Is A Tesla Powerwall 2 Worth It? Or Is It Just Hyped Up...
I can tell you right now that Telsa’s solar batteries have become extremely popular in Australia. Around 30% of the worlds solar battery demand is in Australia, so there are is a lot of interest in which are the best ones.
Not only that, but everyone wants to know if Telsa’s solar battery is worth it… They seem to do a really good job at marketing their products. Does this mean it could just be an over-hyped product?
Well, before you consider buying a powerwall give this article a read… Let’s find out whether a Tesla powerwall 2 is worth it, or not.
If you are interested in a solar battery but unsure of what you need to be looking for then feel free to read my guide on how to buy the best solar battery for your home.
You can also read my full Tesla powerwall 2 review here, where I go into much more detail and compare the powerwall.
If you’re ready to start getting proposal or prices for a Tesla powerwall 2, speak to one of my specialists here.
Table Of Contents
Checking If a Tesla Powerwall 2 Is 'Worth It' For You
One of the most challenging part of installing a powerwall is finding the right location in your home.
Due to there being so many safety restrictions, you may be limited at where you can install your battery. If this is the case, you may need to have a look into an alternative solution. Potentially a bigger solar system?
Either way, here is all the information you need to know to check if you can install a powerwall at your property.
You can do this yourself by having a look around your home for a suitable location for the powerwall.
Fortunately due to Tesla’s new design it can actually be wall-mounted or floor mounted. This gives you more opportunity to find the perfect home for your Tesla Powerwall 2.
Here are the main things to consider:
- Tesla’s Powerwall 2 cannot be installed inside or outside of a habitable room unless you want to install a fireproof sheet on the wall at extra cost.
- You should consider the cable run from your telsa powerwall 2 to your solar panels, inverter, and switchboard.
- Although the Tesla Powerwall 2 is rain and weatherproof, is your location sheltered to help conserve the life and performance of the powerwall
- Telsa’s powerwall cannot be installed in direct sunlight
How Does Tesla Compare To Other Batteries?
To be honest, I think Tesla’s powerwall 2 is one of the best batteries on the market. When you compare it against those of LG chem it really comes out on top. I’d strongly suggest a powerwall over LG chem, and I’ve done a full discussion on it here.
One battery that does give it a good run for its money is the German-Australian made Sonnen battery. This has an awesome warranty and uses LFP chemistry which is safer and more eco-friendly as well. However, it’s very hard to argue as both batteries could come out as the winner depending on your requirements or situation.
I did actually read somewhere that Tesla is going to move away from Cobalt and move towards LFP for all of their electric vehicles. Although this is a sign in the right direction, there has been no information released about the Powerwall and if this will move towards LFP chemistry or not.
Overall, I’d say that Tesla is one of the industry leaders for solar batteries. It completely dominates Alpha batteries (which are Australian) with its specs, performance and warranties. The same applies with LG chem, the powerwall will always dominate this battery.
Is It Worth Your Investment?
Do you generate enough energy to make a Tesla powerwall a worth while investment?
It may be that you use more power at night in which case a solar battery would be a wise investment. However, you may find that all of your power is being generated and use during the day. If you need help understanding this more, you can read my guide on how to buy the best solar battery which goes into more detail.
If there is no excess being sold to the grid then it may suggest that the Tesla powerwall wouldn’t be the right fit for you. This is because you may not have enough energy to charge your battery and not end up using its full potential.
Additionally, you need to consider that a powerwall has a 90% round trip efficiency. This means that 10% of power is actually lost through the process of storing it in the battery, then using it again at a later date. We go into much more detail about this in our full Tesla powerwall review here.
Essentially this means you will have to actually produce more power than 13.5Kw to fully charge your powerwall, so you need to make sure you can do this.
We think that this is the quickest way to find out if the Tesla powerwall is worth it for your personal requirements.
If you are unsure, feel free to get in touch with me through our Tesla powerwall page so I can help you work it all out and understand things better.
Here are the main things to consider:
- Check your solar panel energy usage to see what time of days you are consuming the most power
- Work out how much power you are selling to the grid, if its not much then consider rethinking the powerwall.
9 Proven Reasons Why Telsa's Powerwall 2 IS Worth It!
1. You can store your solar energy
Powerwall offers you a chance to store the power that you generate from your solar panels.
This essentially means more savings from solar power and lower electricity bills. You will be using less power from the grid and more renewable energy that you have generated from your solar panels.
We believe that solar batteries do make sense. If you have a solar panel system that is generating power, there should be a place to put this power.
You can then decide where it should go to be used. The Telsa powerwall 2 lets you control the energy generated by your solar panels.
To answer the question ‘is the telsa powerwall 2 worth it’ we say yes.
2. Tesla offers long-lasting warranties
Tesla is offering some pretty long warranties for their powerwall. Both homeowners and Tesla accredited installers can take advantage of these warranties.
This makes your investment in powerwall much more secure and it’s a great reason why Tesla’s powerwall is worthwhile.
Long warranties are really great to see because of many reasons. They can provide customers with a risk-free investment for a period of time.
These warranties also show the confidence that Tesla has in its products, knowing that they will perform for a minimum period of time.
We can all shop in confidence knowing that Tesla’s Powerwall 2 isn’t going to break in just a few years of the investment. Long-lasting warranties definitely make Tesla’s Powerwall ‘worth it’.
Here are the current powerwall warranties;
- Your tesla powerwall will be free from defects for 10 years following its initial installation date
- The Tesla Powerwall will have an energy retention rate of 70% at 10 years following the initial installation
3. It can let you become virtually independent from the grid
Is Tesla’s powerwall worth it… For those people who are looking to become completely independent from the grid then Tesla’s powerwall will be worth your investment.
Solar batteries will allow homeowners to become truly independent from the grid. This will mean you can stop paying high prices for electricity.
Becoming independent from the grid can help increase your property value by a massive sum as well. It’s a great feeling knowing that the energy you are using and storing is generated completely by yourself.
Also, that energy is renewable, eco-friendly power made from the sun without any negative side effects.
By being able to say you have accomplished independence from the grid is a good enough reason itself, of why powerwall’s worth it.
4. There is back up power in case of a blackout
Having back up power is another really good reason why Tesla’s powerwall 2 is a great investment.
For any homeowners in more rural areas that may have frequent power outs, powerwall’s features can stop this.
If there is a blackout, you will still have power keeping your food cold and your TV on. You can even invite your neighbors over to share some of your awesome, self-generated power!
By saying goodbye to the grid and becoming independent you can be assured that you are covered during a blackout, or any crisis that happens in the world.
This can give you a great sense of security, and pride knowing that you are covered. For some people, this is the sole reason why the powerwall is worth buying.
5. Become more environmentally friendly
Taking the move to solar and Tesla’s powerwall is extremely environmentally friendly. By producing your own power and then storing it means you are no longer contributing to CO2 and greenhouse gasses.
We are at the forefront of the climate crisis with the situation getting worse every single year.
Your solar panels generate clean, renewable energy which is much better and more eco-friendly than buying energy from the grid.
With your powerwall you can also store your power, completely stopping you from using any harmful energy!
Being one of the front line fighters in the act for climate change certainly shows that installing Tesla’s powerwall is worth doing.
6. Becoming virtual power plant ready
Virtual power plants may just be the future of energy in the next few decades. They offer huge benefits with little disadvantages for homeowners, the government and the environment.
This means they are gaining popularity. It gives your community a chance to have cheap energy all year round with no unexpected price increases.
For an environmental view, this is where the world needs to go. By powering local communities using a collective of solar panels and solar batteries, you can remove fossil fuels and co2 emissions for good.
Tesla’s powerwall can make you readily available to join a VPP scheme and see reduce energy bills. Your neighbours will be thanking you.
7. Return on investment
Like solar panels, a telsa powerwall 2 is an investment that will pay itself off over time. For those of you who are considering waiting for battery prices to come down, this may be even more expensive that actually buying a battery.
This is because of the money that you will save when having a battery is much more than you will save by waiting for a price to come down.
Believe me, its best to make the investment and get it paid off. Once the investment is paid off you are then starting to make profit from your investment. These returns will increase over the years.
This investment can be made by anyone, and is one of the biggest benefits of renewable energy products.
(Victorians & SA can also take advantage of the solar battery rebates available for even quicker return on investments).
8. Tesla is a very reputable company
Over the past few years Tesla has embedded itself as a very secure and stable company. With Tesla stocks flying through the roof as well as their products out of the window.
One thing to remember, is that all of Tesla’s warranties are backed by their automobile industry as well.
So this means you are making a much less risky investment compared to some other solar batteries. Of course, you always want to be sure that a company will still be around in 10 years so if you have any issues with your warranty, it’s still valid.
9. Tesla are constantly updating and upgrading the Powerwall 2
We’ve seen a lot of changes come in place with the Powerwall since it’s release in the Aussie market in 2016. Most importantly though, we’ve seen some cool upgrades and updates provided by Tesla to ensure that their battery is leading in the market.
One big update recently was released back in April 21, with Tesla saying that they can increase the power output for older powerwalls using a software update. It also looks like the Powerwall+ has been increased from 7kW peak to 9.6kW peak power output.
Are Solar Batteries Worth It In 2021?
It’s probably the biggest question that we get asked. You will be able to find a lot of information on this, and I think both sides of the arguments are valid.
Some experts will tell you that solar batteries are not worth it yet because of the price. Whereas others might tell you otherwise. I’m going to leave it up to you to decide which side you are going to choose.
However, I do want to bring my opinion and knowledge from experience into the argument for those who want to hear it. This is why I do believe that solar batteries are worth it in 2021.
Here’s why;
Solar batteries can effectively remove your energy bill altogether. Given that we boast some of the highest energy bills in the world the savings are huge. For a medium-large family home you can literally save 1000’s every year with a Tesla powerwall 2 (I’ve seen it done!).
Now, if you get a solar battery you start to save money from the first month of the installation, and from then on you are saving without doubt.
If you decide to wait for the cost of a solar battery to come down then technically you will be wasting hundreds of dollars each month playing the ‘waiting game’. It’s not like that money is going into an investment like a solar battery, instead it’s going to greedy energy providers… No-one wants that.
Solar batteries may take years before they come down in price, I mean the powerwall has been so popular in Australia that Tesla have increased the price 3-4 times. They wouldn’t be able to increase the price if people didn’t think it was such a good investment.
If your energy bill is $1000+ per year and you wait 5-10 years for solar batteries to come down in price then you are wasting the money it costs to buy a battery anyway. So wouldn’t it make more sense to buy a battery with that wasted money?
Seriously… get in touch with me or my team and we can show you how much you could be potentially saving! (It may shock you!)
Bonus 'Worth While' Features Of A Tesla Powerwall 2
1. Mobile monitoring
The mobile monitoring feature is awesome! It gives you a really great insight into where your power.
You will be able to see how much energy you are producing from your solar panels, and how much energy is being stored.
Also, any power being sold to the grid is also available to view as well. This is a great feature and really helps homeowners oversee and control the power they produce.
2. Customise battery usage
This is a really great feature because it gives you complete control over your power.
Either choose your peak hours or Tesla’s powerwall will learn to use the battery more in peak hours.
By doing this you will be using less energy from the grid and saving more money. We love this feature!
3. Can charge a tesla car from your powerwall
Really cool feature for those who are ahead of the climate crisis and have an electric car.
Tesla’s powerwall will let you charge your car and take full advantage of renewable, clean energy!
Coming into 2021, we’re moving very quickly into the renewable age with countries all around the world setting deadlines to tackle the climate crisis. Not only this, but the sheer benefits of owning electrical vehicles and the return on investments that they offer meaning they are increasing dramatically in demand.
One area to future proof your home would be to install a home ev charger such as a tesla or zappi charger (You can read my blog on the best solar ev chargers here). This then means you can begin to charge your electric car overnight when you are not using much energy and have a fully charged battery.
This will end up increasing your return on investment from your Tesla powerwall 2 and your solar system. Essentially, you are maximising all of the energy you are generating, and of course this energy is free.
Therefore, when you charge up your electric car you will be doing so with free energy your system has generated and stored in your powerwall 2. For many EV car owners, this makes getting a tesla powerwall 2 worth it. I mean, who doesn’t like getting a huge return on investment, right?
Conclusion
In my honest opinion, Yes the powerwall is worth it for homeowners who are looking to save even more money on their energy bills.
However, you will need to make sure you generate enough energy. With that being said, a Tesla powerwall is one of the best solar batteries you can find on the market today.
It’s also one of the safest investment you can make in the world, its almost guarantee to give you a great return back.
If you are looking for any help deciding on a solar battery, or information on the Tesla powerwall 2 then please feel free to get in touch with me. I’ve helped 100’s of homeowners take control of their bills and start storing their power.
Also, here are some of our latest Tesla powerwall 2 installations! Enjoy 🙂
Share With Your Friends!
Written By:
Managing Director
Lightning Solar & Eletrical
6 thoughts on “Is Tesla’s Powerwall 2 Worth It?”
great read. I have got my powerwall waiting installation. looking forwarding to it
Hi my name is Jake We leave In Bay Area, California USA. I have 6kw system by Sunpower and we have NEM 2 with PG&E. I got our system for 5 yrs. now, when installed our solar in 2017 they have been produced a lot, have been producing 23kwh to 26khw a day, Our monthly bill only $10 bucks plus gas is expensive $30 to 40 bucks. the next year I noticed they’re not producing much, so they replace whole entire inverter, Sunpower solar has their built in inverter in their solar, but still I’m able pay the true up to PG&E about $600 bucks and so until now. Household of 4, we uses washer and dryer 2 times week, we have 2 fridge, those are only 2 are eats alot of electricity and during winter uses the electric heater. Electricity here in the bay area is 38 cents per kwh and we are in tier 2 time of use. I don’t know whether or not that would be worth it for me to invest $26k for 2 Tesla powerwall2 back up battery for now and warranty only ten yrs. I was wondering what was going to happen to the battery if are not generating anymore, recycle them.
There is no need to write bucks if you already have the dollar sign in front of a number
I live here in Anderson Indiana, and as of late we have seen some long brown outs. I have lived here for some 28 years and the last brown outs lasted for some 8-9 hours and having a basement and sump pump I have a real chance of disastrous results in the basement not to mention running 2 fridge full of food and one large freezer. The future is not looking hopeful with regards to brown outs getting more frequent and longer each time. I am interested in Powerwall 2 if it makes sense for me here. Please do send me details and do want to install a backup system that will give me respite from these frequently occurring brown outs. Look forward to your input.
We bought a solar power system through Sun Run. The system has not been installed yet due to Tesla being backed up in production. We qualified for free batteries. Long story short we have decided to move out of state from California. Since we own the system outright can we take the whole system with us. Please email me and let me know. I want to know if we can legally take the free batteries with the system. We don’t want them to install the system, we just want to take it with us.
As per this article I just read
https://teslasolarpanelsguide.com/tesla-solar-panels-guide/f/is-the-tesla-powerwall-worth-the-investment
In the United states if you install Solar Panels without a Powerwall, you cannot use the power generated by your panels when the grid is out. So in addition to the ability to use your own stored power regularly overnight, a Powerwall also provides the ability to use your solar power 24×7 during a grid outage. In my view that is worth a lot, as the combination of Solar + Powerwall now protects you against short and extended grid failures.