export limits info would be brilliant as I do wonder how they calculate it. Not to mention what it actually means.
gary what u prefer , Emphase microinverter, or Tesla powerwall 3 build in invertor ?
Now, that's a great question, Lalit. I'd suggest you couldn't go wrong with either solution. I really like the Tesla no-nonsense backup and high discharge rate. But I know the Enphase 5P battery is also quite good. It might come down to pricing then...
Many thanks , appreciate ur quick response
Gary, would you have bought a PW3 given the choice?
Yes, I would have. Tesla make solid products that just work. I’d pay extra for that 👍🏻
Very informative video Gary. Do you know if the PW3 supports 3 phase? I live in the countryside and have a 3 phase supply. And is it available in the EU, specifically Poland?
Thanks for the great feedback. My understanding is that three face support is coming in 2025…
Hi Gary, great videos. UK based, is it definitive that we will be able to mix PW2 and 3? A friend has a PW2 and is wanting to add another battery for capacity only. What do you recommend please
Thanks, and yes, PW3 compatibility with PW2 coming very soon! As your friend already has a PW2, then they could simply add other PW2, no?
Will effect house insurance with the fire risk?
It depends on your insurance provider. In the UK many insurance providers do not see the need to increase premiums.
Thank you.
Cheers! 😀
Tesla PowerWalls are quite a bit more expensive here in Thailand but Chinese Batteries using CATL LFP cells are only £160 per kWh. I am off-grid with 20kW of PV 36kWh of domestic batteries and my BYD Seal’s V2L adding extra backup when needed. The feed-in tariff is only 5p/kWh with 5kW of PV max allowed (Videos of my setup on my channel)
Wow - that's a great price for batteries!
hi garry, yes i used your referal code
one question
i have give energy allinone, can i add the tesla PW3,
is tey any way its possible
Thanks very much for using my referral code - very much appreciated! Now I wouldn’t recommend adding another battery from a different manufacturer because they’ll end up fighting with each other. One day, there will some standard for communications between solar, battery and other related products, but today each manufacturer has their own communication ecosystem, which is closed to other manufacturers…
Depends how you set them up…. But they’d likely end up shuffling energy back and forth between themselves if you aren’t careful.
Hi Gary, what would be needed to run an average UK home plus an EV with a little extra in reserve that could run the home & car for all or most of the year off grid or as much as possible.
That's a tricky question to answer as it depends on other factors too, like your monthly generation and typical usage...
What are the incentives for Solar and battery storage in the UK? Is the "Agrivoltaics" approach popular?
There's not much in the way of incentives at present, other than a tax exemption (and 0% loans in Scotland for homeowners). It's such a shame, because the EU is offering a range of incentives...
13.5 kWh wouldn’t be enough to power any of the homes here where I am in Canada, especially in the peak of summer and in the peak of winter. We would need three times that for single days use. Why the power wall is a pretty product, there are much more economical options out there that provide similar interface experience and automations. And for those that might have a little bit more interest on the tech side, you can do even better in terms of affordability.
Yeah, agreed - for those who know what they're doing, there are less expensive ways to build a large home battery capacity.
It depends for how long. I'm also in Canada & it is sufficient for my needs. Emergency power & cheaper to run on Powerwall than prime time energy rate until I can charge back at low price after midnight.
What other options are you referring to?
Gary Just got myself a id buzz on the car settings it saying I can do bi-directional charging got myself givenergy set up, van saying it let's me use 4000kw of battery. If that works I belive on the right octopus tariff I could make 1-2k selling the electric?
Do you know anything about this? Cheers for your time.
I'm going to looking into V2G very soon and so should have some answers on this...
@@GaryDoesSolar thank you, van saying it gives 4000 hour of bi directional at a max of 10000kw after that you can't use the van battery. I'm paying £300 a month for a 2 year lease, that would definitely of set a nice chunk of money 🤑💰💵
@@GaryDoesSolar apparently all the vw ID range with 77kw batterys offer this
I’m looking at a solar and battery storage system install at present. Average about 15kwh use a day. The PW3 with a 4.4kw array , no micro invertors, is an option. But, for slightly more, can have 20kwh Alpha battery with the same solar (which would have micro inverters on the panels). What would you say would be the better option?
As you can imagine, I receive a large number of questions about specific situations and needs, and unfortunately, I can't respond to them all individually. However, there are several solar and battery groups online, such as this one in the UK, where knowledgeable members are often happy to provide free advice and support: facebook.com/groups/2197329430289466.
If you'd like more personalised guidance from me directly, I offer a "Chat with Gary" service. While this isn't a free option, it does allow us to dive into your specific circumstances in detail: garydoessolar.com/chatwithgary/. Best of luck in finding the answers you need!
I wonder if they do testing the power walls being in humidity… My garage is incredibly humid at least three months out of the year and I always am concerned about moisture getting into things overtime
I'm pretty sure they do. Remember that these units are designed to be installed outside and they can handle being submerged up to 60% in water. You'll be fine, I reckon :-)
Gary, you mentioned that the Powerwall 2 and + will be compatible with the Powerwall 3. Do you know when that might happen?
Hi Matt, so I don't have any inside information on that, unfortunately, but I'll certainly report anything I hear!
I have solar and a Powerwall 2 (installed in 2019) and have had no issues. If we were to get a longer term power outage due to a cyclone then my understanding is that once the battery is empty we would be without any power because the inverter is separate so the home nor the batteries could be supplied by our solar panels without grid back up.
Would this be different with the Powerwall 3 having a built in inverter? If so this would be a major selling point for locations such as ours.
My understanding is that with PW2 and PW3, your solar system will continue to operate in the event of a grid outage, irrespective of whether the inverter is external or internal (in the case of PW3).
See the text in this link: www.tesla.com/powerwall
"When an outage occurs, Powerwall will help keep your solar system running or, if using grid power, will transition your home to stored energy instantly."
The shipping container my new Powerwall 3 arrived in last week had Lithium-Ion warning labels on the outside. An indication of battery chemistry?
Great that your Powerwall 3 is on its way. Now, the lithium-ion label alone is not an indication unfortunately, as both NMC and LFP are variants of lithium-ion. I think you can be confident from what everyone is saying though, that your battery will be LFP.
If we assume the installation cost is £750, a PW3 then costs £7000. At 37.8 MWh total throughout (warranty spec) that's £0.19 per kWh plus the amortised cost of the PV array used to charge the battery, let's say £0.29 all up. How does that compete with grid kWh charges?
A fair point. And I’d argue that if a financial return is your primary concern, there are other solutions out there that are better for that. Battery prices will continue to fall over time though and ROI cases will be made.
You said that the string inverter must be disabled to use micro inverters but I have read that you can use them together, 7.68kw of AC and 20kw of DC. Tricky to find official info whether this is true or not.
Hi Andy, now there are lots of complications running two inverters at the same time, linked to the same battery, so I wouldn't imagine that would be possible, but maybe someone else will know...
In their Australia presentation they mentioned it is LFP.
Thanks. Do you have a link, at all?
Any idea if Powerwall 3 UPS functionality is of the online or offline type? Offline UPSes are characterized by having to engage a relay to connect their inverter to power the loads hooked up to the UPS. This is usually noticeable as a "blip" in the power supply when the switchover occurs, which may cause lights to blink, and worse, electronic devices to crash, and/or restart, and as our lives are becoming more and more digital it is inconvenient if the wifi access point, networking router, fiber gateway etc go down right when you might need to be notified that a power outage is occurring.
Also, it's not good in general for a computer to suddenly lose power, as this may lead to data loss and also data storage device file system corruption and so on. Therefore online UPSes are much preferred, where the inverter is constantly engaged and re-transforming incoming power (this also helps to clean up voltage swings, AC frequency dips and so on btw.)
Yeah, the Powerwalls are not UPS, but EPS... You could always add your own UPS in line to avoid such issues...
Excellent Video Thank You!!!
Cheers for the great feedback! 😀👍🏻
Have you seen the Sigen Energy battery and home backup system?
No, sorry. Why?
Keen to know what Tesla offers for dynamic energy prices (hourly changing rates, EPEX). Does it support algorithms to charge in cheap or negative prices?
What part of the world are you in? I know Tesla Electric already operates in the US, and they're also coming to the UK next year. Worth taking a look at their website to see if your location is/will be covered... You can then look at their tariffs...
I am looking jealously at upgrading to PW2 or PW3, but being an early adopter with a PW1, I’m stuck. It’s incompatible and there is nowhere to take/sell a secondhand PW1. Only option seems to be to stick with a PW1 or convert it into a garden table.
Yeah, this is a perennial problem with buying initial release products I'm afraid... I'd buy a PW3 and store the PW1 for a decade or two - could be worth a lot of money by then...
The Tesla Powerwall 3 is so good that it can save you almost enough money, so that you can buy another one when the battery has degraded over time and use.
Yeah, sounds good!
Hi I have a question... based on what you said here if I have a large home that needs 3-4 Powerwalls (I have 600A service and my monthly bill is about $500-600) then I cannot use Powerwall as a reasonable backup because only 1 unit can be used as backup limiting the power supplied?
Are you on multiple phases? It may be that you can have one PW3 on each phase? Best to speak to a local installer...
Could you do a compare to Anker SOLIX X1 Battery Storage System?
I might if I get time - I've got 9 videos to finish first though. Worth watching Artisan Electric's video on the X1 here: ua-cam.com/video/gWUqrfZjfCs/v-deo.htmlsi=UKnXusJJ8fWdvF6r
@@GaryDoesSolar Thanks Gary. I have watched Artisans video. I think the Anker looks more attractive but wondered how it compares with the Tesla on a technical level. These are quite large investments to consider.
@@ilit5472 So, on my channel, I don't generally talk about brand new products to market as they don't yet have any kind of track record They might look good and tick lots of boxes, but perform poorly in the market. I make an exception if those products appear to be truly ground-breaking and/or are from manufacturers with a strong quality record. Let's see how Anker fares... they could well end up being a great competitor to Tesla and other major brands!
The big question is can you install one Power Wall 3 and then get a less expensive solution for the coupled DC?
My understanding is that the DC Expansion packs are $1,000 cheaper
How does Powerwall 3 compare with GivEnergy AIO please?
Hi Chris, I haven’t done a comparison myself, but there are videos out there that look at that 👍🏻
Is the concept of "Community Solar" popular in the UK? Are Tesla Powerwall batteries installed either outside or in garages in the UK?
I'd need to look more deeply into community solar to answer that, but to answer your second question, Tesla batteries are typically installed in garages or outside in the UK - only occasionally are they installed inside the home itself, as far as I'm aware.
As I already have a Tesla PW 2 and an inverter I am thinking of just adding another PW2. I assume that the cost of PW 2's will fall or am I being too optimistic???
Yeah, I'm expecting PW2 prices to fall as stock is cleared.
With the built-in inverter does that allow the Powerwall to be charged directly from a DC bypass of sorts, more efficiently, and then the inverter just does its job on the power going to the home? Or is it still going DC->AC->DC for the battery?
With the built-in inverter enabled, PW3 behaves like a DC Coupled battery.
@@GaryDoesSolarWhat is your view on Tesla including a string inverter with the battery? I am no expert but it looks like a step backwards as the momentum seems to be behind microinverters these days. If PV is connected to PW3 and PW3's inverter gives up a ghost after five years, can it be easily replaced? I am wondering if it is still better to go with microinverters that are expected to last 25 years. I understand that instalation using PW3's inverter might be faster and cheaper but that goes out of the window if the inverter won't last 15 years like battery should.
@@kolifx So, as you might be aware, I'm a big fan of Enphase microinverters and feel that they are great for the mass market, covering all manner of roof sizes and orientations. I'm also a fan of Tesla products. For me, it's not a case of whether one is better than the other (in the same way that it's not a case of whether iOS is better than Android) - it comes down to personal preference of particular benefits of each.
Hi Gary, how much power it will typically consume when it is idle or does nothing ? Please confirm
You'd need to check the data sheets for that answer, I'm afraid.
Does the $5500 pounds ($7200 USD) price include installation? In the US 1 Powerwall is $10500 USD, if you buy 3 its $8600 each but includes installation in the US.
No, installation is extra. In the UK, there are a couple of installers that will supply and fit a Powerwall 3 for £7,000.
I don't yet have solar PV but can now see a case for adding a battery system to make better use of power generated with tariffs such as those from Octopus. My roof shape is complex and I had thought to start with one area that would allow me to use a smaller inverter so as to stay within the 3.68kw generation limit for an installation without having to seek approval from my DNO. Clearly a Powerwall 3 could output way more than 3.68kw, irrespective of the solar PV sizing, presumably this would require me to ask permission from my DNO which may not be granted ?
Worth chatting with some of your neighbours with solar already to see what limitation the DNO has placed for them. That’s not to say you’ll be offered the same, but it could provide a good indication.
very good
Thanks Paul, for this great feedback! :-)
very often the main reason to purchase a battery is to save on energy cost, so cost of the "premium" product, however good is quite counterproductive.
That's true. If financial return is the primary factor, then there are far better solutions than the PW3. For example, I came across this video the other day, which is the cheapest approach I've seen to date: ua-cam.com/video/aH5Y_gJXOsI/v-deo.htmlsi=OPcWWytAx3a3OsNy
Until now, it seems as though Tesla power wall can't be synced up with my whole home generator. Do you know if this still holds true? I'd go with Poerwall 3 right now if it would synch however at this time, Enpphase sees the only solution and Franklin but I'm not interested in them.
Yeah, I guess Tesla is against that on principle….? 🤷♂️
@@GaryDoesSolar it’s ignorance really. Fossil (rather abiotic) energy is still boss. Battery and solar tech is still eons behind.
Hi Gary, can you please tell me why on the Tesla App you can only add your tariff in pounds to two decimal points? My off peak tariff is 8.5p but I can only put in £0.08. This is now giving me inaccurate data. Many thanks, Jenny
Hi Jenny, thanks for your question. Unfortunately, I don't know the answer to that. Worth joining a Tesla online forum and asking the question there...
Thanks Gary.
You can’t get around it i have faced the same issue but rather than put .075p put in .08p which means i over estimate my costs rather than underestimate. As it happens Octopus have dropped my OI Go to 0.07p anyway now so that sorts that out.
Looking at the prices in Australia - the PW2 (3 isn't out yet) on a price per kWh basis is very competitive. I think if you do the maths, it'd be similar in the UK.
Yeah, could well be the case 👍🏻