Power Wall Tesla

Operating temperature

Powerwall: Tesla’s domestic battery in Quebec, a full review

The PowerWall is a lithium-ion type battery from the American manufacturer Tesla. It was marketed on April 30, 2015 and is now available in two different models (PowerWall 1 and Powerwall 2) having 6.4 kWh and 13.5 kWh capacity respectively.

Like any other type of battery, the PowerWall recharges with the electricity generated by solar panels and stores it for subsequent use. It can also be loaded by the Hydro-Québec network when solar panels no longer generate electricity (the night for example).

A PowerPack version is available for commercial or industrial use, where a multitude of batteries are accumulated to generate up to 232 kWh of storage.

The table below shows the technical characteristics of the two PowerWall models. These are taken from the Tesla official website and are explained in the following paragraphs.

There ability is defined as the amount of energy stored. The higher the higher, the greater capacity is the autonomy it provides. It is therefore more advantageous to obtain the Powerwall 2 since it offers greater autonomy.

There discharge depth 100% means that the PowerWall can be completely discharged without it affecting its useful lifespan. The manufacturer mentions it since this is not the case for all the batteries available on the market currently. Indeed, several battery technologies (lead-acid, nickel-cadmium) suggest a maximum discharge depth of 50 to 75%. Lithium-ion batteries are therefore more advantageous since they offer a larger amount of energy per battery.

There bearable power By the PowerWall represents the sum of the powers of the devices in office simultaneously that the PowerWall can manage. For example, if you are billed at Hydro-Québec (the most common residential rate in Quebec), the maximum tolerated power call is 65 kW. This 65 kW is more than enough to allow you to perform several tasks simultaneously without worrying about the power call generate since it is only very rarely reached (not to say ever for the majority of households, even if you have a pool or spa)). In the case of dwellings that take their electricity from a powerwall during a power failure, the generating power call must be 7 kW maximum. Being almost 10 times less than that tolerated by the Hydro-Québec network, daily activities must be shifted. Indeed, explained by The effect of Peukert, The capacity of a battery decreases exponentially when the intensity of the discharge current increases linearly. So that means that if you don’t want to drain the energy contained in your PowerWall too quickly, you will have to pay attention to the amount of devices you decide to work at the same time. The figure below shows the discharge speed of a battery (Y axis) in the face of the increase in the intensity of its discharge current (x axis). It is therefore essential to be aware of our energy behavior when using batteries.

A cycle corresponds to a full load and discharge of the PowerWall. Thus, assuming that a complete cycle is carried out daily, a lifespan of 5000 cycles is equivalent to 13.7 years.

How many powerwalls would I need?

According to Hydro-Québec, a single-family house of 2000 square feet which does not have a swimming pool or a spa consumes on average 25,000 kWh of electricity per year. This consumption is theoretically equivalent to 70 kWh/day. However, given that our average winter electricity consumption is two to three times higher than our average summer electricity consumption, dividing this 25,000 kWh by the number of days in the year would not be representative of an average daily electricity consumption. Indeed, this division would only testify to an average value of low and large values. Suppose therefore that in winter your electric request is 120 kWh/day and that it oscillates around 45 kWh/day for the rest of the year.

By taking it for granted that you want your PowerWall to offer you at least a full day of autonomy in The worst scenario possible (either for a winter day) and that you opt for the PowerWall 2 since it offers greater autonomy, it would be necessary to install Nine powerwall (120 kWh/day ÷ 13.5 kWh/Powerwall = 9 PowerWall). This would cost you $ 97,200 (before taxes and without installation costs).

If we redo the same calculation for the Best scenario possible (one day of autonomy for a summer day), he faied to install Three PowerWall (45 kWh/day ÷ 13.5 kWh/Powerwall = 3 PowerWall). This would cost you $ 32,400 (before taxes and without installation costs).

According to the same logic as for the two previous scenarios, those who would like to have that only one powerwall ($ 10,800 before taxes and without installation costs) could fill 30% of their energy needs for a average summer day against 12% for a average winter day.

As mentioned earlier, a powerwall would offer you 13.5 kWh of energy, which would allow you to fill only certain basic functions. The table below shows the energy required for the operation of typical household appliances

The table above shows how easy it is to consume 13.5 kWh of energy. Indeed, knowing that the 13th.76 kWh of the table does not take into account heating (which counts for 60% of our overall energy consumption), the use of the washer and the dryer (both very energy -consuming) and the use of a Multitude of other devices (vacuum cleaner, dehumidifier, fan, video game console, DVD player, sound system, coffee machine, etc.) This amount of energy is very little. It is all the more important not to forget that the 13.76 kWh of energy needed to operate these devices can easily double if several devices work at the same time (Peukert effect). In addition, considering the power bearable by the Powerwall (5 kW continuously and 7 kW maximum), all the devices listed in the table above could not all work simultaneously. So compromise should be made.

Remember that an average daily electricity consumption for a Quebec household is 45 kWh in a non -winter period and 120 kWh in winter. 13.5 kWh is therefore very little considering its purchase cost of $ 10,800.

Could opt for dynamic pricing make your powerwall profitable?

Hydro-Québec has offered a dynamic pricing since 2019 which adjusts the price of electricity according to demand. This pricing is offered in two separate options, either in Flex D rate or or in prices D with the winter credit option. In both cases, the price is applicable for a period of 100 hours in winter, from December 1 to March 31 inclusive and allows you to save money when you reduce your electricity consumption during hours of peaks (ie from 6 hours to 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.).

The purpose of dynamic pricing is to better distribute electric demand in order to unclog the public network during hours of peaks and to allow it to respond alone to the entire demand. Knowing that electricity imports are necessary when the network is unable to meet all of our needs, it is to our advantage to better manage our consumption.

The FLEX rate of fact that the price of purchase of electricity is lower during the hours out of peak and higher during peak hours. The image below (taken from the Hydro-Québec website) shows the pricing structure. The price of electricity decreases from 22 to 30 % during the hours excluding peak and increases from 534 to 822 % during peak hours.

The price D with the winter credit option means that the price of electricity is the same as that of the D rate (without option), but that a credit of 50 ¢ is offered for each kWh save during hours peak. The image below (also taken from the Hydro-Québec website) shows the pricing structure.

Hydro-Québec estimates that with the price D with winter credit option, $ 70 in savings can be achieved for each $ 1000 branch of your electric bill. For the Flex D rate, it is $ 100 in savings that can be achieved for each $ 1000 tranche in your electric bill. The Flex D rate therefore saves more, but requires much more discipline given the very large increase in the price of electricity during peak periods.

As for those remaining outside Quebec, the principle of dynamic pricing remains the same. The only difference is at the level of the value of the monetary reward, the latter varying according to the region and the production costs of the supplier.

That said, dynamic pricing becomes interesting for those with a powerwall since it allows its users to better distribute their electric demand. Indeed, the Powerwall can recharge during the hours out of peak and unload during rush hours, which means that the request in electricity is zero during the hours of peaks. So that makes savings can be achieved thanks to your PowerWall. Nevertheless, depending on the scale of your energy consumption, the annual savings feasible seem to be still too low to allow you to make your powerwall profitable.

The PowerPack, the commercial version of the Powerwall

As mentioned above, a PowerPack version is available for commercial or industrial use. A powerpack can have up to 16 batteries and have a maximum capacity of 232 kWh. The table below shows the technical characteristics of a PowerPack. These are also taken from the official Tesla website.

It should be noted that several PowerPack can be connected in series or in parallel to increase the voltage or total capacity of the system. Thus, a company wishing to have an energy capacity of 500 kWh could have five powerpack installed in parallel.

Conclusion

Ultimately, although the acquisition of a powerwall offers the possibility of being autonomous in energy for a certain time, its too much cost ensures that it is unfortunately inaccessible for the majority of the population.

It is still very interesting for individuals who can afford it given the comfort and peace of mind that it provides. Indeed, knowing how essential electricity is to our way of life, being able to be independent during crisis situations is very enticing. In addition, in the case of dynamic pricing, the PowerWall allows you to save money by offering you the possibility of better distributing your electric request during periods of tips. In the case of an outstanding network or in a place where the power outages are frequent, the installation of a powerwall is also significantly advantageous.

Do not hesitate to contact us to start the installation process of your PowerWall Tesla. Our partners are certified for installing PowerWall. So it will be a pleasure to help you achieve energy self -sufficiency.

*Update*: Dated April 2020, the cost of the PowerWall is $ 9,250 CAD and the support equipment is at the cost of $ 1550 Cadet. We estimate the installation costs between $ 2,500 and $ 4,500 CAD. This means that the total cost of the PowerWall is from $ 1,3,300 to $ 15,300 Cades.

Power Wall Tesla

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Tesla Powerwall

Tesla’s domestic battery

The PowerWall is a rechargeable domestic battery, which can be powered by your solar panels or by the electrical network in off -peak hours. The system then delivers its energy at night or during full hours. Automatic, compact and easy to install, the PowerWall allows you to optimize your photovoltaic energy self -consumption.

Functioning

Solar panels

The panels convert the solar radiation to electricity that loads the PowerWall and feeds your home during the day. Without solar panels, PowerWall can allow you to reduce your bill by recharging during the most economical periods.

Powerwall

The domestic battery is loaded with electricity from solar panels or network.

Inverter

The inverter converts direct current of panels or battery by alternating current for domestic uses.

All PowerWall installations require a compatible inverter. To optimize solar energy consumption, a counter is also installed to measure solar production and your energy consumption.

Switchboard

At the exit of the inverter, the energy is delivered directly to your electrical panel. For applications without solar panels and overnight, the electricity of your supplier which feeds your table is converted by the inverter to load your PowerWall.

Technology

Rechargeable and wall lithium-ion battery with thermal management by liquid cooling system.

Compatibility

Compatible with single -phase and three -phase electrical networks.

Model

6.4 kwhpour use in a daily cycle

Operating temperature

Consumption

Overall yield CC: 92.5 %

Pregnant

Adapted to an indoor and outdoor installation.

Power

Facility

The installation must be carried out by a qualified electrician. The CC-CA inverter is not provided.

Discharge depth

Weight

Tension

Dimensions

1302 mm x 862 mm x 183 mm

Fluent

Certification

This declaration of conformity
IEC 62619, IEC 62109-1
IEC/EN 61000, Class B Radaledéd
Directive 2006/66/EC
A 38.3