Elon Musk sends Powerwalls to Puerto Rico

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Having to synchronize the solar panels to the grid in order to allow them to generate is pointless, since it would negate the advantage of going off-the-grid in such an emergency

[freebeard]

This would be managed by the micro-grids I pointed to at Permalink #10. The Powerwall batteries would be a central component of this.

Are you thinking of Florida where they made it illegal to use your solar panels in a disaster?

[oil pan 4]

I don't see what the powerwall does that existing batteries and inverters don't do besides cost more and possibly be unrepairable when something breaks.

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Originally Posted by freebeard

Are you thinking of Florida where they made it illegal to use your solar panels in a disaster?

I didn't know about that, but it sounds dumb at so many levels

[oil pan 4]

Originally Posted by cRiPpLe_rOoStEr

it sounds dumb at so many levels

That the government in a nut shell.

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Over-regulation becomes a PITA most of the times, and it always seems to lack any sort of common sense. But anyway, it doesn't seem so easy to enforce the non-use of solar panels during emergencies.

[freebeard]

Someone else may find the needed citation, but it has to do with grid-tied solar zapping workers or something. It's like Bitcoin, all they can do is be obstructionist at the interface.

EVTV have declared they're out of the vehicle conversion business, and into recycling Telsa pieces and parts for retromodding classic cars or solar installations. An unmodified Tesla battery pack stood on edge stands against the wall with their custom connector. He chose to use two manual circuit breakers to go from grid-tie to standalone operation.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7zO11Q237nA

[oil pan 4]

Again nothing that can't be done with equipment that has been around longer than the tesla company.

[freebeard]

Leyden jars have been around a while but they don't have the energy density.

What has changed is having Lithium-Ion batteries for the same price as lead-acid, in growing quantities (as long as people keep crashing Teslas) with superior packaging technology. 'Literally' bulletproof.

If you don't want to use the whole pack, it can be disassembled into 48v modules that have some rudimentary management still built into them.

[jamesqf]

Originally Posted by freebeard

...it has to do with grid-tied solar zapping workers or something. It's like Bitcoin, all they can do is be obstructionist at the interface.

No, it's about (a lot of) those grid-tied solar not being designed to work when they're not connected to the grid. It's no different than hooking up a gas generator to your house without some sort of switch to isolate your system from the outside wiring. So when the linemen shut off the power to your neighborhood at the local transformer so they can repair the lines, they're still live because of your generator.

Now all this could easily be avoided by proper system design, with perhaps a battery backup and automatic switching at each house - and isn't that exactly what the PowerWall is supposed to do?