Solar power, and having solar panels on your home, is a fantastic way to conserve energy and cut down on power bills, especially if you live somewhere sunny like Florida or California. There’s just one glaring issue. When the grid goes down you still lose power because of how it’s connected. Your solar panels cannot generate enough energy or keep it stored to keep your power on. So, essentially, your power setup doesn’t offer much benefit there, unless you get a home power backup system. More specifically, something like a Tesla Powerwall is a compact home battery that stores energy generated from the grid. That energy is then used as a backup when traditional grid power is unavailable.
To make it even more clear, with a Tesla Powerwall, the power stays on even during a major blackout or outage. It’s whole-home backup, too, which means you can power your lights, appliances, electronics, you name it. If you’ve ever had to throw away an entire refrigerator’s worth of spoiled food because of a multi-day outage — like I have — you’ll certainly appreciate the option to keep your appliances running. But that’s not all it can do. The Tesla Powerwall is an excellent companion for Tesla EV owners, creating an entire smart ecosystem of power. Let’s explore.
Generating whole-home backup power from solar
Typically, if the power goes out you’d need to connect a generator to your home to get things back up and running. Gas generators are loud, they have to remain outside — because the fumes are dangerous — and they’re not exactly convenient. They often come in heavy, bulky form factors and it takes a bit of work to get them set up. That’s even more challenging during a huge storm or weather event. But Tesla Powerwall is none of those things. Instead, it’s a battery backup that connects to your local home power and your solar system.
Basically, your solar panels generate energy, like normal, while excess power is stored in the Tesla Powerwall. Then, when the power goes out, the Powerwall takes over supplying the backup power you need. Powerwall automatically detects the outage and instantly powers your home with the stored backup energy. Even better, a feature called Storm Watch automatically ensures your Powerwall is fully charged before a major storm hits. That way you’re always prepared. Powerwall is also expandable, similar to portable power stations, meaning you can upgrade the capacity to handle, and power, more and more gear. It can be used with or without solar, as well.
Plus, smart energy controls with the Tesla app
Every Powerwall features built-in energy monitoring, metering and smart controls. Moreover, it syncs with the Tesla app, so at any time you can control and configure your system, using your phone, or check energy usage and other stats. You can also customize your setup, like setting up the system to only charge when your local utility’s electricity costs are low to save even more money, or discharging automatically when costs are high to use less grid power. You can fine-tune the experience and use your power how you want. No more staying beholden to the local utility companies.
Powerwall also qualifies for a 30% federal tax credit, as of 2023. That Residential Federal Investment Tax Credit gets you money back, regardless of power source, making it a solid investment all around. If you already have solar, then there’s really no reason not to opt for a Powerwall and home battery backup solution. That allows you to actually use the solar power you’re generating — your solar power — even when the grid is down.
The solar and Tesla ecosystem is where it’s at
Beyond saving money and being able to use solar as a home backup, the Tesla Powerwall opens up another opportunity, especially for Tesla EV owners. Powerwall coordinates with Tesla vehicles, offering enhanced vehicle charging support during outages. But here’s the thing, it charges vehicles without exceeding the energy and power capabilities of the battery system.
Here’s how it works: During an outage, Powerwall charges your Tesla based on the charging threshold. That threshold is what specifically determines how much energy is routed to the vehicle. In other words, Powerwall will never go below the set threshold (capacity). Once it drops below the threshold the vehicle charging stops, safely, and Powerwall continues to provide backup power to your home as normal. Even better, if your home is equipped with solar — and why wouldn’t it be — that energy can help charge the Powerwall, and by proxy, charge your Tesla EV.
Provided you have the right connectors installed, you can leave everything connected to be managed automatically by the Tesla Powerwall system. You don’t have to go in your garage, hook everything up, unhook everything when it’s done, and keep fiddling with cables and ports. It’s all done and managed automatically, and you can always monitor what’s happening through the Tesla app. That not only brings you tons of convenience but peace of mind, more so during major events like storms, outages, and hurricanes.
The ultimate solar, home backup, and EV companion
Frankly, if you have a solar system installed on your home and you don’t have a home battery backup connected, like a Tesla Powerwall, you’re not using it to its full potential. You’re definitely losing benefits on your investment. Powerwall can keep the power on during outages, and it can help you conserve energy and cut down on your power bill even more. Best of all, it’s an excellent Tesla EV companion, allowing you to charge your vehicle as needed, whether during an outage or through solar energy.
It doesn’t matter how rare outages are near you — if they’re frequent this definitely doesn’t apply — the first time you lose all of your food, can’t stay cool or warm, and have to go without power for days, you’ll truly appreciate the existence of technology such as this. I highly recommend equipping your home with a Tesla Powerwall before it gets to that point. You’ll always be prepared for whatever comes your way, and you can continue charging your EV without racking up your power bills.