<div dir="ltr">The solar self consumption mode is a requirement in order to qualify for the SGIP incentive for PV-paired systems. For residential systems, the storage system must discharge a minimum of 52 full cycles per year which equates to once per week on average. <div><br></div><div>In addition, solar self consumption mode can save a little money by a) reducing the non-bypassable charges associated with <a href="https://www.pge.com/en_US/residential/solar-and-vehicles/green-energy-incentives/solar-and-renewable-metering-and-billing/net-energy-metering-program-tracking/net-energy-metering-and-tracking-faq.page">NEM2</a> and b) potentially reduce some Time Of Use (TOU) peak rate energy consumption. It's a particularly good choice for folks who have electric vehicles on the <a href="https://www.pge.com/tariffs/assets/pdf/tariffbook/ELEC_SCHEDS_EV.pdf">EV</a> rate where the peak rates go to 9:00 pm and part peak goes to 11:00 pm. Generally speaking, we're seeing TOU peak periods shift later and later in California. </div><div><br></div><div>August </div><div class="gmail_extra">
<br><div class="gmail_quote">On Tue, Feb 13, 2018 at 11:34 AM, Marco Mangelsdorf <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:marco@pvthawaii.com" target="_blank">marco@pvthawaii.com</a>></span> wrote:<br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">Is there a financial benefit to the customer-generator to choose the self-powered mode, August? <div class="HOEnZb"><div class="h5"><div><br></div><div>marco<br><br>On Tuesday, February 13, 2018, August Goers <<a href="mailto:august@luminalt.com" target="_blank">august@luminalt.com</a>> wrote:<br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex"><div dir="ltr">Yes, PG&E. The Self Generation Incentive Program (SGIP) created a flood of applications and PG&E is having a hard time keeping up. Hopefully it will get easier. <div><br></div><div>We are enabling self-consumption and backup modes. The Powerwall charges daily from the solar and then discharges to a owner-set minimum reserve capacity. <div><br></div><div>August<br><div class="gmail_extra"><br clear="all"><div><div data-smartmail="gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><p><b><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Century Gothic","sans-serif"">August</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size:8.0pt;font-family:"Century Gothic","sans-serif"">Luminalt Energy Corporation</span></p><p><span style="font-size:8.0pt;font-family:"Century Gothic","sans-serif"">o: <a href="tel:(415)%20641-4000" value="+14156414000" target="_blank">415.641.4000</a></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:8.0pt;font-family:"Century Gothic","sans-serif""><a href="http://www.luminalt.com" target="_blank">www.luminalt.com</a></span></p>
<p> </p></div></div></div></div>
<br><div class="gmail_quote">On Tue, Feb 13, 2018 at 8:30 AM, Marco Mangelsdorf <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:marco@pvthawaii.com" target="_blank">marco@pvthawaii.com</a>></span> wrote:<br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">Hey August. <div><br></div><div>By utility I assume that you are talking about PG&E. </div><div><br></div><div>What's the hang up? And are running the PWs in back-up power only mode or daily cycling mode?</div><div><br></div><div>In either case, the addition of PW does not add to the generating capacity of the solar facility. </div><div><br></div><div>marco</div><div><br>On Tuesday, February 13, 2018, August Goers <<a href="mailto:august@luminalt.com" target="_blank">august@luminalt.com</a>> wrote:<br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex"><div dir="ltr">Marco,<div><br></div><div>Thanks for sharing, it is good to hear details from an installer who is living with a Powerwall. We starting selling the Powerwall 2 in 2017 and have worked up a large pipeline. We have about 20 installed so far, but are still waiting on utility permission to operate which is taking a long time. We have spent a good deal of time commissioning and testing each system. For the most part, our experience has been good although the commissioning software and internet connectivity features have been buggy. Hopefully those are issues that will be ironed out by Tesla. Otherwise, we've had the systems correctly operate in on-grid and off-grid modes with both Solaredge and SunPower Equinox AC coupled systems. </div><div><br></div><div>We installed conventional lead acid battery backup systems for over 10 years and I can confidently say that Tesla's Powerwall and Gateway setup is truly market-disruptive. The design flexibility of the Gateway setup, the small size, minimal labor to install, and performance blow other systems out of the water. I hope that other manufacturers are able to catch up with this type of design. </div><div><br></div><div>Best,</div><div><br></div><div>August</div><div class="gmail_extra"><br clear="all"><div><div data-smartmail="gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><p><b><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Century Gothic","sans-serif"">August Goers</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size:8.0pt;font-family:"Century Gothic","sans-serif"">Luminalt Energy Corporation</span></p><p><span style="font-size:8.0pt;font-family:"Century Gothic","sans-serif"">o: <a href="tel:(415)%20641-4000" value="+14156414000" target="_blank">415.641.4000</a></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:8.0pt;font-family:"Century Gothic","sans-serif""><a href="http://www.luminalt.com" target="_blank">www.luminalt.com</a></span></p>
<p> </p></div></div></div></div>
<br><div class="gmail_quote">On Sat, Feb 10, 2018 at 12:23 PM, Marco Mangelsdorf <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:marco@pvthawaii.com" target="_blank">marco@pvthawaii.com</a>></span> wrote:<br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex"><div dir="ltr"><div><div><div><i><b>Aloha Wrenches,<br><br></b></i></div><i><b>I thought I'd share my own experiences with the Powerwall as my company is now launching a program to add PW to existing NEM systems since the vast majority of them do not have storage which means that if the grid goes down, so does their PV system. (With the exception of the SMA SB line and their Secure Power Supply.)<br><br></b></i></div><i><b>And no, I'm not a shill or toadie for Tesla.<br><br></b></i></div><i><b>marco<br><br>
</b></i><div><p class="MsoNormal"><i><b><span style="font-size:11pt">I wanted to walk my own
talk.<span> </span>Before we launched adding
Powerwall to existing Net Energy Metered solar electric systems, I wanted
to make sure that what was promised on paper would work in the real world.<span> </span>I added Powerwall to my NEM system
last year and have been monitoring and testing it during normal grid-on and
grid outage modes.<span> </span>And I\u2019m very pleased
to report that Powerwall has performed flawlessly and as expected.</span></b></i></p><i><b>
</b></i><p class="MsoNormal"><i><b><span style="font-size:11pt"> </span></b></i></p><i><b>
</b></i><p class="MsoNormal"><i><b><span style="font-size:11pt">When used in a NEM
system, Powerwall is programmed to be in \u201cBackup\u201d mode.<span> </span>When utility power is on, Powerwall
stands ready in a full state of charge for any power outage.<span> </span>During normal grid-on conditions, my Powerall
takes about .6 kilowatt-hours every other day to stay fully charged.<span> </span>Over the course of the month, this Powerwall\u2019s
electricity consumption comes to about 9 kWhs or about $3/month at the current
HELCO R rate.</span></b></i></p><i><b>
</b></i><p class="MsoNormal"><i><b><span style="font-size:11pt"> </span></b></i></p><i><b>
</b></i><p class="MsoNormal"><i><b><span style="font-size:11pt">I have turned the utility
power off to my home on a number of occasions in order to experience how Powerwall
would perform in a simulated grid outage.<span>
</span>When the grid goes down, my house effectively becomes a self-generating
micro-grid.<span> </span>That is, my photovoltaic
system (solar modules and inverters) and Powerwall (battery storage and
integrated inverter) form a power grid with energy being created and stored and
then consumed by my electric loads.</span></b></i></p><i><b>
</b></i><p class="MsoNormal"><i><b><span style="font-size:11pt"> </span></b></i></p><i><b>
</b></i><p class="MsoNormal"><i><b><span style="font-size:11pt">Several things I noted
from my simulated grid outages:</span></b></i></p><i><b>
</b></i><p class="MsoNormal"><i><b><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Symbol"><span>·<span style="font:7pt "Times New Roman"">
</span></span></span><span style="font-size:11pt">I purposefully overloaded Powerwall by
turning on my electric dryer and electric oven at the same time.<span> </span>As expected, since the maximum output of Powerwall
is 5 kilowatts, it shutdown.<span> </span>Meaning
that all the power in my house went off.<span>
</span>Within seconds, Powerwall reset itself and the power came back
on, with the dryer and oven having shut down after the power went off.<span> </span>If power does not come back on after your Powerwall
trips off, you will need to turn off those high-power loads and reset Powerwall
by turning its black on-off switch, located on the right side of the unit, from
on to off and then on again.<span> </span>The
important takeaway: during a utility outage, you will need to be careful as far
as operating heavy electric loads, especially 240 volt appliances both from the
perspective of overloading your Powerwall and rapidly drawing down the battery
capacity, especially at night.</span></b></i></p><i><b>
</b></i><p class="MsoNormal"><i><b><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Symbol"><span>·<span style="font:7pt "Times New Roman"">
</span></span></span><span style="font-size:11pt">The magic of frequency shifting.<span> </span>Without getting into too much techno-talk,
this is the story of frequency shifting.<span>
</span>Normal utility frequency is 60 hertz (Hz).<span> </span>PV inverters require the utility frequency to
be at or near 60 Hz in order to operate.<span>
</span>During a grid outage, Powerwall effectively establishes grid
quality power (120/240 volts at 60 Hz), allowing a micro grid to operate with
solar providing power to your house loads (during daylight hours) and charge Powerwall
as needed.<span> </span>During the day with the loads
being met by your PV system and Powerwall being at or near full state of
charge (97-100 percent), Powerwall will shift the frequency from 60 to
66 Hz in order to turn off the PV inverter(s).<span>
</span>That is, the PV inverter(s) see the frequency out of spec and shut down
as they\u2019re expected and required to do.<span>
</span>Why? Because with Powerwall at or near full and the house loads
being met, there\u2019s nowhere for any additional solar generation to go.<span> </span>Powerwall will wait for its the state
of charge to drop below 96-97 percent before shifting the frequency back to 60
Hz which allows the PV system to restart and generate solar power again. <span> </span>This frequency shifting can take place repeatedly
over the course of the day depending on load demands, solar potential and Powerwall
state of charge and is perfectly normal and does not damage the PV inverters.</span><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""></span></b></i></p><i><b>
</b></i><p class="MsoNormal"><i><b><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Symbol"><span>·<span style="font:7pt "Times New Roman"">
</span></span></span></b></i><span style="font-size:11pt"><i><b>66 Hz and home appliances: when Powerwall
is at 66 Hz, some of your house loads may be affected.<span> </span>What I and other Powerwall owners have
noticed, while not a comprehensive list, can include: electronic clocks running
fast, motors sounding different (microwave, washing machine, pumps),
uninterruptible power sources (UPS) not charging and going into back-up power
mode, appliances having a computer behaving unusually.</b></i><span><i><b> </b></i> </span></span><b><i><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""></span></i></b></p>
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