My Experience with the Tesla Powerwall

Justin Manager  
Ridgewood Resident, Chair of Green Ridgewood (subcommittee of the Ridgewood Green Team)   

One of the most important and useful aspects of having a Powerwall is that you can keep the lights on and the fridge cold during power outages. It can replace a gas generator as an emissions free backup power supply. Additionally, if you have solar panels you can continue to generate and use solar power even if the power is out. This is because the Powerwall acts as a gate between your solar panels and the main PSE&G power line to your home. Without a Powerwall (or other battery backup) you won’t be able to generate solar power during a power outage. This is because when solar panels produce more electricity than a home is using the extra electricity flows to the grid. If the grid is down extra electricity would be pushed to power lines where utility crews are working to fix the outage. In order to protect the utility workers and the grid itself, all grid-tied solar power systems therefore are required to automatically shut down during power outages. A Powerwall gets around this issue. 

Energy storage batteries provide an eco-friendly piece of mind from power outages. They also form a cornerstone of the larger societal shift to electrification, enabling owners to get the most benefit from solar panels. For example, excess electricity generated by solar panels during the day can be stored and used to charge an electric vehicle at night. Furthermore, fully off-grid and self-sustaining electricity is possible during power outages. Any number of Powerwalls can be strung together to make a larger battery back-up system as needed.