The Powerwall 2 is now available for $8,400 on Tesla’s website, and buyers can still receive a $500 rebate on installations before October 31 (via Sawyer Merritt). The news comes ahead of Tesla’s launch of the Powerwall 3, which appeared on the company’s website earlier this month and is set to launch in 2024.

Credit: Tesla

In addition to the $300 price drop on the current generation, many Powerwall installations are eligible for additional incentives, including a 30-percent federal tax credit through the Residential Clean Energy Credit program. The price of a Powerwall with the credit and other local credits can be seen on Tesla’s order page under the “Potential Incentives” tab or by clicking the pricing estimates at the bottom of the page to reveal a full breakdown.

Tesla also notes that the price does not include installation costs, which can often add a few thousand dollars. Buyers will also have to work with Tesla-certified installers unless they’re adding the Powerwall to solar they already have installed. You can buy a Powerwall from Tesla with or without the addition of solar after the company previously disallowed customers from doing so in 2021.

While the Powerwall 3 won’t be available to order until 2024, according to Tesla’s website, some spotted early installations of the new hardware this month, which Elon Musk later confirmed.

“Powerwall 3 is a fully integrated solar and battery system, designed to meet the needs of your home,” Tesla writes on its website. “Powerwall 3 can supply more power 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.”

The Powerwall 2 has a total energy capacity of 13.5 kWh, which is the same as the forthcoming Powerwall 3. Tesla also offers the Powerwall+, which has the same total energy capacity as the Powerwall 2, though it has a built-in solar inverter. The Powerwall 2 requires the use of an external inverter, though the Powerwall 3 will also have one built-in.

Despite the total energy capacity of the Powerwall 2, the unit only includes a continuous energy output of 5.8kVA. The Powerwall+ offers the same amount when solar is in partial sun or 7.6kVA of continuous output in full sun. The Powerwall 3 is set to offer as much as 11.5kW of continuous output.

All Powerwall purchases include a 10-year warranty, whether you buy a Powerwall 2 or Powerwall+ now or wait until next year to purchase a Powerwall 3.

View Tesla’s full datasheets for the Powerwall 2 and the Powerwall+.

Tesla Powerwall flips the bill for sports club from €600 in payments to €20 in profit

What are your thoughts? Let me know at zach@teslarati.com, find me on X at @zacharyvisconti, or send your tips to us at tips@teslarati.com.

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The upcoming Powerwall and Tesla integration feature was first spotted by Model X owner and Reddit user u/cwiedmann.

“Looking through the data returned from the API, I see there’s now evidence of upcoming features for integrating Powerwalls and car charging as Elon mentioned. This appears to be support for preventing car charging from draining the batteries when the grid is down and maybe to allow the car to absorb surplus solar energy,” u/cwiedmann wrote on the r/TeslaMotors subreddit.

When the grid goes down, Tesla Powerwalls can meet the energy demands of a home, including charging an electric car like the Model 3, Model X, or Model S. That being said, there’s a big room for improvement especially when it comes to how a Tesla vehicle communicates with the home battery system. Tesla’s electric cars have massive battery packs after all, and they can drain an off-grid Powerwall if left unattended.

This appears to have happened in May 2019 to Tesla owner Erik Strait, who also runs the YouTube channel DӔrik. Strait brought up the Powerwall issue they encountered in Colorado and suggested features that may come handy to consumers, such as a setting that allows the home battery system to prevent cars charging when they are off the grid. Tesla CEO Elon Musk responded with a brief “Coming soon.”

Coming soon

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 22, 2019

Elon Musk posted his response to the Tesla owner-enthusiast last May, and there have been few updates on the feature since. Nevertheless, references to the feature in the Powerwall’s API today suggests that the home battery-electric vehicle integration may be coming sooner than expected. How the functionality will be rolled out remains to be seen too, but there’s a good chance that Tesla may introduce the feature through an over-the-air update, similar to how the company activates “Storm Watch” for Powerwall-equipped homes located in areas that are facing natural disasters.

Ultimately, the upcoming Powerwall feature shows that Tesla is making a lot of headway in integrating key features of its energy products and its electric cars. This ecosystem could ultimately encourage buyers of Tesla’s electric cars to adopt the company’s energy and battery storage products too, similar to how Apple has encouraged customers to purchase devices within its product line due to their feature integration.

Very early on, we had the ability to use the car as a battery outputting power. Maybe worth revisiting that.

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 4, 2018

These recent observations on the Powerwall API also invoke some thoughts on a feature that was mentioned by Elon Musk back in 2018. In a tweet then, Musk noted that it may be worth revisiting the idea of using its cars as batteries that output power, similar to a V2G (vehicle-to-grid) system. Tesla does seem to be exploring this idea recently, as hinted at by the Cybertruck’s capability to use its massive battery pack to power tools from its onboard outlets.

Teslarati will update you once the Powerwall-Tesla electric vehicle integration feature goes live. For now, this is a welcome development so the habit of “always be charging” does not lead one to a home without power. But of course, there’s always Camp Mode just in case.

Upcoming Powerwall/Vehicle Integration API Leaks from r/teslamotors

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Just like the previous iteration of its “bug bounty” program, whose maximum payout was listed at $10,000, Tesla assured hackers that vehicles used for security research would not have their warranties voided, provided that the hacking is conducted within parameters allowed by the company. Tesla further noted that if vehicles used by participants in their good-faith security research end up being compromised, the company will take steps to update or “reflash” the hacked electric cars.

“If, through your good-faith security research, you (a pre-approved, good-faith security researcher) cause a software issue that requires your research-registered vehicle to be updated or “reflashed,” as an act of goodwill, Tesla shall make reasonable efforts to update or “reflash” Tesla software on the research-registered vehicle by over-the-air update, offering assistance at a service center to restore the vehicle’s software using our standard service tools, or other actions we deem appropriate,” Tesla noted.

Tesla’s bug bounty program started back in 2015, though the company initially invited hackers to find vulnerabilities on its website only. During that time, no vehicles were open for hacking, and the rewards offered for security researchers were far more modest at $25 to $1,000. Tesla eventually increased the scope of its bug bounty program to its vehicles, where it was eventually followed by other carmakers. Chrysler, for one, invited security researchers to hack into its Uconnect infotainment system apps and Eco-Drive driving efficiency apps in 2016.

As long as your work complies with our bug bounty policy, Tesla will not void your warranty if you hack our software https://t.co/HhibE1UpRC https://t.co/NIISSrrViD

— Tesla (@Tesla) September 5, 2018

Tesla raised the bar of its bug bounty program last September, allowing owners to actively hack into their own cars without the danger of voiding their vehicles’ warranties. The electric car maker further noted then that it would not be bringing copyright infringement claims to those working within its initiative’s rules. Bugcrowd CTO Casey Ellis, who works for the company that administers Tesla’s bounties, tweeted in support of Tesla’s initiative, stating that the move “rings a very loud bell for the legitimacy of good-faith security research.”

In a way, Tesla’s strategy towards its bug bounty program reflects the company’s Silicon Valley roots, considering that other tech giants such as Google also have active programs rewarding security researchers for finding vulnerabilities in their products. Amidst an internet landscape that is getting more and more concerned about internet security, Tesla’s security initiatives all but ensure that the company’s vehicles, while being consistently connected to the web, are as secure as possible.

Tesla’s mastery of hardware and software is among the reasons why the company is proving to be a real disruptor in the auto market. Just like Apple, Tesla adopts an in-house approach to both its software and hardware, creating a unified experience that is quite unlike anything in the market today. With the upcoming release of the first features of its Full Self-Driving suite, the rollout of Hardware 3, and the deployment of larger neural networks, Tesla’s vehicles are bound to get even more connected than before.

The electric car maker does not really announce the bugs that are being reported to the company, though several new features of Tesla’s electric cars are borne from the efforts of security researchers, including the “PIN to Drive” feature.

Newly discovered vulnerabilities must be reported within 168 hours and zero minutes, or 7 days from when the vulnerability was first discovered, to qualify for a reward. More details about Tesla’s updated bug bounty program can be accessed here.

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Straubel’s update to Tesla’s energy business came as a statement to USA Today, which recently published an article about the residential solar market in the United States. While the Tesla CTO did not provide the actual figures of its Powerwall 2 and Solar Roof reservations, Straubel did state that for now, Tesla is unable to keep up with deposits being put down for the products. Straubel also emphasized that Tesla is not in any way stepping back from the residential energy business.

“No one should see us as stepping back from solar. In fact, it’s the opposite. It’s like with Model 3. People have come flooding in and are waiting on the product. So now we’re aggressively ramping our capacity,” he said.

To address the demand for its residential products, Straubel stated that production of the Powerwall 2 is set to pick up later this year, while output for Solar Roof tiles is expected to accelerate in 2019. The Tesla CTO expects these initiatives to reduce the wait times for these energy products.

The Tesla CTO’s latest statement comes as an encouraging update to the company’s residential energy business, much of which has been under the news radar for most of the year. The first consumer installations of the Solar Roof began earlier this year, and reports emerged that Gigafactory 2 in Buffalo, NY is ramping up hiring, but apart from these, Tesla’s energy initiatives appear to be focused on large-scale industrial projects, such as its upcoming Powerpack farm in Victoria, and its virtual power plant in South Australia.

Tesla’s residential energy business in the United States took a blow last month, as well, with the company closing a dozen of its solar facilities across nine states in the country as part of its restructuring. Apart from this, Tesla also announced that it would not renew its partnership with Home Depot to sell its solar solutions and Powerwall 2 home battery storage units.

Regardless of these, the progress of Tesla’s industrial energy projects is indicative of the potential of its residential initiatives. Over the past year, after all, Tesla had all but proved that its battery technology is a feasible alternative to conventional power solutions. The warm reception to its big battery in South Australia, which continues to support the region’s embattled energy grid, is a testament to this.

Considering the competition from its local competitors, Tesla would have to increase its push for its residential energy business in the United States. Solar analyst for GTM Research Allison Mond, for one, stated that Tesla could see its market share shrink in the coming quarters due to competitors and the company’s lack of focus on its solar products. Nevertheless, Straubel stated that market share is not really Tesla’s focus for its residential energy business.

“We’re focused intently on the customer experience, not on having a higher market share. We’re looking at the bigger picture,” he said.

During Tesla’s 2018 Annual Shareholder Meeting, Tesla CEO Elon Musk mentioned that the company is getting closer to a battery breakthrough. Addressing shareholders, Musk stated that Tesla is on pace to hit a battery cell cost of $100 per kWh by the end of 2018 depending on the stability of current commodity prices. Considering Straubel’s mention of a ramp in Powerwall 2 production later this year, it seems like Tesla’s push into residential solar could happen just as the company hits a breakthrough in its battery technology.

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Unsurprisingly, Tesla understood this synergy early in the game, and its Tesla Energy division has carved out a lucrative side business selling stationary battery storage to electric utilities, as well as residential and commercial energy customers (actually, “side business” may not be quite the right description, as Elon Musk has predicted that Tesla’s energy business may someday be bigger than its car business).

As a recent article in SingularityHub explains, other auto manufacturers see the possibilities and are also beginning to enter into the stationary storage market. BMW recently signed a contract to incorporate 500 i3 battery packs into the UK’s national electrical grid. Renault is developing a home energy storage product based on its Zoe batteries. Toyota and Nissan have both announced plans to offer energy storage, and Audi is one of several brands that are exploring the possibilities with pilot projects.

Above: Nissan hired actress Margot Robbie to showcase its home energy “xStorage” product along with its all-electric Nissan Leaf (Youtube: Motorward)

It’s a natural move for the automakers, who are steadily securing supplies of batteries for the EVs they’ll soon be building in volume. Volkswagen recently announced plans to invest $48 billion on battery tech over the next few years. If companies are going to be making large amounts of batteries, it simply makes sense to explore other markets that require storage.

Of course, Tesla has been doing just that for a few years now. The California trendsetter has scored some highly-publicized successes with utility-scale projects in Australia, and its Powerpacks are becoming popular for off-grid applications around the world.

But there’s more to this than just opening new markets for batteries. Tesla’s vehicles are seen as part of an ecosystem of products designed to function smoothly together. As Elon Musk explained to Fast Company, “This is the integrated future. You’ve got an electric car, a Powerwall, and a Solar Roof.” As Apple and Amazon have demonstrated, this can be an unbeatable strategy – if a customer is driving a Model S, and is impressed with the company, she’ll be that much more likely to buy a solar electric system (and why not a flamethrower, too?) from Tesla as well. The legacy automakers would be foolish to ignore the possibilities.

In dollar terms, those possibilities are staggering. Markets Insider predicts that the market for grid-connected battery storage will grow from $3.3 billion in 2016 to $14 billion by 2021, and probably well over $100 billion by 2030 – a compound annual growth rate of around 34 percent.

It’s not even necessary to produce batteries specifically for the stationary storage market. As EV batteries age, they gradually lose capacity, and drivers, who crave maximum range, will want to replace them. However, once a superannuated battery is no longer suitable for use in a vehicle, it can still be quite useful in a stationary storage application. Several automakers are investigating the possibilities of “second-life” EV batteries.

===

Note: Article originally published on evannex.com by Charles Morris; Source: SingularityHub

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In an announcement on Wednesday, Puerto Rico’s Electric Power Authority stated that the whole island is without electricity and that it would likely take around 24 to 36 hrs before power is restored. Puerto Rico power officials further noted that they are prioritizing the restoration of electricity in key locations first, such as hospitals and banking centers. The recent islandwide blackout came not long after another power outage affected around 840,000 residents last week.

Responding to the news on Twitter, Musk stated that Tesla batteries have gone live and are delivering power to 662 locations in Puerto Rico. According to Musk, the Tesla team is working around the clock to activate “several hundred” more.

Tesla batteries are currently live & delivering power at 662 locations in Puerto Rico. Team is working 24/7 to activate several hundred more. https://t.co/OMu8qKJvLy

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 18, 2018

Not long after the billionaire entrepreneur’s Twitter announcement, Tesla’s official Twitter account shared photos of the company’s solar installations in the island as well, stating that there are currently over 1,000 Tesla batteries that have been activated in 662 locations so far. Echoing Musk’s statement, the electric car and energy company noted that more projects are underway.

Puerto Rico has been dealing with a power crisis since being hit by Hurricane Maria almost 7 months ago. When the Category 4 hurricane made landfall, it devastated the country’s entire power grid, leaving its roughly 3.5 million residents without power. Amid the relief efforts to aid the country, Tesla began shipping some of its Powerwall 2 residential battery storage units and solar panels to help restore electricity to Puerto Rico’s residents. Musk also made a personal donation to the country worth $250,000.

Musk noted that its batteries could be used by the country to help support its damaged grid, considering that it had already done similar projects for “many smaller islands around the world” in the past.  The Tesla CEO further stated that while there is no scalability limit when it comes to battery storage and solar solutions, the decision to pursue such a project would ultimately lie in the hands of the Puerto Rico government.

Puerto Rico Governor Ricardo Rossello expressed interest in Musk’s Twitter statement, suggesting that the island nation could become Tesla’s flagship energy project. Since then, Tesla has been hard at work installing its batteries and its photovoltaic systems to locations across the country; and if Musk’s recent announcement is any indication, more installations will likely happen soon.

As we noted in a previous report, if Tesla aims to supply 40% of the island’s energy through solar and battery solutions, the cost of the project would be substantial. Considering the rates of Tesla’s solar panels and battery packs, the cost of materials would roughly come at $9.58 billion. Factoring in an estimated 7% interest rate and Puerto Rico’s rather poor credit rating and high debt, the project could ultimately cost over $21 billion over 20 years.

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The Adelaide VPP is the fourth virtual power plant announced in Australia over the past two years, the biggest of which being Tesla’s own initiative to construct a 50,000-strong 250 MW/650 MWh system in SA. The 1,200 households in Adelaide’s VPP will be able to acquire Tesla Powerwall 2 home energy storage units at a 40% discount due to subsidies. The batteries, working together with residential rooftop solar panels, are estimated to save up to 20% of Adelaide residents’ power bill, according to a Renew Energy report.

Apart from helping residents save on their electricity bills, Simply Energy CEO Carly Wishart stated that the proposed VPP is also expected to provide backup electricity to other areas. With the system in place, the 8MW VPP in Adelaide would be able to function similar to conventional diesel-powered gas or turbine plant. The Adelaide VPP can be an alternative to facilities like the Pelican Point plant in South Australia, a facility tasked to meet the area’s electricity needs when the grid needs backup.

“Simply Energy is proud to be able to deliver this innovative solution that helps our customers reduce their energy costs while also providing additional energy security in South Australia,” Wishart said.

Once completed, the proposed 8MW Adelaide virtual power plant will feature Australia’s first digital marketplace for renewable energy. The digital marketplace, dubbed as the Decentralized Energy Exchange (deX), will allow users to purchase and sell electricity generated by residential battery storage units and rooftop solar panels during peak periods. 

In a blog post about the project, ARENA CEO Ivor Frischknecht stated that the proposed Adelaide VPP will be a good opportunity to demonstrate the viability of using an aggregated network of home batteries as a means to improve grid stability. The ARENA CEO is also optimistic about the potential of the deX model.

“This deployment of a further 1200 batteries into South Australia’s grid will deliver benefits to both individual customers and energy networks and demonstrate a potential model for how distributed energy resources can be operated at large scale in the future to help reduce energy prices. This trial will also demonstrate the commercial benefits of including a virtual power plant into a distributed energy market platform, such as deX.” 

As we noted in a previous report, Tesla’s planned 250 MW/650 MWh VPP for South Australia recently met a possible roadblock, after newly-elected South Australia premier Steven Marshall stated that his government does not have any plans to support the project. Amidst criticisms, however, Marshall eventually took a softer stance on the Elon Musk-led company’s VPP plan a few days later, stating that he would not be putting a stop to renewable energy projects that were started by the previous administration, such as Tesla’s 50,000-strong virtual power plant.

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In a recent statement, Marshall assured his constituents that existing renewable energy contracts from the previous administration, such as the Tesla SA virtual power plant, would not be unceremoniously discontinued under his government. With this in mind, the first two stages of Tesla’s plan for the virtual power plant, which involves the installation of solar panels and Powerwall 2 batteries to the first 1,100 homes in the network, could still proceed.

According to a report from Australia-based publication Renew Economy, Marshall’s change of heart with regards to Tesla’s virtual power plant appears to have been affected by the backlash he received after announcing that the project would “not be part” of his administration’s agenda. Spoken just before he was sworn into office, the brazen statement incited a lot of strong reactions from SA citizens, especially in social media.

A simple social media tally from the publication’s Facebook account, for one, showed that 88% of the social network’s users who reacted to the article gave a negative response to Marshall’s statements on Monday. The vast majority (73%) who responded to the news through Facebook even expressed outright anger at the premier’s comments.

Marshall’s bold statements on Monday expressing his lack of support for Tesla’s 250 MW/650 MWh virtual power plant appeared to be a knee-jerk reaction due to his political affiliation. On Monday, Marshall, who is from the Liberal Party, seemed to take an overly critical and dismissive stance on programs that the previous Labor-led government started, including plans that would benefit the region’s citizens.

As we noted in a previous report, Marshall wanted to replace Tesla’s virtual power plant plan with a $100 million government subsidy for 40,000 residential units. Under Marshall’s program, residents who already have solar panels installed in their homes would receive a $2,500 subsidy for home battery packs. Overall, the newly elected premier’s project would involve an upfront investment — something that Tesla’s target demographic for its ambitious initiative would likely not be able to provide.

From a financial standpoint, Tesla and the previous administration’s proposal for the 250 MW/650 MWh virtual power plant seems like a far more practical choice for the government. The virtual power plant’s upfront cost, which includes a $2 million grant and another $30 million from the Renewable Technology fund, after all, is lower than the $100 million that the government would have to invest in Marshall’s proposal.

If completed, the South Australia virtual power plant could provide about six times more energy than Tesla’s 100 MW/129 MWh Powerpack farm near Jamestown. Due to the aggregated design of the virtual power plant, the 50,000 households in the network could not only store power for themselves; they could also provide additional grid services when the need arises.

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In an announcement about the initiative, Nova Scotia Power project manager Jill Searle noted that she is optimistic about the Intelligent Feeder Project, especially since it is the first of its kind in the region. 

“Technology such as battery storage is making traditional utility systems smarter. This project is one of the first of its kind that we know about, and we’re excited to be leading the charge. It has great potential to positively impact the reliability of our system and help us provide power to customers when they need it most,” she said.

Nova Scotia’s Hardwood Lands wind farm provides the area with clean energy, but before the installation of the Tesla Powerpacks, the energy provider had no effective way to harness the energy it generates for later use. With the battery system in place, however, energy can be stored and distributed even when the wind turbines are not generating power. 

In a statement to Global News Canada, David Swan, a DHS Engineering engineer who is tasked to keep the system running, described how the Tesla Powerpacks could work even when there is no wind.

“If there’s no wind, it’ll provide energy. If there’s too much wind, it can absorb it for later use. So it allows us to have a larger component of renewable energy in our system,” Swan said.

.@nspowerinc’s Jill Searle talks about the company’s Intelligent Feeder pilot project at the #ElmsdaleNS substation. The project involves @Tesla batteries. #NovaScotia #GlobalNewsAt6 pic.twitter.com/OQCPoCUJbV

— Steve Silva (@SteveCSilva) February 8, 2018

Power outages in Nova Scotia last an average of two hours. According to Searle, the Tesla Powerpack system, which could support around 300 homes, would be perfect to fill in the gaps in the power system.

“We would expect a battery like this, during a cold winter night, to perhaps last for a two-hour duration, but in the summertime when it’s a little lightly loaded, we could expect the battery to last for much longer,” the project manager said, according to a Global News Canada report.

Apart from the Tesla Powerpack system, ten residential homes will also be given Tesla Powerwall batteries to aid the utility provider in seeing how renewable energy can augment the province’s power needs.

The Intelligent Feeder Project was initially announced back in 2016 and is expected to run until 2019. The total cost of the initiative is $3.4 million. Sustainable Development Technology Canada, a group which supports clean energy initiatives, has contributed $625,918 to fund the project.

As we noted in a previous report, a proposal to the New York Public Service Commission has been submitted by Orange and Rockland Utilities, suggesting that Tesla’s Powerpack batteries be deployed as a means to provide backup to the region’s grid. If approved, the proposed 2 MW/4 MWh system would be part of the Reforming the Energy Vision (REV), a comprehensive energy strategy started by New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo, which aims to promote and foster the adoption of clean energy in the state.

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Initial plans for the virtual grid would begin with low-income, social housing properties, with each house being equipped with a 5 kW rooftop solar system and a 13.5 kWh Tesla Powerwall 2 home battery system. In total, the project is expected to deliver 250 MW of solar energy and 650 MWh of battery storage capacity when complete, while providing grid stability by shifting demand away from a stressed grid during peak hours.

State premier Jay Weatherill expressed his excitement about the virtual power plant that would not only complement Tesla’s big battery project at the Hornsdale wind farm; it would dwarf the 100MW/129MWh Powerpack system many times over as well.

“My government has already delivered the world’s biggest battery, and now we will deliver the world’s largest virtual power plant. We will use people’s homes as a way to generate energy for the South Australian grid, with participating households benefiting with significant savings in their energy bills. Our energy plan means that we are leading the world in renewable energy and now we are making it easier for more homes to become self-sufficient,” he said, according to a RenewEnergy report.

To fund the creation of the world’s largest virtual power plant, the State Government is assisting the release of a $2 million grant and $30 million loan from the Renewable Technology Fund to get the project underway, as noted in the project’s official website. The SA government is also seeking additional funding from private investors. Tesla would be responsible for the installation of the solar systems and Powerwall 2 home battery packs.

Smart Energy Council CEO John Grimes lauded Tesla and the South Australian government for the initiative. Grimes, for one, noted that the construction of the virtual power plant would place the country at the forefront of the green revolution in technology.

“This is smart energy and smart leadership from the South Australian Government. South Australia is a world leader on solar, storage and action on climate change, with world-leading renewable energy and emission reduction targets. South Australia has the world’s biggest battery and now it will have the world’s biggest virtual power plant,” he said.

Construction of the South Australia virtual power plant will begin with the test installation of solar panels and Tesla battery storage units on 1100 social housing properties from 2018-2019. The first 600 installs from the 1100 test homes are set to be completed by the end of this year. After the trial phase, mass installations for the remainder of the virtual power plant will begin, with the target date for the project’s completion set for June 2022.

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