Imagine relying on solar panels for your home's electricity, only to watch the sun dip below the horizon each evening. What happens next? This was the challenge we faced – and solved.
Solar Limitations
Modern solar panels are remarkable at converting sunlight into electricity during daylight hours. But as any solar homeowner knows, their greatest limitation hits when darkness falls. Rather than accept this daily power gap, we decided to take our energy independence to the next level by installing a Tesla Powerwall battery alongside our solar array.
Enter the Powerwall
Our sleek 13.5 kWh Powerwall battery system now sits quietly in its dedicated shed behind the house, acting as our personal power reservoir. Think of it as an energy savings account – storing excess solar power during the day for our evening use. However, while this works beautifully in summer, the winter months tell a very different story.
Seasonal Shifts
The system's performance varies dramatically with the seasons:
Summer brings more sunshine, allowing us to operate almost entirely off-grid. The Powerwall eagerly soaks up excess solar production, keeping us powered through the night.
Winter presents more challenges, with shorter days and weaker sunlight barely meeting our daily power needs. This led us to implement a clever solution involving the Tesla Powerwall and smart technology.
The Smart Meter Advantage
Despite some common scepticism around smart meters, installing one proved to be a game-changer for our setup. Even with our thick stone walls, the meter mostly maintains reliable connectivity, unlocking access to split-rate electricity tariffs with significant night-time discounts. This gives us access to cheap-rate electricity at night, which we use to top up the battery when our solar panels haven't produced enough.
Intelligent Power Management
The true magic happens in how our system adapts to changing conditions. The Powerwall's intelligent software works like a personal energy manager, making smart decisions around the clock. Each evening, it:
Checks tomorrow's weather forecast to predict solar panel output
Analyses our typical power consumption patterns
Calculates exactly how much grid power to import during cheap night-time rates
Ensures the battery has just enough charge to bridge the gap until the sun powers up our panels again
This predictive approach means we're rarely caught short, while avoiding unnecessary grid imports that would increase our bills.
