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.
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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
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.
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.
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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.
Technical information about the Tesla Powerwall
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