Tesla Powerwall 2 off grid help

[fixit1]

Hi, I need advice for my off grid home. My brother in law scored me a Tesla Powerwall 2 that he had left over from a project for a great price. I dont plan to hook it up until EVERYTHING else in my system is correct. Unfortunately I dont have the money for the rest of the Tesla set up, and to be honest I'm not even sure what that is! Tesla it tight lipped with their instructions and support, wanting a certified installer to do all of the work! And it seams like they are more geared to a grid tie.

My current system is a hodgepodge of solar panels and wind generators that go directly to six 12v AGM 100ah batteries for a bank. My charge controller dumps battery voltage at 14.7v down to 12.6v. The dump load is a 100 amp 12v water heater element so the cycle is quick. I have an old trace 220v inverter that works amazing but it outputs square wave and my dryer and pellet stove will not work with it. So I also have two 110v pure sine wave inverters that I switch over to when i dont need a ton of power. I power my shop with the 220v trace inverter.

I do not want to damage the Tesla, so its basically sitting in the inverter room until i get a plan. I know absolutely NOTHING about the powerwall other than its new and everyone tells me its what I need to power my home. Ok, so now what? What do I need for a charge controller and inverter? My neighbor told me that the powerwall has a charge controller and inverter inside of it. I'm lost.

I have $500 that I could put towards getting the Tesla Powerwall hooked up if that would do it?

Any and all help is greatly appreciated!
John

 

[Steve_S]

That will now be considered "Grey Market" by Tesla and as such you are not likely to get any help from them and if not installed by one of "their" installers... oivey.

 

[wattmatters]

The Tesla Powerwall 2 is designed for grid tied systems and they also require internet connection for warranty. They can be made to work off grid but it requires set up by Tesla specialists. They are an AC coupled system with their own inbuilt inverter, charging and battery management systems. They can form a microgrid to control other AC coupled solar PV inverters but only up to a point.

Honestly - it is just not a suitable choice for an off-grid home and definitely not for DIY unless you are an electrical engineer who knows their way around these systems.

About the best analogy for Tesla Powerwall I can think of is an Apple phone. It's a closed shop, don't expect to be hacking your way into making it work for you.

You will be much better off selling it and getting a battery system far better suited for your home.