Powerwall stores your solar energy for backup protection, so when the grid goes down your power stays on. Powerwall home battery continues Tesla’s mission and makes clean energy accessible to all, day and night.
For most homes, you can receive whole-home backup to power your entire home during an outage and have energy independence by producing energy with solar. You can also reduce your reliance on the grid and save money on electricity bills. Once installed, Powerwall can be monitored and managed using the Tesla app to customise system behaviour to meet your energy goals.
Powerwall 3 is a fully integrated solar and battery system, designed to meet the needs of your home. Powerwall 3 can supply more power than Powerwall 2 with a single unit and is designed for easy expansion to meet your present or future needs. Powerwall 3 features an integrated solar inverter allowing solar to be connected directly for high efficiency; it can also be added to existing solar or installed on its own, like Powerwall 2.
The Powerwall 3’s Star Features
Here’s what makes the Powerwall 3 stand out compared to the Powerwall 2:
- Integrated 10kW solar hybrid inverter1.
- Impressive 11 kW power output from the battery.
- High surge current means it can kick-start the gruntiest of machines when the grid goes down.
- The promise of easy-to-add, good-value energy expansion packs.
- $1,500 more expensive than Powerwall 2 for the same storage (13.5 kWh).
When Powerwall 3 Makes Sense
- Starting from scratch: If your roof is a blank canvas or your existing system is ready for retirement, the Powerwall 3 could be a great choice. It’s designed to handle up to 20kW of solar panels, enough to cover most Aussie roofs. The integrated inverter means a quicker, cleaner installation, plus the powerful output gives you more options for what you choose to back up, and increases earnings if you join a VPP. Adding kWhs in the future should be easy, too.
When Powerwall 3 Might Make Sense
- Upgrading a small solar system: Do you have an existing solar setup with a 5kW or smaller inverter? Tesla Australia promises the Powerwall 3 will play nice with your current solar array by “AC-coupling up to 5kW of solar.” However, a word of caution: this integration is still new territory in Australia, and Tesla’s promises don’t always come true. Sensible homeowners will let someone else be the first to try adding a PW3 to existing small solar. But if you are brave enough to go first, please let me know how you go!
- You already have big solar: If you already have a decent (>6.6kW) solar system, then the Powerwall 3 is not designed to integrate with your solar inverter. It may be possible to disconnect the solar array from your old inverter and reconnect into the PW3, but not without risking regulatory, technical and warranty issues. I’d recommend leaving your solar alone, and retrofitting a battery system designed for AC-coupling.
- On One Phase Of A Three-Phase Home: You can use a Powerwall 3 on one phase of a three-phase home, but it comes with limitations. You can only back up the phase the PW3 is on, and your solar won’t work during grid outages if you have a 3-phase solar inverter.