Having installed Powerwall 1 batteries, we were expecting a fairly complicated physical installation and wiring process as Powerwall 1 wasn’t designed to be very easy to install. Tesla have moved the design on massively so that Powerwall 2 is now much more compact even though it has about double the capacity. It is easier to mount on a wall or floor-standing and the connections are much, much easier to access and connect. The first installation in Winchester took a bit longer than we had anticipated as the online commissioning process was a bit fiddly but it was completed within a day. Tesla are continually working to streamline it and 2 days later when we installed the second battery, the process went quite smoothly with the entire installation and commissioning completed by mid-afternoon.
Both of these batteries were installed along with Photovoltaic systems and it was very nice to see the battery charging up during the day with the PV power. At over 13kWh, the batteries will run both properties overnight comfortably and should allow the customers to become effectively off-grid for several months of the year.
We expect the take up of batteries to increase over time and Tesla Powerwall 2 is doing a fantastic job of leading the charge to a renewable future.
Within the next 12 months, we are expecting to see “virtual power plant” companies setting up who will offer to “rent” a small proportion of a clients battery capacity. The VPP company will be able to remotely charge and discharge a proportion of the battery in several thousand properties creating the same effect as switching on a gas, diesel or other fossil fuel large scale power plant to provide power when the National grid experiences a high demand. This is the start of a national smart-grid and the rental payments to battery owners will make home storage even more appealing.”
