Powerwall System Design

A Powerwall installation includes at least one Powerwall battery, a Backup Gateway and standard electrical hardware such as circuit breaker panels, conduit, junction boxes or electrical disconnects as required by your particular installation and local electrical codes.

Typical System Design

The Powerwall system configuration installed at your home may vary, depending on:

  • The size of your solar system
  • The model of your Powerwall
  • How many Powerwalls you have purchased with solar
  • The location of your Powerwall

Note: Installation should only be performed by a Tesla Certified Installer.

System Components

There are many variables such as climate, home orientation and energy use goals, that make each home unique. For a final detailed recommendation on system design, talk to your Tesla Certified Installer. Typically, your Powerwall system consists of:

Powerwall 3 or Powerwall 2

Powerwall 3 features an integrated solar inverter allowing solar to be connected directly for high efficiency. With a higher power output, it can provide whole home backup to most homes and support larger solar systems. Like Powerwall 2, Powerwall 3 is also capable of being added to existing solar systems and is compatible with all major inverter brands.

Backup Gateway

Backup Gateway controls system operation, detects grid outages, enables backup power from the battery and functions as a site meter. Backup Gateway is installed with Powerwall 3 and Powerwall 2 to measure energy coming from your solar system and Powerwall. Backup Gateway also acts as a gateway between Powerwall and the grid to disconnect Powerwall from the grid during a power outage.

Additional Electrical Hardware

Additional electrical hardware includes electrical panels, conduit, disconnects, meters and more. These are installed based on site needs and code requirements.

Mounting

Side-by-Side Mounting

When mounted side-by-side on a wall, Powerwall must have enough clearance on each side for electrical connections and proper ventilation.

Front-to-Back Mounting

When stacked front-to-back, Powerwall must be floor-mounted and the stack must be anchored to an adjacent wall. Stacking configurations are hardware and site specific. Your Tesla Certified Installer can guide what is right for your home.