NGRE has just completed our first installation of the new Tesla Powerwall 3, and customer James Weedon is thrilled.
The state-of-the-art battery storage system was only released in the UK earlier this year and features a number of market-leading features, plus improvements over its predecessor, and also boasts a sleek, compact look.
Mr Weedon’s hybrid home storage system will complement his new 22 panel solar PV system also installed by NGRE, and together the green technology will radically reduce his grid dependence and electricity costs.
Mr Weedon, from Bicester in Oxfordshire, said: “It was a bit extra for a Tesla but I’m glad we went for it. I have to admit, vanity did come into it a bit – it’s a smart bit of kit and looks sexy. It’s fitted in the garage but I wouldn’t be adverse to having it on the side of the house – it looks great.”
Greg Bishop, Managing Director of NGRE, said: “We’re really proud to have completed our first install of a Powerwall 3 having fitted many of its Powerwall 2 predecessors. Tesla have really thought about everything, learning from feedback from customers and installers. The install was straight-forward and the customer is really happy.
“The base unit comprises the battery, battery inverter and solar inverter all in one solar battery package, so it looks really neat. It is high-end, and it shows with the quality, attention to detail and number of features.”
Tesla PowerWall 3
Mr Weedon’s new Tesla Powerwall 3 system comprises an integrated combination of 8kW solar inverter, battery inverter and 13.5kWh battery and boasts an impressive solar to home conversion of 97.5%, efficiently converting 97.5% of the power from the solar panels to be used in the home.
Greg said: “13.5kWh is larger than most single battery systems but it’s not an arbitrary figure. Based on typical UK electricity usage figures provided by Ofgem, this single unit provides enough storage capacity to cover the typical 11kWh per day of electricity used by large households of four bedrooms and more.”
Greg added: “And with the Powerwall 2, you needed a dedicated solar inverter which was its own separate installation, but this isn’t needed any more, unless you want to AC couple the system if, for example, you have an existing solar inverter you want to keep.”
The PV System
Installed alongside the Powerwall 3, is Mr Weedon’s solar PV system, comprising 22 Aiko Energy 455w solar panels totalling 10.01kWp, 14 on one array facing West and 8 on another array facing East.
NGRE estimates that the system’s total annual PV generation will be 8,248kWh, and will provide 38% or 2,930 kWh of Mr Weedon’s electricity needs, while his household will consume 2 tons less carbon dioxide each year.
Greg said: “These are estimated figures for Mr Weedon’s PV system alone, but in combination with the Powerwall 3’s battery, users see their self-sufficiency rise to as much as 80% or even higher.”
Mr Weedon said: “We loved the idea of generating our own electricity. Not specifically for environmental reasons, although that’s a nice other side of the coin, but for cost savings and getting a return; but the time of that repayment is not that important.”
Considering the PV system alone, NGRE estimates that Mr Weedon will shave £1,505 off his electricity bill each year and more than £63,000 over 25 years, and will break even in under 10 years with an estimated total return on investment of 285%.
Mr Weedon’s PV system will not only power his property but charge his battery with free, green electricity which he will be able to use at night without drawing power from the grid. He will also be able to send electricity back to the grid for profit when he signs up to a Smart Export Guarantee scheme.
PW3 – Scalable Capacity and Power plus Expansion Packs
Despite the Powerwall’s 13.5kWh storage being the perfect fit for most households – with a continuous power output of between 3.6kW and 11.05kW and peak power of 30kW for a short duration – expansion packs with an additional 13.5kWh storage capacity are to be released which can be stacked next to the base unit.
Up to three expansion packs can be added per Powerwall 3 providing a huge 54kWh of storage capacity allowing homeowners to run their property for days at a time if needed.
The expansion packs are anticipated to be much cheaper than the base units as they won’t come with the built-in solar inverter and associated hardware.
PW3 – Home Back-up as Standard
Greg said: “Many home energy storage systems, without additional installed hardware, will not provide back-up power to your home in the event of a power outage as they shut off for safety reasons, preventing them from powering the house.
“The Powerwall 3 system though comes with home back-up as standard which can be important for some customers.”
Mr Weedon said: “The seamless transition in the event of a power outage was attractive. Not that we have many, but it’s a nice included feature and gives peace of mind.”
The system allows users to choose a storage percentage which will always be kept in reserve for a power cut.
PW3 – Storm Watch
The system will also monitor the local weather and charge up the battery if a storm is in-bound, providing power in the event of a power cut.
PW3 – Weatherproofing and Active Thermal Management
NGRE installed Mr Weedon’s system in his garage but he says it looks so good he wouldn’t mind having it on the side of his house.
Greg said: “Exterior installations are popular because not everyone has the space or desire to house the equipment indoors but Tesla has striven to include a number of features which provide extra reassurances that extremes in weather will not affect the system.
The Powerwall 3 is IP67 rated, is waterproof up to 60cm to protect against flooding and snow drifts.
Greg added: “The efficiency of lithium batteries can be effected by the ambient temperature so the Active Thermal Management feature ensures the system can operate to maximum efficiency in a wide band of temperatures from -20 to 50 degrees Celsius.”
Using the same tech as in the Tesla Model 3 and the Model Y cars, the system, pre-conditions the battery, based on a user’s predicted usage and weather conditions, in order to maximise battery performance.
Basically, it will warm cells up for cold conditions and cool them down in the heat.
PW3 – Multiple Arrays to Maximise Roof Space
Greg said: “Almost uniquely for a domestic system, the Powerwall 3 allows you to feed three different solar arrays into one inverter allowing much more flexibility in where you site those arrays to maximise your roof’s potential.”
Mr Weedon’s system features solar panels on two separate arrays, orientated West and East, providing an extended performance throughout the day.
Having a number of arrays with different orientations, while not achieving maximum performance for the number of panels, ensures that power generation is not restricted to one peak, but is spread throughout the day as the sun rotates around a property.
PW3 – Monitoring
Mr Weedon is able to monitor his system using the Tesla app. The app allows him to do things like view energy generated and used, and energy imported and exported, set the amount of reserve power to keep, or instruct the system to go off grid using only the battery and solar system.
Mr Weedon said: “It’s performing great. I regularly go to the app and enjoy seeing the yellow spikes showing when we’ve been generating and when the house is running on cheap energy from the tariff.”
Time of Use Tariff and Smart Export Guarantee Scheme
Mr Weedon said: “We’re on Octopus Go tariff so can charge it up cheap at night. But I’m looking forward to when the Smart Export Guarantee scheme is set up to reduce our monthly bills even more.”
The Powerwall 3 is compatible with Time of Use tariffs such as Octopus’ Intelligent tariffs, Intelligent Octopus Go and Intelligent Octopus Flux, and allows the battery to intelligently charge and discharge when it is most profitable to do so.
Time of Use tariffs offer people cheaper electricity prices when demand and energy prices are at their lowest allowing energy companies to better manage demand, and customers to lower their bills.
They are perfect for those with intelligent energy storage systems like Mr Weedon’s.
Using the Intelligent Octopus Go tariff, Mr Weedon’s Powerwall 3 intelligently charges his battery when energy is cheapest, for only 7p per kWh, a fraction of the current (December 2024) electricity price cap of 24.5p per kWh.
He also benefits from 6 hours of cheap electricity between 11.30pm and 5.30am, again at just 7p per kWh.
Mr Weedon is in the process of signing up to a Smart Export Guarantee scheme product in which he will be paid for exporting any surplus energy he does not use, further decreasing his energy costs.
PW3 – Guarantee 80% Battery Capacity after 10 Years
Greg said: “A common worry we often hear about battery energy storage systems is the degradation of the battery. But the Powerwall 3 comes with a 10-year warranty, guaranteeing 80% battery capacity at the end of the warranty period.”
NGRE
Mr Weedon said: “I was keen to go with a local company, but price was a factor. NGRE were competitive on price but their 20 years of experience also gave me confidence and the fact that they did a site visit whereas others didn’t.”
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