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Tesla's 'Charge on Solar' lets Powerwall owners send excess energy to their EV
Tesla has launched a feature called "Charge on Solar" that allows owners to fill up their electric vehicles' batteries using only excess solar energy -- if they have a Powerwall.
Schneider Electric’s Home Energy System ties a battery to your smart home
Schneider wants to offer every part of your off-grid home in a single package.
Tesla Powerwall owners can sign up to help balance California's energy grid
Tesla has launched its virtual power plant in California, giving Powerwall owners a chance to kick power back to the grid in times of high usage.
Tesla has installed over 200,000 Powerwall home batteries
Despite issues with its Solar Roof, Tesla's Powerwall has apparently been a hot-selling item over the last year.
Tesla's solar panels and Powerwall batteries are becoming a package deal
Elon Musk said that starting next week, if you want a Tesla solar setup, you'll have to order a Powerwall battery too.
Tesla Powerwall knows when to stop charging your EV during power outages
An update to Tesla's Powerwall will slow or even stop charging your EV to keep your house running during a power outage.
Musk: Powerpacks are coming to northern California Superchargers
As Pacific Gas and Electric blacks out power across wide swaths of northern California, Tesla CEO Elon Musk mentioned plans in place that could help Tesla owners during power outages. During past emergencies like hurricanes Irma and Florence, Tesla has used its OTA capabilities to give owners a boost, and its Powerwall can store additional power when it detects storms coming. People needing to charge their EVs might not be the same ones in most dire need of assistance while power is out, but it's a consideration under these circumstances, and an emergency he may be able to comment on without causing a lawsuit later. According to Musk, "All Tesla Supercharger stations in regions affected by California power outages will have Tesla Powerpacks within next few weeks." He also said the company is adding Tesla Solar to its stations "as fast as possible," so that drivers can get "24/7 clean power with no blackouts." While the power is out, drivers with combustion engines have trouble filling up too, but with Powerpacks, there's a backup plan. In 2017, the exec said the plan is to eventually disconnect Superchargers from the power grid entirely, and in July Tesla opened its first V3 location in Las Vegas with solar and battery power.
Tesla warns California customers to charge their EVs ahead of outages
With dry weather and windy conditions on the horizon, California's Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) utility is planning a mass power outage to prevent electricity lines from sparking wildfires. That could be bad news for electric vehicle owners, so Tesla is taking a proactive approach. The company issued an in-car alert warning owners to charge their vehicles fully ahead of the outage. Tesla is also activating the 'Storm Watch' feature on its PowerWall to store excess electricity before the lights go out.
Recommended Reading: Algorithms and school surveillance
Aggression Detectors: The unproven, invasive surveillance technology schools are using to monitor students Jack Gillum and Jeff Kao, ProPublica Following the rise in mass shootings, schools, hospitals and other public places are installing tech to monitor people. Part of this effort includes using algorithm-equipped microphones to capture audio, with the goal of detecting stress or anger before bad things happen. The problem? They aren't reliable and their mere existence is a massive invasion of privacy.
Tesla says it’s being underpaid because its batteries are too fast
It looks like Tesla's batteries are too fast for their own good. As the Sydney Morning Herald reports, the company claims it's not being properly paid for the electricity its South Australia battery farm is generating for the country's power grid. And Tesla says its because its batteries supply electricity faster than the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) can register. The current standards are based on response rates for fossil fuel generators, but Tesla's batteries can respond much more quickly than they do. "Tesla estimates that the Hornsdale Power Reserve battery has delivered 30 to 40 percent of its services to frequency markets without being paid due to existing AEMO technical specifications being written based on fossil fuel generation assets," Tesla said.
Tesla Powerwall systems help some Hawaii schools beat the heat
Tesla shipped Powerwall batteries to Puerto Rico last fall -- and to Australia last December -- and now it's helping Hawaii. Again. Specifically, it supplied equipment to the island state to help schools combat Hawaii's tropical temperature and relative humidity. Roadshow reports that Tesla shipped some 300 batteries and solar panels to the island as a way of keeping schools cool using renewable energy. This was after state government challenged the local department of education to cool an additional 1,000 classrooms without bumping electricity usage.
Tesla's latest smart power grid experiment begins in Canada
Tesla's experiments with smart power grids are headed further North. Canada's Nova Scotia Power recently finished setting up a pilot project that will use a combination of Tesla's Powerwall 2 home batteries and utility-grade Powerpack batteries to create a more reliable wind power system. The Elmsdale-based Intelligent Feeder Project fills gaps in the electrical grid by topping up the Powerpacks whenever a nearby wind turbine system generates excess power, and delivering that stored energy to local homes (including those with Powerwall 2 batteries) when there's an outage or the turbine system falls short.
Tesla targets 2,500 Model 3s a week while posting largest quarterly loss
After its CEO launched one of its Roadsters into space yesterday, Tesla posted its largest quarterly loss while simultaneously posting a jump in revenue. Meanwhile, the company is still working towards its earlier goal of producing 5,000 Model 3s a week.
Tesla will create 'virtual power plant' with 50,000 Australian homes
Tesla isn't done bolstering Australia's power grid just because its giant battery farm is up and running. South Australia premier Jay Weatherill has unveiled a partnership that will provide 5kW solar panels and Tesla Powerwall 2 batteries to "at least" 50,000 homes in a bid to create the largest-ever "virtual power plant," where homes contribute their surplus energy to the grid. The move will theoretically stabilize the Australian state's electricity infrastructure, reducing the blackouts and surging prices that have plagued the region in recent times.
Tesla will sell solar panels and Powerwalls at Home Depot
Just how much is the average consumer interested in solar power? Tesla is about to find out, as it is bringing photovoltaic panels and Powerwall batteries to US retail giant Home Depot, Bloomberg reports. Elon Musk's company will install Tesla-branded selling spaces at 800 locations, with its own employees on hand to explain the benefits. Later on, sources say it may also bring the much-anticipated solar roof, which generates electricity but looks and costs like a regular (high-end) roof.
Tesla's 'Tiny House' roadshow demystifies its energy tech
Renewable energy is good for the planet, but it can be great for consumers -- depending on your location, you can actually make a profit using solar panels and backup battery storage. Those benefits can be hard for consumers to grok, however, so Tesla has launched the "Tiny House" tour in Australia with all of its latest technology in tow (literally).
IKEA’s selling home storage batteries for its solar panels
A rooftop of solar panels generating clean energy is great and all, but having somewhere to squirrel away that free juice is even better. After stepping into the shade for a good few months, IKEA began selling solar panels again last year with new teammate Solarcentury (a company that specialises in solar stuff). Today, the meatball-mad retailer is adding another piece of the off-grid puzzle to its shelves: A home storage battery.
US utility offers clients cheap Tesla batteries for grid backup
For the first time, a power utility has teamed up with Tesla to use its battery packs for extra grid power during peak usage times. Vermont's Green Mountain Power (GMP) is not only installing Tesla's industrial Powerpacks on utility land, it's also subsidizing home Powerwall 2s for up to 2,000 customers. Rather than firing up polluting diesel generators, the utility can use them to provide electricity around the state. At night, when power usage is low, they're charged back up again.
Tesla's app now reflects the company's move beyond cars
By merging Tesla and Solarcity, Elon Musk has sought about creating an "end-to-end clean energy" solution that starts in the home and extends onto the road. The idea is simple: harness solar energy via photovoltaic cell-embedded rooftop panels, store it in giant batteries and then pipe it into the home or an electric vehicle. As it stands, Musk's goal is on its way to being realized, but Tesla first needs to combine those individual components into one, and it's starting with software.
Tesla's Gigafactory ramps up to full battery production
Following earlier production tests, Tesla's Gigafactory is now pumping out Powerwall 2 and Powerpack 2 energy storage products at full speed, with Model 3 cell production set to follow next quarter. By 2018, it'll produce 35 GWh of lithium-ion cells per year, "nearly as much as the rest of the entire world's battery production combined," the company wrote.