Tesla has served customers for over 15 years in the electric vehicle market. However, their solar enterprise has broken on the scene in more recent years. Two options in Tesla’s solar array include Tesla’s Powerwall battery and Powerpack energy system. The two differ in a variety of aspects but have served consumer’s homes with resourceful energy. So, which of these is the better option?
The Powerwall and Powerpack are Tesla’s manufactured, rechargeable batteries. The Powerwall is used as a home energy resource, and the Powerpack is designed for commercial use or electric utility grids. Therefore, the Powerwall is more suitable for residents, whereas the Powerpack is for businesses.
If you are considering or in the process of becoming a Tesla Solar customer, it is important to weigh your options to find what is suitable for your home or business needs. The Powerwall and the Powerpack are designed for specific operations, and therefore, there is no “better option,” only the one that delivers what you are searching for. Read on to learn more about both the Powerwall and Powerpack.
Powerwall and Powerpack
As mentioned above, there is no right or wrong when it comes to choosing whether the Powerwall or Powerpack will be best for you. The Powerwall is a small device that can be used with or without solar panels to collect energy. Meanwhile, the Powerpack is a large energy storage system – also known as a massive commercial battery pack.
The Powerwall was created to store energy, detect outages, and provide energy sources when local grids fizz out. Generators filled with gasoline are no longer needed as the Powerwall will provide power throughout one’s home or small business without the fuel or excessive noise.
The Powerpack was sculpted to consume high volumes of energy and have numerous embedded sensors to provide a high-quality level of performance while ensuring safety and being reliable for customers.
Both options are not only great for the ecosystem but are beneficial when it comes to saving the consumer money on utility bills. Before making a final decision, it is essential to weigh out the distinctive factors for each product, and you will discover the pros and cons for each device to guide you toward selecting the right one.
What Is the Difference?
While the Powerwall and Powerpack are intended to supply a sustainable amount of energy, certain features separate these products from one another based on how they are utilized and by whom.
The Powerwall and Powerpack are operated to produce solar energy. Both devices contain various features that separate them from each other. Unraveling the truth about what makes these powerful energy sources different can be examined by understanding certain aspects such as:
- Performance
- Operation
- Costs and fees
- Accessibility
- Perks
These factors play a role in determining the differences between the Powerwall and Powerpack. Each is designed for various purposes, and depending on a consumer’s needs, these key fundamentals should be evaluated before a customer finalizes any purchases for their homestead.
The Components Matter
Analyzing every component of the Powerwall and Powerpack is important when distinguishing what is right for the customer. Performance levels are a key factor for any consumer wishing to switch to solar options. The Powerwall and Powerpack have unique qualities that contribute to their high-standard performance levels.
These operating systems were established to contribute to the specific needs of diverse consumers. The Powerwall may not be suitable for a large commercial company, whereas the Powerpack would be resourceful for the business, signifying that homeowners and CEOs use these devices for various purposes.
Solar energy can be pricey, but Tesla offers the best solar energy products that come at a fair price. The Powerwall is fairly cheaper than the Powerpack but is typically used for homes and smaller businesses, while the Powerpack is on the expensive side but normally runs electricity for large corporations.
Honestly, who does not want access to information like their total energy consumption, personal customization, and the ability to reserve collected energy for future power outages? Both the Powerwall and Powerpack offer tools for consumers to have full access to their accounts and the ability to customize.
Lastly, every technological device comes with special perks. Both the Powerwall and Powerpack were established to offer unique features that can aid customers with their solar energy journey.
Performance
Tesla insists the Powerwall battery will hold its charge throughout the 10-year warranty that comes with the product. EnergySage, an online marketplace for solar systems, suggests, “Tesla Powerwall has a high round trip efficiency of 90 percent; this means that for every 10 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity you put into the battery, you will receive 9 kWh of output.”
Just like an ordinary battery, whether the owner charges or discharges it daily, the Powerwall will deteriorate over time from excessive use. This is why Tesla issues a warranty with every Powerwall sale to make sure the customer has a guaranteed storage capacity ten years down the road.
Many factors can attract clients to the Powerpack, such as:
- Its durability in any environment
- Its internal cooling and heating system
The fact that the device contains 16 individual battery pods with sensors built inside to detect cell-level performance
Tesla’s Powerpack was reviewed by a website, Clean Technica, dedicated to educating the public on clean technology. They pinpoint the Powerpacks performance level to start with a 90 percent efficiency and suggest it will degrade over time (5,000 cycles), bringing the efficiency rate down to 80 percent. This performance is almost identical to the Powerwall that starts with 92 percent and degrades to 80 percent.
Powerwall’s Operation
Powerwalls are typically found in residential homes based on their battery size and manufacturing. However, Tesla confirms that a resident can obtain up to 10 batteries per home if they are looking to amplify their storage system with high energy demands.
Paired alone or with a Tesla solar system, these Powerwalls can be a great addition for any family, small or large. These amazing features that come with the Powerwall offer customers a new way of living while saving money on electrical costs. Listed down below, explain some of these stellar components in detail.
Powerwall’s Self-Powered Mode
This feature on the Powerwall reduces reliance on the grid to run the building off solar day and night and stores energy. This stored energy can be used when a homeowner needs to fuel sufficient power more than what their solar can provide.
Powerwall’s Backup
A mode in which an owner can turn to when they are looking to reserve their Powerwall’s energy to save in case of a power outage emergency. This feature can be found on Tesla’s mobile app, and when an outage occurs, consumers have the power to make adjustments to extend the use of their Powerwall.
Powerwall’s Time-Based Control
Instead of having to stick to a time-of-use plan – which operates off of utility rates – the Powerwall gives the customer the ability to maximize their savings by giving them control on deciding which times throughout the day they would like to save energy and when to discharge it.
Powerwall’s Storm Watch
The National Weather Service communicates with the Powerwall to notify residents of when a severe storm is approaching their home. While having this mode on, the Powerwall will charge itself to prepare for a future power outage before the storm strikes the home, giving the owner an advantage to prepare for what may occur.
Powerwall’s Preconditioning
For those who live in cold temperatures, the Powerwall has a preconditioning function installed to heat the battery during freezing temperatures to continue operation and charging for one’s home.
There are endless opportunities when a Powerwall is installed. For example, some of the benefits may include:
- Chemical construction with nickel manganese cobalt oxide (NMC) for high energy density levels
- Two ways to evaluate performance levels (depth of discharge and roundtrip efficiency)
Large commercial companies need great amounts of energy to fuel their buildings. The amount of power provided by Powerpacks allows them to be used for various reasons. Down below, you will find a few examples.
Powerpack’s Operation
The Powerpack grants homeowners the ability to transfer electricity consumption back-and-forth between periods. What makes this great? It has the ability to transfer high levels of energy to other units during the hours in which utility rates are at their peak.
Powerpack’s Peak Shaving
This is a technique designed to reduce energy purchased from a utility company’s peak hour – when the prices are at their highest. Overall, peak shaving lowers energy consumption during these periods to lower one’s utility bill.
Powerpacks’ Load Shifting
Avoiding long periods of time where the price for electricity consumption is high, Tesla’s Powerpacks offer customers the chance to shift and store their energy consumption to different hours of the day where energy costs are lower.
Powerpack’s Emergency Backup
When the power shuts off, and the neighborhood runs silent, Powerpack – using the stored energy it collects over time – will automatically provide your house or business with electricity.
Long gone are the days of having to maintain a gasoline generator. Now, families can sit back and relax with their charge phones and appliances, waiting for power to be restored.
Powerpack’s Capacity Reserve
The Powerpack battery provides eight to 12 hours of backup power for owners to use during an outage, depending on whether the energy is being taken from paired solar panels or stored energy.
Powerpack’s Scalable Design
The fashionable yet fully scalable design of the Powerpack allows customers to arrange the Powerpacks however they choose, within reason.
Powerpack’s Fully Integrated Solutions
The integrated battery system is great for residential and small commercial businesses. This unique design gives customers the ability to connect to other homes or businesses’ electrical systems.
The batteries can be used as energy backup in areas with energy grids that often fail. People who still rely heavily on electricity can still perform their tasks without fear of economic losses brought on by outages.
These features provide additional support for companies who consume significant energy to operate their buildings and equipment. With assistance from the Tesla Powerpack, they will be able to get the job done and, at the same time, keep a friendly budget.
Costs and Fees
It is well known that energy sources are not cheap. However, they can be worth it in the long run. The Powerwall battery costs $7,000 alone before the additional $1,000 for supporting hardware and installation. Roughly, the Powerwall and its components can cost anywhere between $9,000 to $16,000 for a complete system installation.
What is included in the price?
- Battery
- Inverter
- Equipment costs
- Installation fees
Powerpacks, on the other hand, are far more pricey than their peers because, well, they generate more energy. The single price for a Powerpack costs around $172,000, and while that might sound insane and over the top, it makes sense when you look at what the system provides.
Starting at 232 kWh per unit, it brings the price per kWh to $744 before adding incentives or discounts, and after the federal tax credit, the price is reduced to $127,000 ($550 per kWh). Prices also vary on the size and amount of units a customer is looking to purchase. Their price is based on a unit’s kWh monthly production (40, 120, and 240).
Accessibility
Tesla generated a mobile app to allow their customers to check on their home’s energy consumption and production. In 2017, Tesla updated their app, allowing owners with Powerwall devices to access this same information, but with more advanced options.
This redesigned app allows Powerwall owners to monitor real-time data the following:
- Solar power generation
- Household energy consumption
- Battery flow
Consumers are also able to control how much power is stored by their home, which can be useful for future or planned power outages.
Since Powerpacks are typically run by large buildings such as schools, office buildings, and small hospitals, the energy system is built to operate on its own. However, while buying a Powerpack, Tesla carefully measures and designs the Powerpack to the customers’ needs and expectations.
Powerpacks are not completely inaccessible. There are a few applications customers can request by calling Tesla’s customer service number to inquire about how they can gain access to these special features.
Perks
Tesla Powerwall can be valuable for any homeowner because of the perks that come along with it. One perk of the Powerwall comes if the customer already has a solar system installed. This will automatically charge the battery through the solar panels and provide power through the night, limiting the need to keep up on the battery charge.
There are plenty more perks, as well, for homeowners considering a Powerwall.
- They increase property value.
- They are environmentally friendly.
- They nullify power outages.
- They protect against the loss of net metering.
- Perks of the Powerpack are going to be the same on a larger, commercial scale.
- Increased Property Value
When residential batteries are installed onto a home owner’s property, the value of their own will increase due to the improvements. What are these improvements? With residential batteries, they will be extremely useful during power outages, but they will also add direct monetary value to one’s property.
Environmental Friendly
What makes a Powerwall special is its ability to reduce the excretion of carbon into the atmosphere – much greater than solar power alone. While fossil fuels will still operate at night time, with the Powerwall, the number of fossil fuels being distributed is greatly decreased and sometimes eliminated.
The Powerwall is great for those trying to go green and help the environment become eco-friendly. As part of a solar array, the Powerwall is contributing to clean energy.
Nullifies Power Outages
The Powerwall gives a customer access to net metering – a system allowing the homeowner to sell excess electricity from their solar panels back to the power company. Customers have saved a great deal of money when they are not using power, but what happens if the power blacks out?
A Powerwall is designed to assist customers with power outages by giving them the option to use their stored power and operate the energy when there is an outage. There is no more added stress to when the electricity companies will get around to restoring the power. That control will be in the customer’s hands!
Protects Against Loss of Net Metering
It has been discovered that a handful of state governments are pushing their power companies to switch to net metering programs. Net metering, for those unsure, is a billing scheme where solar energy systems credit the owners for the amount of electricity they supply to the grid.
Tesla has promoted the Powerwall for this reason – to help the customers avoid excess fees. The Powerwall will tuck away excess electricity so their customers will not have to rely on the grid, and therefore, maximize self-consumption of solar energy.
Conclusion
Tesla has outdone themselves by providing their customers with powerful energy consumption devices such as the Powerwall and the Powerpack. Both have similar purposes, to alleviate consumers of skyrocketing electrical prices while using resourceful sources from our ecosystem to power their homes or business.
When it comes down to deciding which one is better than the other, there is no correct answer. The Powerwall and Powerpack were designed to serve customers with similar needs but with different purposes – altering whether it is for residents, small businesses, or large companies.