Is there a financial benefit to the customer-generator to choose the self-powered mode, August?
marco On Tuesday, February 13, 2018, August Goers <[email protected]> wrote: > Yes, PG&E. The Self Generation Incentive Program (SGIP) created a flood of > applications and PG&E is having a hard time keeping up. Hopefully it will > get easier. > > We are enabling self-consumption and backup modes. The Powerwall charges > daily from the solar and then discharges to a owner-set minimum reserve > capacity. > > August > > *August* > > Luminalt Energy Corporation > > o: 415.641.4000 > > www.luminalt.com > > > > On Tue, Feb 13, 2018 at 8:30 AM, Marco Mangelsdorf <[email protected]> > wrote: > >> Hey August. >> >> By utility I assume that you are talking about PG&E. >> >> What's the hang up? And are running the PWs in back-up power only mode >> or daily cycling mode? >> >> In either case, the addition of PW does not add to the generating >> capacity of the solar facility. >> >> marco >> >> On Tuesday, February 13, 2018, August Goers <[email protected]> wrote: >> >>> Marco, >>> >>> Thanks for sharing, it is good to hear details from an installer who is >>> living with a Powerwall. We starting selling the Powerwall 2 in 2017 and >>> have worked up a large pipeline. We have about 20 installed so far, but are >>> still waiting on utility permission to operate which is taking a long time. >>> We have spent a good deal of time commissioning and testing each system. >>> For the most part, our experience has been good although the commissioning >>> software and internet connectivity features have been buggy. Hopefully >>> those are issues that will be ironed out by Tesla. Otherwise, we've had the >>> systems correctly operate in on-grid and off-grid modes with both Solaredge >>> and SunPower Equinox AC coupled systems. >>> >>> We installed conventional lead acid battery backup systems for over 10 >>> years and I can confidently say that Tesla's Powerwall and Gateway setup >>> is truly market-disruptive. The design flexibility of the Gateway setup, >>> the small size, minimal labor to install, and performance blow other >>> systems out of the water. I hope that other manufacturers are able to catch >>> up with this type of design. >>> >>> Best, >>> >>> August >>> >>> *August Goers* >>> >>> Luminalt Energy Corporation >>> >>> o: 415.641.4000 <(415)%20641-4000> >>> >>> www.luminalt.com >>> >>> >>> >>> On Sat, Feb 10, 2018 at 12:23 PM, Marco Mangelsdorf <[email protected] >>> > wrote: >>> >>>> >>>> >>>> *Aloha Wrenches,* >>>> >>>> >>>> *I thought I'd share my own experiences with the Powerwall as my >>>> company is now launching a program to add PW to existing NEM systems since >>>> the vast majority of them do not have storage which means that if the grid >>>> goes down, so does their PV system. (With the exception of the SMA SB line >>>> and their Secure Power Supply.)* >>>> >>>> >>>> *And no, I'm not a shill or toadie for Tesla.* >>>> >>>> >>>> *marco * >>>> >>>> *I wanted to walk my own talk. Before we launched adding Powerwall to >>>> existing Net Energy Metered solar electric systems, I wanted to make sure >>>> that what was promised on paper would work in the real world. I added >>>> Powerwall to my NEM system last year and have been monitoring and testing >>>> it during normal grid-on and grid outage modes. And I’m very pleased to >>>> report that Powerwall has performed flawlessly and as expected.* >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> *When used in a NEM system, Powerwall is programmed to be in “Backup” >>>> mode. When utility power is on, Powerwall stands ready in a full state of >>>> charge for any power outage. During normal grid-on conditions, my Powerall >>>> takes about .6 kilowatt-hours every other day to stay fully charged. Over >>>> the course of the month, this Powerwall’s electricity consumption comes to >>>> about 9 kWhs or about $3/month at the current HELCO R rate.* >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> *I have turned the utility power off to my home on a number of >>>> occasions in order to experience how Powerwall would perform in a simulated >>>> grid outage. When the grid goes down, my house effectively becomes a >>>> self-generating micro-grid. That is, my photovoltaic system (solar modules >>>> and inverters) and Powerwall (battery storage and integrated inverter) form >>>> a power grid with energy being created and stored and then consumed by my >>>> electric loads.* >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> *Several things I noted from my simulated grid outages:* >>>> >>>> *· I purposefully overloaded Powerwall by turning on my >>>> electric dryer and electric oven at the same time. As expected, since the >>>> maximum output of Powerwall is 5 kilowatts, it shutdown. Meaning that all >>>> the power in my house went off. Within seconds, Powerwall reset itself and >>>> the power came back on, with the dryer and oven having shut down after the >>>> power went off. If power does not come back on after your Powerwall trips >>>> off, you will need to turn off those high-power loads and reset Powerwall >>>> by turning its black on-off switch, located on the right side of the unit, >>>> from on to off and then on again. The important takeaway: during a utility >>>> outage, you will need to be careful as far as operating heavy electric >>>> loads, especially 240 volt appliances both from the perspective of >>>> overloading your Powerwall and rapidly drawing down the battery capacity, >>>> especially at night.* >>>> >>>> *· The magic of frequency shifting. Without getting into too >>>> much techno-talk, this is the story of frequency shifting. Normal utility >>>> frequency is 60 hertz (Hz). PV inverters require the utility frequency to >>>> be at or near 60 Hz in order to operate. During a grid outage, Powerwall >>>> effectively establishes grid quality power (120/240 volts at 60 Hz), >>>> allowing a micro grid to operate with solar providing power to your house >>>> loads (during daylight hours) and charge Powerwall as needed. During the >>>> day with the loads being met by your PV system and Powerwall being at or >>>> near full state of charge (97-100 percent), Powerwall will shift the >>>> frequency from 60 to 66 Hz in order to turn off the PV inverter(s). That >>>> is, the PV inverter(s) see the frequency out of spec and shut down as >>>> they’re expected and required to do. Why? Because with Powerwall at or >>>> near full and the house loads being met, there’s nowhere for any additional >>>> solar generation to go. Powerwall will wait for its the state of charge to >>>> drop below 96-97 percent before shifting the frequency back to 60 Hz which >>>> allows the PV system to restart and generate solar power again. This >>>> frequency shifting can take place repeatedly over the course of the day >>>> depending on load demands, solar potential and Powerwall state of charge >>>> and is perfectly normal and does not damage the PV inverters.* >>>> >>>> *· **66 Hz and home appliances: when Powerwall is at 66 Hz, >>>> some of your house loads may be affected. What I and other Powerwall >>>> owners have noticed, while not a comprehensive list, can include: >>>> electronic clocks running fast, motors sounding different (microwave, >>>> washing machine, pumps), uninterruptible power sources (UPS) not charging >>>> and going into back-up power mode, appliances having a computer behaving >>>> unusually.* >>>> >>>> _______________________________________________ >>>> List sponsored by Redwood Alliance >>>> >>>> List Address: [email protected] >>>> >>>> Change listserver email address & settings: >>>> http://lists.re-wrenches.org/options.cgi/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org >>>> >>>> List-Archive: http://www.mail-archive.com/re >>>> [email protected]/maillist.html >>>> >>>> List rules & etiquette: >>>> www.re-wrenches.org/etiquette.htm >>>> >>>> Check out or update participant bios: >>>> www.members.re-wrenches.org >>>> >>>> >>>> >>> >> _______________________________________________ >> List sponsored by Redwood Alliance >> >> List Address: [email protected] >> >> Change listserver email address & settings: >> http://lists.re-wrenches.org/options.cgi/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org >> >> List-Archive: http://www.mail-archive.com/re >> [email protected]/maillist.html >> >> List rules & etiquette: >> www.re-wrenches.org/etiquette.htm >> >> Check out or update participant bios: >> www.members.re-wrenches.org >> >> >> >
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