Tesla Battery Storage Evolution: Powerwall 3 Replaces Powerwall 2
Tesla’s Powerwall 2 dominated the energy storage space for a long time. Tesla even added an inverter to the Powerwall 2 and called it the Powerwall +. Now that the Powerwall 3 is here and the Powerwall 2 is no longer available, let’s explore the differences between these two models to see the evolution.
Tesla Powerwall 2
October 2016, Tesla’s Powerwall 2 was introduced to the market and in April 2021, the Powerwall + was announced. Tesla’s Powerwall 2 was a rechargeable lithium-ion battery that stored electricity for backup power, time of use load shifting and solar self-consumption. The battery had a capacity of 13.5 kWh, enough to run major appliances for 24 hours. The Powerwall + was an enhanced version of the Powerwall 2 that has a built-in solar inverter, allowing it to directly accept DC electricity from solar panels.
- Energy Capacity 13.5 kilowatt hours
- Scalability Up to 10 units
- Stacking Up to 3 units
- Continuous Output 5 kW
- Load Start Capacity 106 LRA
- Warranty: 10 years
In February 2024 came the Powerwall 3, a hybrid battery that uses lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) batteries, which are considered safer and longer lasting than other chemistries. It has a storage capacity of 13.5 kWh but can provide more than 50% more power than the Powerwall 2, at 11.5 kW of continuous power during daylight hours. The Powerwall 3 also has a fully integrated solar and battery inverter, and a more rectangular packaging that requires less wall space.
- Energy Capacity 13.5 kilowatt hours
- Scalability Up to 4 units
- Stacking Currently 1
- Continuous Output 11.5 kW
- Load Start Capacity 185 LRA
- Warranty: 10 years
- Built in Inverter: Yes
The Powerwall 3 is designed to meet both current and future energy demands efficiently. It is approved to utilize the Tesla Backup Switch in PG&E territory. The Backup Switch allows for any easy whole home backup with less labor than the Powerwall 2.
Tesla Battery Storage Evolution: Powerwall 3 Replaces Powerwall 2
As shown in the chart above, the Powerwall 3 is a more powerful battery. While it weighs more, it is smaller in size than the Powerwall 2. What some people find a determining factor is that for many homes, one Powerwall 3 may be all you will need.
The Tesla App for Energy Storage is convenient and has many features for monitoring and managing the Tesla Powerwall 3. These include energy data, such as insights of home’s energy usage, solar production, and Powerwall charging behavior. Powerwall 3 modes can be set to reserve a percentage to ensure there is enough energy during a grid outage. Other options include self-powered mode and time-based control mode. There is also a Storm Watch feature where the Tesla app automatically charges a Powerwall 3 (or Powerwall 2) to its maximum capacity when a storm is predicted to occur in the area.