What portion of my house can this battery power, and for how long? is probably your top concern if you’re looking to purchase a Tesla Powerwall or any other solar battery. We’ve discussed some procedures you can take to make an estimate, but the answer depends on a variety of factors specific to your household’s energy use.
Key Points
- By calculating how much electricity your home requires and how much power the Tesla Powerwall is capable of producing, you may estimate how much a Tesla Powerwall will supply.
- In the end, how much energy you use with various appliances, air conditioners, and other power-consuming devices determines how long a Tesla Powerwall will keep your house powered.
- By combining a Tesla Powerwall with solar, you can gain further benefits like the ability to use solar energy to power your home even at night and a mechanism to store solar energy as a backup in case of a power outage.
- Browse for solar, Tesla Powerwalls, and other battery storage alternatives on the EnergySage Marketplace based on cost, effectiveness, brand, and other factors.
Table of Contents
How much power can a Tesla Powerwall deliver?
The “how much” question comes first. You actually just need to know two things to find the solution: how much electricity your home consumes and how much power the Tesla Powerwall can deliver. The number of your appliances the Powerwall can power can then be determined by comparing the two. Kilowatts (kW) or amps are units of measurement for power on batteries like this (A). Kilowatts are a unit of power, whereas amps are a unit of current. The straightforward formula for converting amps to kilowatts is as follows (to calculate watts, omit dividing by 1,000):
Kilowatts = (amps x voltage) / 1,000
The power requirements for each appliance may be determined using this equation, and the total can be compared to the Tesla Powerwall’s power output.
What kind of power do you need?
You must know which appliances you intend to back up in order to calculate how much electricity you’ll need. The power consumption of the various appliances in your home must be calculated, either by you or by your installation, in order to determine this.
To get started, we strongly advise reading our article on understanding electrical load, in which we lead you through how to determine the electrical loads for your various equipment. You may determine the total amount of power needed for your complete home by determining the wattage of each individual appliance.
What kind of electricity can the Powerwall deliver?
You can then contrast this amount with the Powerwall’s power rating once you’ve calculated how much energy your home consumes. You should consider both the continuous power and immediate power ratings for batteries like the Powerwall.
When an appliance needs to be started, such as when your car engine needs to be started, that power is known as instantaneous power. As your machine starts, you’ll require a lot of electricity, but after that, the power consumption will drastically decrease. As this metric will subsequently be relevant, you should determine whether your appliances have a surge requirement.
Tesla Powerwall’s instantaneous power rating is 7 kW.
The power that your battery can supply continuously is the power that is required to keep your car running after it has been started. This will let you know how many appliances you can keep running for a long time, like an hour or more.
Tesla Powerwall’s average output per hour is 5 kW.
This battery’s continuous power rating is within the average range of 5-8 kW for this type of battery.
How long will the Tesla Powerwall keep the lights on?
Usable storage space and how long you use each equipment are the two key components in answering the “how long” issue. It is also very vital to think about if you have a solar panel system in addition to your batteries.
Usable storage capacity
The amount of electricity a battery can store is measured by its useable storage capacity. Due to the fact that it reflects consuming a specific amount of electricity (kW) for a specific amount of time, usable storage capacity is expressed in kilowatt-hours (kWh) (hours).
13.5 kWh of usable storage on a Tesla Powerwall
The practical implication of this is that you can utilise either 13.5 kW for 1 hour, 1 kW for 13.5 hours, or a combination of both.
Time you spend utilising each appliance
Determine which appliances and for how long you expect to use them next. Here are some typical examples of how to calculate depending on the power consumption of your specific equipment. The Tesla Powerwall can power a:
- air source heat pump rated at 3,500 W for less than 4 hours;
- TV at 300 W for 45 hours;
- a refrigerator using 200 W for 67.5 hours;
- 5x20W bulbs run for 135 hours;
- phone charger for 25 W for 540 hours;
- Or for 2,250 hours on a 6 W WiFi router.
The key point to keep in mind is that the amount of them you’ll likely have running at any given moment will influence how long the Powerwall will last. You won’t be able to run the refrigerator for as long if, for instance, you wish to turn on the lights in another room while the refrigerator is running.
It’s a good idea to determine the power requirements of the crucial items you’d need during a blackout, such as your WiFi, computers, and refrigerator, and then determine how long the Powerwall will last for you.
Are you integrating solar power with your Powerwall?
Another crucial factor to take into account is whether or not your battery is coupled with solar. In the case of a blackout, if you only have a standalone Powerwall, this battery will be your only source of power. You cannot recharge it until grid power is restored. The Powerwall may be recharged practically endlessly if you also have a solar system because the battery stores the energy generated by your panels.
Want to know more about how solar energy and batteries like a Tesla Powerwall interact?
The final figure
Eventually, the precise configuration of your appliances will determine how much of your home the Powerwall can sustain and for how long. The Powerwall has a finite storage capacity, just like any other battery (unless you connect it with solar! ), thus there will be trade-offs when using its power.
During a blackout, you can anticipate the Powerwall to keep you going for about 24 hours if you’re simply utilising the necessities, such as your WiFi, phone, refrigerator, and some lights. On the other hand, if you plug in more equipment, such as your TV or air conditioner, the charge will last much shorter. You may have different power requirements, but a good general guideline is that you should have enough power for the necessities for about 24 hours.
You shouldn’t worry if your Powerwall’s charge is ever a concern. The Tesla app allows you to configure your Powerwall’s energy use for particular situations, such as maximising protection during power outages, and you can check the energy level in your Powerwall.
FAQs
Can a house be powered by the Tesla Powerwall?
To power your home, a Tesla Powerwall is a well-liked battery storage option. It can be used in two ways: first, to store extra solar energy and second, to supplement utility power in the event of a power outage. This will allow you to utilise more of your solar electricity. Your energy usage is one of several criteria, including the number of hours the Powerwall can power your house.
How long can a refrigerator be powered by a Tesla Powerwall?
How long a Tesla Powerwall or comparable battery will run typical home appliances like a refrigerator is a popular topic when determining if you want to buy a battery for energy storage. The amount of watts the refrigerator consumes determines how long a Powerwall will keep it running. It can run a 200 W refrigerator for 67.5 hours, for instance.
A Tesla Powerwall can power how much?
The number of appliances and devices you use in your home and how long you use them determine how much a Powerwall can power. Reduce the use of appliances that aren’t absolutely necessary, like your dishwasher or dryer, if you’re using your Powerwall during a power outage. This will help the Powerwall last longer.
Is the price of a Tesla Powerwall worth it?
To determine whether to purchase a Tesla Powerwall, you need consider all the advantages and disadvantages. It is one of the most well-liked batteries on the market right now, and many of people like the security it gives in terms of backup power as well as the improved solar panel energy utilisation efficiency. Nonetheless, you must determine whether the price is worthwhile for you. Depending on your home setup, you may additionally need to pay for installation and other electrical work.