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 <ma...@pvthawaii.com> 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 <aug...@luminalt.com> 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 <ma...@pvthawaii.com> >> 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: RE-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org >>> >>> 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 >>> -wrenc...@lists.re-wrenches.org/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: RE-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org > > 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-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches. > org/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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