What is a Tesla Powerwall?
The Tesla Powerwall 2 is a revolutionary home battery. It can be installed with your solar panel system to self-power your home, day or night.
When you go solar, a solar battery storage system is the only way to keep your home powered through outages. It can also help reduce your reliance on the grid. The second generation Tesla residential battery storage system, the Powerwall 2, delivers up to twice the energy density of the original. In this article, we answer the question: Is the Tesla Powerwall 2 battery worth it?
Let’s take a look at why the Tesla Powerwall 2 battery is worth the investment for a lot of homeowners.
Is a Tesla Powerwall worth it?
Let’s start with the factors involved in worth. Adding a battery to your solar PV system will increase the initial cost; however, if it’s a smart investment in your home energy goals, solar battery storage can be worth the extra cost. And don’t forget incentives that can make the decision to add a solar battery a no-brainer.
Here’s where to start.
1. Evaluate your home energy goals
First ask yourself: what are your most important reasons for adding solar energy to your home?
- Saving money on your electric bill?
- Reducing your carbon footprint?
- Peace of mind in outages, blackouts and natural disasters?
If you answered yes to any of these, then you could be in the market for a Tesla Powerwall battery.
2. Calculate actual price including incentives
The price tag on the Powerwall can seem hefty at initial glance, but in order to know your actual cost, you’ll have to evaluate all the factors with a qualified Tesla installer. That way you’ll know exactly how much you’re going to be spending (including equipment, installation, permits) as well as all the incentives available to you.
How much is a Tesla Powerwall?
The Powerwall is eligible for the 30% federal solar tax credit as well as several other state incentives, depending on your state and region*. Installing a Powerwall and a solar system also makes you eligible for net metering programs in states that offer this. This allows you to sell back unused energy to your utility company, and when you have a home solar battery you’ll have the option of storing that extra energy for future use (especially useful during peak energy use times when prices are higher.) What this all means is dramatically reduced electricity bill, or in some cases a negative balance that carries you through the high use times of the year.
Reasons you’ll need a solar battery backup
The main reason solar panel batteries like the Tesla Powerwall have grown in popularity is: energy independence. For those looking for complete peace of mind in outages, blackouts and natural disasters, the Tesla Powerwall is a necessary investment.
Energy independence
Let’s talk a bit about what energy independence means. Your home is hooked into your utility company’s grid for power, so you’ll always have dependence on it, even when you have solar installed.
And even with solar panels, it’s not possible to have any kind of independence from the grid without a battery storage system. With a house solar battery like the Powerwall, you can stop relying so heavily on the grid with your stored excess solar energy.
Reduce your electric bill
Another major reason homeowners have gone solar in the last decade is energy prices. The last decade saw a steady incline of energy prices, while typical homeowners that made the move to solar energy saw a dramatic decrease on their monthly electricity bill.
If this is part of your goal, make sure to evaluate a solar battery for your home with a professional. Why? Because during peak hours (like nighttime), energy prices generally rise, but if you’re storing excess sun power from the daytime, you’ll be good to go for the night.
Minimize your carbon footprint
If this is part of your goal, switching to solar panels may not be enough. Adding a solar battery like the Tesla Powerwall to your installation will give you a power up for helping out the environment.
It’s simple. The more energy you pull from the grid, the more non-renewable sources you’re consuming. Reduce that with a solar battery.
In conclusion, if you’re looking for a reliable way to reduce your electricity bills, avoid blackouts, and reduce your environmental impact, you’ll need a solar battery.
Top 4 benefits of the Tesla Powerwall 2 battery
1. Avoid surging electric prices
Energy companies often raise their rates at certain times of the year and the cost of energy is constantly rising. With the Tesla Powerwall you can avoid these rates and peak charges. Even when your solar panels are not producing energy your home will still run on stored energy from the Powerwall. Check to see if your utility offers Time-of-Use rates which allows you to use less expensive solar energy you’ve already generated and stored in your Tesla Powerwall battery. Doing this will allow you to avoid electrical charges during more expensive rate periods.
2. Protect your home
The most enticing benefit of the Tesla Powerwall is to protect your home when disaster hits. When your neighborhood gets hit with storms, your Powerwall will keep your home powered. In addition, your Powerwall can communicate with the National Weather Service. When you enable Storm Watch, your Powerwall can prioritize charging in anticipation of severe weather. And the Powerwall will snap on within seconds from any grid outage.
3. Monitor your energy usage
Each Powerwall installation includes a complete energy monitoring solution for your home. You can see how your home both produces and uses energy at any given time. Using the Tesla app, you can monitor your home energy system in real time.
4. Power through the night
The most widely known benefit of the Tesla Powerwall is to produce all of your electricity without using energy from your local energy company. Solar panels often generate more electricity than a home can use during the day when the sun is shining. With the Powerwall, you can store that energy reserve to power your home at night or for later use, instead of letting that clean power go to waste.
Even if your solar panels are making you money with your utility company through net metering, the solar energy your panels produce is about 2-3 times more valuable than sending it to the utility company for credits. The only way your home can keep all the energy it produces is with a battery backup system like Tesla Powerwall.
How does the Tesla Powerwall work?
1. Solar begins powering your home in the morning when the sun rises.
2. Excess solar energy charges your Powerwall.
3. Powerwall runs your home at night.
Why buy a Tesla Powerwall 2?
To sum it all up, if your goal is to be energy-independent, the Tesla Powerwall is what you’re looking for. (Hooray for freedom from the grid and your local utility company!)
And even better news:
- Tesla Powerwall 2 boasts double the capacity of the original Powerwall. This means usable energy storage capacity of a whopping 13.5 kWh.
- It also has a greater power output capability of 7kW peak and 5kW continuous.
- The battery has a 90% round-trip efficiency.
- Up to ten batteries may be installed together at one property, for homes with greater energy needs.
In summary, solar panels paired with the Tesla Powerwall solar battery keep your home pulling far less electricity from the grid.
This means less fossil fuels used to generate power and less pollution. The Powerwall doesn’t just help keep your environment green. You’ll be using less or no electricity at all from the grid, which means your monthly energy bill will significantly decrease.
A truly flexible solar power storage system
One of the great things about the Powerwall is the ability to add or stack units at any time.
The Tesla Powerwall Stack Kit joins two floor-mounted Powerwall units in front-to-back multi-Powerwall installations. The units are then secured with side clips and a top cover to prevent debris from falling between them. An optional bridge assembly conceals wire runs between the Powerwalls, preserving the clean lines of the installation.
Up to 3 floor-mounted Powerwalls can be joined using two Stack Kits. For systems with more than 3 Powerwalls, units of 3 can be assembled and stacked.
Tesla Powerwall Installation
The Tesla Powerwall is a smart investment for homeowners looking to get the most out of their solar panels. The electrical interface is just a simple connection to any home, with options of a floor or wall mount. Its revolutionary compact design offers market-leading energy density and is easy to install.
However, the Powerwall can only be purchased and installed by approved Tesla installers.
This also means the price can vary depending on install requirements for your particular home and situation. Even if you can find a good cost estimate by searching various sites, it’s best to get an official quote from an approved installer to find out how it all breaks down.
Solar rebates and incentives like the federal tax credit* could drastically change the price and feasibility of this energy storage investment.
Technical information about the Tesla Powerwall
The Tesla Powerwall is a fully-integrated AC battery system designed to be placed wherever you want and is easily mounted on the wall or the ground and can be placed indoors or outdoors.
The Powerwall dimensions are 44” (1150mm), 5.75” (155mm), 29” (755mm). Note: dimensions and weight differ slightly depending on version and manufactured date.
It consists of a 14kWh lithium-ion battery pack, a liquid thermal control system, an integrated inverter, and software that sends electricity to your home.
Performance Specs:
- AC Voltage (Nominal): 120/240 V
- Feed-In Type: Split Phase
- Grid Frequency: 60 Hz
- Total Energy: 14 kWh
- Usable Energy: 13.5 kWh; 100% depth of discharge
- Real Power, max continuous: 5 kW (charge and discharge)
- Real Power, peak (10s, of-grid/backup): 7 kW (charge and discharge)
- Apparent Power, max continuous: 5.8 kVA (charge and discharge)
- Apparent Power, peak (10s, of-grid/backup): 7.2 kVA (charge and discharge)
- Maximum Supply Fault Current: 10 kA
- Maximum Output Fault Current: 32 A
- Overcurrent Protection Device: 30 A
- Imbalance for Split-Phase Loads: 100%
- Power Factor Output Range: +/– 1.0 adjustable
- Power Factor Range (full-rated power): +/– 0.85
- Internal Battery DC Voltage: 50 V
- Round Trip Efficiency: 90%
Plus the Tesla Powerwall 2 has a 10 year warranty.
Powerwall 2 Typical System Layouts
There are two configurations that can be used when installing the Powerwall. The first is the whole home backup model in which the solar panels produce energy and supplies the entire home during a grid outage. The backup gateway in this case includes a service disconnect from the grid.
In a partial home backup system layout, the Powerwall provides backup power to essential loads, such as important appliances and equipment. In this case, a sub-panel connects the Powerwall to these specific circuits.
Confidence in a Backup Power Supply
Durable Design 
Touch Safe 
Long Life 
Always Connected
Tesla Powerwall 2 reviews: see what our customers are saying
Now more than ever it’s important to include a battery backup to your solar panel system. Here’s what happy customers are saying about it:
Gage Mueller was AMAZING. I had a question about the Solar Panels that I currently have. And he not only answered my current question. But also answered so much more. I am so excited that my husband and I feel absolutely confident wanting to take another step into The Solar World and purchase Tesla Battery packs. We don’t like selling our current electricity back to our city at a lower rate. And this would truly benefit us. Thank you so much gage for taking your time to explain everything to us and more. We TRULY APPRECIATE IT.
– Vanessa I, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Google Review; February 18, 2021
Very satisfied with our system! We will be moving soon and wanted to increase the value of our rental with the solar system. We already have a Tesla car so being able to utilize the battery to charge our cars and reduce our bills even further was a huge plus! Everyone from the instal crew to the sales team were highly professional we would definitely recommend them.
Google Review; December 31, 2020
I’ve talked with several “Solar” companies over the last couple years. [ADT Solar] had all the right answers to my questions, a I asked just to see what they said because I already knew the answer. New roof in a day, panels, wiring and complete new breaker box and service in less than a week. Texas lost power all over, my lights never flickered! Couldn’t ask for better service or much better products! Thank you!
Facebook Review; February 22, 2021
