Powershare update: Home Backup enabled for Solar + Backup Switch

[WichitaDad]

Confirmed on mine that it's available now.

Here's a Q, though, I have solar, but no battery (except the CT, now). So, when power goes out, my solar also goes out. Since I now have the CT as a battery, will the solar now be active during an outage?

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[rjbonds]

I got the following email from Tesla. Looks like I can't use solar during an outage.

Hi Randy, Congratulations on the installation of your Powershare equipment. You can now use your Powershare Home Backup system. To get started, download the Tesla app and review the Powershare Home Backup tutorials to learn how to activate your system and enable it using your vehicle’s control settings. If your system is paired with a solar backup circuit, turn your solar inverter breaker(s) OFF before manually testing your Powershare functionality. Failing to do so may cause damage to your system. If you have any questions, contact your Tesla Advisor. The Tesla Team​

 

[MilliM]

Isn’t that just for the test? I never received that email when mine went live (or missed it) and have never touched my inverter breakers. I’m still unclear based on the latest post.

 

[rjbonds]

Isn’t that just for the test? I never received that email when mine went live (or missed it) and have never touched my inverter breakers. I’m still unclear based on the latest post.

That's typical Tesla fashion. I'm just as confused as you. I have no idea if I can operate my solar panels during an outage or if it's just for testing the power share system. I would love to have the ability to charge my Cybertruck during an outage!! That would mean that I would never run out of energy and could easily sustain being off grid indefinitely due to the large size of my solar system and my low that solar production usage.

 

[koolio]

So how do we know it’s expected in q3? I also have powerwalls and therefore refraining from installing equipment that will become redundant.

The very first post in this thread links to the X post from @Cybertruck where they said Q3 2025 for Powerwall owners.

First time I saw mention of this was from a Tesla Energy employee. He flat out said they will enable PowerShare for Powerwall owners 'sometime in 2025' via an OTA update. This was in a video recording when Wes Morril and the Tesla Energy dude (forget his name) were at a new Tesla Service Center grand opening in CA and spent an hour talking about the Cybertruck and asnwering questions. I don't remember when the video was recorded but think it was in the Q3 2024.

 

[koolio]

That's typical Tesla fashion. I'm just as confused as you. I have no idea if I can operate my solar panels during an outage or if it's just for testing the power share system. I would love to have the ability to charge my Cybertruck during an outage!! That would mean that I would never run out of energy and could easily sustain being off grid indefinitely due to the large size of my solar system and my low that solar production usage.

If you don't have a Powerwall - and I'm taking a guess here - my suspicion is you cannot charge the CT via solar if you have Powershare enabled (bc I don't think the Wall Connector can do 2-way flow). Perhaps, if solar generation is more than your home's consumption, then it would charge CT if Powershare is disabled during the grid outage?

 

[Korben Dallas]

I got the following email from Tesla. Looks like I can't use solar during an outage.

​

Hi Randy, Congratulations on the installation of your Powershare equipment. You can now use your Powershare Home Backup system. To get started, download the Tesla app and review the Powershare Home Backup tutorials to learn how to activate your system and enable it using your vehicle’s control settings. If your system is paired with a solar backup circuit, turn your solar inverter breaker(s) OFF before manually testing your Powershare functionality. Failing to do so may cause damage to your system. If you have any questions, contact your Tesla Advisor. The Tesla Team​

Gosh. You’d think that if it’s really that important for those of us who also have solar that Tesla would have included that notification on the "LEARN MORE" page.

And for the record, I haven’t received that email either and my PV/PW/Gateway/UWC system has been operational & shown on the Tesla app for 16 months now.

That said. Before connecting my Cybertruck to perform the backup test, I will first disconnect my PV system as stated & see what happens.

Good luck everyone.

 

[Korben Dallas]

If you don't have a Powerwall - and I'm taking a guess here - my suspicion is you cannot charge the CT via solar if you have Powershare enabled (bc I don't think the Wall Connector can do 2-way flow). Perhaps, if solar generation is more than your home's consumption, then it would charge CT if Powershare is disabled during the grid outage?

Per Tesla "
For Customers Without Powerwall
For homes not equipped with Powerwall, a Universal Wall Connector and Powershare Gateway will be required to use Powershare Home Backup.2"

 

[koolio]

Per Tesla "
For Customers Without Powerwall
For homes not equipped with Powerwall, a Universal Wall Connector and Powershare Gateway will be required to use Powershare Home Backup.2"

Correct. What I was answering was the question: if someone does not have a Powerwall but has solar, can they charge the truck and use the truck to power their home during a grid outage.

 

[MilliM]

Further to this, if you read the post that is in the original X link on this thread, it seems somewhat ambiguous, and there is a reference to being able to charge the cybertruck if you have solar during an outage without any mention of a power wall.

 

[mongo]

Confirmed on mine that it's available now.

Here's a Q, though, I have solar, but no battery (except the CT, now). So, when power goes out, my solar also goes out. Since I now have the CT as a battery, will the solar now be active during an outage?

Yes, solar will see the "grid" generated by Cybertruck and enable generation. Cybertruck will regulate generation via frequency and/or voltage levels.

 

[CyberVeteran]

Correct. What I was answering was the question: if someone does not have a Powerwall but has solar, can they charge the truck and use the truck to power their home during a grid outage.

It is my understanding that you are unable to use solar to charge the truck or power the home, at least without more equipment, without Powerwall. This is because of modern systems cut off electrical flow to prevent power backflow into the grid (dangerous for linemen).

 

[MilliM]

It is my understanding that you are unable to use solar to charge the truck or power the home, at least without more equipment, without Powerwall. This is because of modern systems cut off electrical flow to prevent power backflow into the grid (dangerous for linemen).

That has always been my understanding as well, but when they link to the following verbiage, it again causes the confusion. I’m not sure whether this verbiage has been the same all along or is part of some sort of an update. No mention of, or alluding to, a power wall below as far as I can tell

“Home Backup
With Powershare, your Cybertruck can automatically provide backup power to your home with up to 11.5 kW of power for up to three days.1 When paired with solar panels or Solar Roof, you can extend your backup duration by powering your home and charging your Tesla vehicle through an outage. Powershare Home Backup can detect an outage and start providing power within one minute without noise, emissions or maintenance.”

 

[mongo]

It is my understanding that you are unable to use solar to charge the truck or power the home, at least without more equipment, without Powerwall. This is because of modern systems cut off electrical flow to prevent power backflow into the grid (dangerous for linemen).

Line worker protection is done by verifying there is an existing valid waveform before ouputing power. Net output is normal in grid interactive systems.

Solar inverters can't tell the difference between the power company grid and the Powershare "grid". So no reason the Cybertruck can't charge from isolated solar, same as AC coupled PW2s.

 

[hemiarch]

If you don't have a Powerwall - and I'm taking a guess here - my suspicion is you cannot charge the CT via solar if you have Powershare enabled (bc I don't think the Wall Connector can do 2-way flow). Perhaps, if solar generation is more than your home's consumption, then it would charge CT if Powershare is disabled during the grid outage?

Just spitballing here, but if your system allows you to run your home on solar during a power outage, couldn’t you plug in a device like
An Ecoflow delta pro 3 or Anker f3600 to charge off the house and use that to charge the truck? Some of them can both charge and discharge at 240v so at a pretty good clip. Then, when the sun goes down plug in the Cybertruck, flip the switch and use the PowerShare to run the house?
Even more so, if the solar backs up the house through the main board and the Tesla wall connector is wired to a 60amp breaker on said board, couldn’t you just charge the truck during daytime hour and then after sunset, discharge the truck to run the house?
As I understand it, in Arizona at least, you’re required to have a way to isolate yourself from the grid to use solar at all during a power failure so the main board and therefore the wall connector should be able to work.
Am I misunderstanding the situation?

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