The one thing you didn’t mention-in none of your videos is the app monitoring of your solar and battery levels. Also when an upcoming storm is coming the powerwall preps the battery for that possible weather problem. That’s the ultimate X Factor worth 2 points on its own.
You do such a fantastic job at the presentation aspect that your product knowledge is unmatched! Your professional demeanor lends so much integrity to your overall production value! Outstanding effort!!
@@bobhughes2558 What are the mistakes? How is he "bashing" Tesla by saying they are the best choice for the average homeowner? The Generac system is the size most homeowners need and can be expanded by the homeowner.
Good information but you stopped short: what are the detailed costs of the products and the final cost with installation? Can they feed power back to the grid? How would that work? What safety features are integrated into these systems ?
Yep I want more companies to offer the solar roofing shingles and/or solar roofing materials like shingles and terracotta style tiles. That way the price goes down.
I think you could award an additional point to the PowerCell for efficiency. As you mentioned the Power Wall is a A/C coupled battery. The PowerCell is not. What that means; the inverter does not have to convert DC to AC to charge the battery. That means faster charging times using less power. That can be crucial in a cloudy environment or during a hurricane or storm front. The DC to AC conversion only happens when you draw from the battery.
What about if you have microinverters, whereby the power coming off the roof is already AC? How would that affect these two systems? How could this affect the decision making process? Thx
One other major advantage to Generac its also rated for outdoor. The one negative is the inverter requires a hard wired ethernet connection. Could be tricky if you put it outside and have to run cable a long distance
This winter in Texas I was 42 hours w/o power and virtually no sun for solar. 3.5kW of portable heaters was barely enough to keep my house from freezing and maxed out my generator. In many climates keeping at least part of a home at a safe temperature is critical. It is important to consider that in your power budget. Power seldom fails on a nice Spring day.
That also has to do with the thermal efficiency of your home. I am in central TX and we didn't have to run any extra heaters. While we didn't have an abundance of solar during that time, we had enough to keep most of our necessary units running. We couldn't keep our heat pump running, but again due to the newness of our home it stayed within living parameters. Our biggest issue during the storm was the water problems. Even then we were ok thanks to our casual prepping nature.
@@DarthPoyner In my older home we have improved our windows and insulation but there are limits to what is practical. What I most lacked was battery storage. One day's mild weather capacity is simply not enough to ensure security. Multi-day outages have happened before and will likely happen again. We had an ERCOT warning just last week. Large storage will even allow more effective use of generators in times of crisis and better make use of the grid when it is available. FWIW, we were the only house on out block that remained occupied throughout the event. It reached 0F at our house and we were w/o power for 42 hours. No pipes froze and we remained reasonably comfortable in adventure mode. Houses in the D/FW area simply were not built for that weather and people here don't prepare, but we do.
Much of how to deal with winter cold depends on whether or not local LPG- or central NG is available. In our rural area almost everyone has a 250gallon tank of propane on their property. Lower elevations closer to towns have Natural Gas as an option. During wintertime in the mountain area we live, losing grid power is a given.
@@kamakaziozzie3038 Yes, we have a family place in the mountains. A Sears kit house from early last century built over a stone basement, expanded and updated over generations, it can remain comfortable without power. The majority of American homes are nowhere near as self-reliant.
Thanks for mentioning this. I've been having a hard time getting a straight answer on this capability. It appears that Generac now supports this feature, but you would have to add on an extra component, the PWRcell Automatic Transfer Switch.
@@ABC-wz2db Yep. I just heard about this. It's so important to have that generator re-charge capability when running off-the-grid. I've had a few clients where they are 100% off-grid full time and they use the generator 500+ hours per year, especially during the winter season.
Generac also has their PWRGenerator that can work along side the solar & battery using LP or Natural Gas to supplement in cases where the batteries and solar don't produce enough (so, even more security during a power outage).
Interesting. In operation, it would essentially operate just like batteries during a backup- the Inverter would decouple from the AC Power and rely on the generator & solar (just like a battery backup system would during an outage). I wonder what the issue would be for them? I mean, they allow regular backup generators right?
Thanks for the informative video! It seems like the Generac system has easily replaceable batteries which is a big positive point for me. Batteries begin to degrade from the day they are produced so it is not a matter of if you will have to replace the batteries, it is just a matter of when. Can you replace the batteries in a Powerwall, and how does that compare with battery replacement on a Generac cabinet? This difference in serviceability may offset the cost issue because if you have to replace the entire Powerwall when the batteries fail, in the long run the Generac system may be a better value because it can be easily brought back to 100% for much less cost than a new unit. I feel that repair is often overlooked as an eco friendly option, if you can keep equipment working longer it reduces overall consumption.
Your'e giving the generic Powerwall an extra plus for the ability to put more baterie's into it. But if you put more batteries in the system you also can add an other Powerwall to the Tesla system. Up to 7.
Yes, good points here. However, I don't think the average system owner could add on a Powerwall on their own. You need 3 guys just to set the unit in place and it's a more complex wiring.
@@SolarSurge Where as it is true that the average owner cannot on their own add a powerwall and that adds to cost for later installation however, you should probably have been a bit more elaborate on the cost side. The cost of the product /KWH is not slightly less for the powerwall. Its almost half the cost for the product alone. In my point of view that shows a huge bias towards generac. The base generac model giving only 9KWH is 2500$ more expensive for the unit alone which is around 33% more.
Plus there is likely to be a lot of finger pointing between Panasonic and Generac in case of faults. Not even to mention if you dyi extra batteries into it
@@eavdmeer Generac covers the battery warranty regardless of the cell manufacture. The great part is the warranty is 10yrs or an energy through put rating which is very clear cut.
Great explanations as always, I do believe you should include the life expectancy given the usaable DOD, Operating temps etc, so that the audience also has such information and the fact of replacing batteries every 5-7 years does not come as surprise!
I hadn’t considered that. If my Powerwall needs replacement every 5-7years that would fall under the warranty so hopefully it happens in that timeframe:)
With the price of the Powercell, you can buy 2 Tesla Powerwalls... and have 28 kwh capacity and 10k continuous watt draw plus 60 amp capacity to start heavy loads..
Thanks for sharing! Your first line of service should be the local installation company, not Generac. The local installer should have parts in stock and be able to get you back up and running more quickly.
@@SolarSurge I am not as knowledgeable as you and thus not arguing with you. And I am not so much talking about PWRCell; it is the whole house backup generator that many ppl are having problem with. I am in this rabbit hole of backup power for the house in case of storm and I am looking at all options: powerwall, whole house backup generator, portable generator, etc... Though I have a set of solar panels on the roof and so powerwall system makes more sense. But since many out there pooping on Generac when it comes to customer service (with regard to their generators) it makes me not wanting to look at Generac at all.
@@anthonynguyen9779 I'm an electrician that installs off grid systems and lives off grid. When you see a Generac, scream like a little girl and run away. Avoid Generac like the plague. Trust me on this.
One thing to keep in mind is that if you have two Powerwalls, you double the amount of maximum output power that the system is capable of outputting. So with two powerwalls, you can get 10 kW continuous and 14 kW peak power out of the system.
@@Natedoc808 Except we never found out how a fully upgraded Generac system compares price-wise. He only said a non-upgraded one costs 20% more than Tesla
@@topeka088 so price the Tesla at add 1/5 the cost. Or call generac and find out the cost of additional battery unit. The cost of the generac system is available on their website including the additional battery units to fill out the cabinet
or at a lower load, a near doubling of battery life, and with increased load potential this should be enough to make a household have an energy surplus, making it truly off grid capable. And if the rules are right where you live, you can get electric company credits instead of bills.
@@Natedoc808 Not really. 2 Tesla powerwall's have 26 kWH capacity for the price of $18,500 (2 of them), compared to $18,000 for one 9 kWH capacity Generac power cell battery.
I have a general question. At night when the solar panels are no longer producing power, does the battery kick in or do you have to draw power from the grid. A/C is my biggest concern. I live in the desert. Thank you.
I currently power all of my critical systems in my rural home with a 7.5kw gas generator when the power's out. This includes well pump, boiler, water heaters, fridge, two 9 cu ft freezers, along with many non-critical items like internet, tv, and lights. The generac pwrcell 9kw should be more than enough for most homes. I'd say buying the 18kw of power would enable you to live completely off the grid when mixed with solar panels.
Thanks for another great video! I’m a Tesla car owner and love it. However, I’m now quite dissatisfied with Tesla’s new business plan where you can’t just add a Powerwall to your existing system, or in my case a new DIY system I’m designing for my new FL home. I was in a chat session with Tesla and was told I would have to have Tesla come out and install a minimum of 10 panels for them to put in a Powerwall for me. Deal breaker for sure! As I was without power for 22 days after hurricane Michael, I need a system that can handle a whole home backup (A/C unit and well pump included), which is driving me toward the Generac PowerCell for short 1 to 2 day outages and a generator to recharge the batteries in case of prolonged overcast weather or storm damage to the solar system. As I’m still in the design phase and this is a DIY project, I was leaning toward micro-inverters, but with the Generac system, it appears I’d need to go with DC optimizers, correct? I’ll contact Sola Surge to get some additional info and possibly quotes for portions of the project I might need installer help with. Thanks again, Tim
Hi Tim and thanks for writing in. We can certainly help with getting you Generac PWRCell for whole-house backup in FL. That's our most popular option for homeowners in your state.
What I would like to see when doing comparisons with price would be to choose a minimum specification and price the minimum system with those specs. For example if you decide you need 20kwh and 7kw to power your test home. You'd need 2 powerwall 2's or a generac system with maybe 2 cabinets if that's even possible? That way you can compare all your batteries the same.
You need to give cost numbers even if it was at time of recording. The generac would need to be presented with two cost numbers because of the initial base cost and the expansion cost.
What about the Tesla powerwall 2 plus they upgraded can you update the specs or do a update video on the different between the 2 hole home system please Thanks
Good review, I will be forwarding on. I just wanted to mention that the Tesla Powerwalls can stack up to 6 units. At least that is what it says in the quote I just did. Again. You helped bring to light good points for both. Helped me decide to go with Tesla. Although the case you made for the Generac was compelling.
Great point! I'll be doing a follow up video about Generac soon. They have a whole set of load management features that allows you to backup the entire house using a much smaller battery than Tesla.
Lots of people reporting the Islanding Overload fault with the PWRCELL. In places were voltage fluctuations is common, the PWRCELL enters into fault mode and shutdown instead of interpreting the fluctuations as a grid failure to activate battery backup.
Can I have one of these on my house without having a solar panel system? I’m just looking to have some stored power for storm caused power outages? I’m hoping to just charge it from the grid and use it if the grid goes out
Researching solar plus battery to do this year. Thanks for the info! Planning one solar on roof plus one battery just to run refrigerator and other critical components during outage.
You did a great job reviewing the 2 companies. I do the TSLA over all has more to offer with its app. I'm bias I own stock in TSLA and have a friend that spend a fortune on Generic
If someone has no solar panels and were to install a solar+battery system from scratch - how would the prices of the 2 products compare (including installation etc)? Are both the products compatible with all types of homes?
I currently have solar, I think the Tesla option will work for me. My power panel is on the outside of my home. Will the installation be connected to current solar system?
Thanks for the presentation. The Generac system is more flexible for users with future needs, such as adding a hybrid of EV. In northern CA, i have a quote for $11,000 to install a four module, 12kwh panel. Adding 3kwh modules in the future would cost approximately $2500 each. And users can add Generac panels - not sure how many. If I buy what I can use now (i.e. 3-4 3kwh modules), then I receive the federal tax credit for most of the battery cost and adding additional battery capacity (2-3 more modules) in the future is less impactful on the wallet vs having to purchase a whole new Tesla panel (which might not be available given the current 'no solo buy" policy). Remember that the batteries only dispense 90% of capacity.
Hi, I like the video, we have 20 k solar an 32 225 trojen black, we have no grid tie and no generator but are able to run our 5 fridges 4 air conditioners 24 hours a day regaurdless of weather, and in this country we don't buy new batteries, after 7 years we just use the acid for the pool and clean off the plates and put in new acid, we spent about $3000 on the batteries 2 years ago, How would you compare the amp hour capacity of this bank as lead acid and lithium use different terminology to describe capacity? Sorry if I'm asking alot, you seem extremely informed on off grid matters, thanks in advance
Your 32 Trojan bank has a capacity of 32kWh assuming 100% depth-of-discharge. Because they are lead-acid chemistry, you should only discharge 50% or 16kWh.
With the price of the Powercell, you can buy 2 Tesla Powerwalls... and have 28 kwh capacity and 10k continuous watt draw plus 60 amp capacity to start heavy loads..
@@eavdmeer That's correct. So, I guess Tesla is more easily expandable in terms of power, while Genera is more expandable in terms of storage capacity.
Yes, this is a possible substitution for a standby generator. The solar + battery system allows running indefinitely off-the-grid because the solar system can recharge the batteries as many time as you need with 0 fuel requirement.
Very well done presentation thank you. I live off grid in Alaska and have several months with very low light levels for solar panels. You wouldn't happen to have a series on setting up a complete off grid system with generator, AGS, efficient use of generator to recharge batteries with minimizing power loss, as well as any possible turn key systems out there would you?
Thanks for the note. I will do a future video on this subject. The Outback Radian is the system that would provide all of the capabilities you just mentioned and that's why I use Radian on my home here. ruclips.net/video/5CXxOHKR9jc/видео.html
Question I want to use this in my rv with solar and a generator. In place of the house battery in the rv using the 12v alt as the engine is running on a rv inverter to charge while driving!
You should do another comparison with PowerWall 2 updated firmware. I have 2 Powerwalls and I'm very happy. I also have 2 AC units and can run them at the same time.
It depends. You can configure the Generac system for uninterrupted power supply for partial home back up. If you use whole house back up then there is about a five second switch over delay to back up power.
The generac system can run the house of solar power (in case of grid loss) and will only tap into the battery if the PV power no longer is able to provide the energy draw from the loads. I would have given the pwrcell one more x-factor point for that. The inverter has 4 DC bus'es to hookup, so you can actually have 3 battery cabinets hooked up and the 4th for PV input (which would be underrated compared to storage size). I think a balanced system would have 2 battery cabinets & 2 PV strings with optimizers. Not the cheapest solution, but pretty flexible imo
The Radiant floor heating system generally does not consume much energy, assuming the water heating is done by a wood furnace. A single PWRCell should be able to run the water pumps no problem.
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Best video I have seen to explain all the pros and cons. Good to know info for rural and semi-rural homes.
Glad it was helpful!
The one thing you didn’t mention-in none of your videos is the app monitoring of your solar and battery levels. Also when an upcoming storm is coming the powerwall preps the battery for that possible weather problem. That’s the ultimate X Factor worth 2 points on its own.
Good points about the Tesla app. Tesla's app is superior to Generac, especially for Tesla vehicle owners.
Thanks for that 411!
@@SolarSurge Good job. Would like to have heard you talk about the two apps side by side
What about it being remotely hacked. Isn't that a concern? It happened to several utility companies recently so you know it could happen to this
Why would weather affect storage performance?
You do such a fantastic job at the presentation aspect that your product knowledge is unmatched! Your professional demeanor lends so much integrity to your overall production value! Outstanding effort!!
Wow, thank you! Glad you enjoyed the video.
Right ON...!;!
@@SolarSurge man are you being paid by somebody to bash the Tesla -- this is the 3rd video now and man you mislead the facts. WHY?
@@bobhughes2558 What are the mistakes? How is he "bashing" Tesla by saying they are the best choice for the average homeowner? The Generac system is the size most homeowners need and can be expanded by the homeowner.
Great food for thought! Looks like photo finish for Tesla, Generac (and Enphase). Looking forward to comparison of all 3. THX!
Thank you for the comparison. I went with the Generac Pwrcell system. Overall, been very pleased.
Good information but you stopped short: what are the detailed costs of the products and the final cost with installation? Can they feed power back to the grid? How would that work? What safety features are integrated into these systems ?
Everyone wins with competition.
Yep I want more companies to offer the solar roofing shingles and/or solar roofing materials like shingles and terracotta style tiles. That way the price goes down.
This review helped me decide on getting the Tesla power wall. Thanks!
Glad I could help!
Professional presentation, very informative. Looking forward to deeper-dive comparisons.
I'm just moved into a home with solar and doing some initial research on battery backup. Thanks for this informative video.
Glad it was helpful!
I think you could award an additional point to the PowerCell for efficiency. As you mentioned the Power Wall is a A/C coupled battery. The PowerCell is not. What that means; the inverter does not have to convert DC to AC to charge the battery. That means faster charging times using less power. That can be crucial in a cloudy environment or during a hurricane or storm front. The DC to AC conversion only happens when you draw from the battery.
What about if you have microinverters, whereby the power coming off the roof is already AC? How would that affect these two systems? How could this affect the decision making process? Thx
@@hansschweikert9153 With the Generac you use the Generac Inverter so you can't use plain micro-inverters. So that's a non-issue.
The best information I have found anywhere! Thank you for converting the energy language to real world use!
I think you need to explore the single vs. dual inverter aspect of the batteries as well.
Great comparison! I think I'd personally go for the Tesla Powerwalls but it's nice to know that there's an alternative.
Good choice! Powerwall is the better choice for most homeowners.
One other major advantage to Generac its also rated for outdoor. The one negative is the inverter requires a hard wired ethernet connection. Could be tricky if you put it outside and have to run cable a long distance
Thanks for a very interesting comparison
This winter in Texas I was 42 hours w/o power and virtually no sun for solar. 3.5kW of portable heaters was barely enough to keep my house from freezing and maxed out my generator. In many climates keeping at least part of a home at a safe temperature is critical. It is important to consider that in your power budget. Power seldom fails on a nice Spring day.
That also has to do with the thermal efficiency of your home. I am in central TX and we didn't have to run any extra heaters. While we didn't have an abundance of solar during that time, we had enough to keep most of our necessary units running. We couldn't keep our heat pump running, but again due to the newness of our home it stayed within living parameters.
Our biggest issue during the storm was the water problems. Even then we were ok thanks to our casual prepping nature.
@@DarthPoyner In my older home we have improved our windows and insulation but there are limits to what is practical. What I most lacked was battery storage. One day's mild weather capacity is simply not enough to ensure security. Multi-day outages have happened before and will likely happen again. We had an ERCOT warning just last week. Large storage will even allow more effective use of generators in times of crisis and better make use of the grid when it is available.
FWIW, we were the only house on out block that remained occupied throughout the event. It reached 0F at our house and we were w/o power for 42 hours. No pipes froze and we remained reasonably comfortable in adventure mode. Houses in the D/FW area simply were not built for that weather and people here don't prepare, but we do.
Much of how to deal with winter cold depends on whether or not local LPG- or central NG is available.
In our rural area almost everyone has a 250gallon tank of propane on their property. Lower elevations closer to towns have Natural Gas as an option.
During wintertime in the mountain area we live, losing grid power is a given.
@@kamakaziozzie3038 Yes, we have a family place in the mountains. A Sears kit house from early last century built over a stone basement, expanded and updated over generations, it can remain comfortable without power. The majority of American homes are nowhere near as self-reliant.
I didn’t see you you cover one of the big advantages of the generac system is you can add a standby generator to charge batteries.
Thanks for mentioning this. I've been having a hard time getting a straight answer on this capability. It appears that Generac now supports this feature, but you would have to add on an extra component, the PWRcell Automatic Transfer Switch.
And Enphase will be adding this feature very soon
@@ABC-wz2db Yep. I just heard about this. It's so important to have that generator re-charge capability when running off-the-grid. I've had a few clients where they are 100% off-grid full time and they use the generator 500+ hours per year, especially during the winter season.
Generac also has their PWRGenerator that can work along side the solar & battery using LP or Natural Gas to supplement in cases where the batteries and solar don't produce enough (so, even more security during a power outage).
Interesting. In operation, it would essentially operate just like batteries during a backup- the Inverter would decouple from the AC Power and rely on the generator & solar (just like a battery backup system would during an outage). I wonder what the issue would be for them? I mean, they allow regular backup generators right?
Another excellent presentation, thank you for sharing
Thanks for the informative video! It seems like the Generac system has easily replaceable batteries which is a big positive point for me. Batteries begin to degrade from the day they are produced so it is not a matter of if you will have to replace the batteries, it is just a matter of when.
Can you replace the batteries in a Powerwall, and how does that compare with battery replacement on a Generac cabinet? This difference in serviceability may offset the cost issue because if you have to replace the entire Powerwall when the batteries fail, in the long run the Generac system may be a better value because it can be easily brought back to 100% for much less cost than a new unit. I feel that repair is often overlooked as an eco friendly option, if you can keep equipment working longer it reduces overall consumption.
Your'e giving the generic Powerwall an extra plus for the ability to put more baterie's into it. But if you put more batteries in the system you also can add an other Powerwall to the Tesla system. Up to 7.
Yes, good points here. However, I don't think the average system owner could add on a Powerwall on their own. You need 3 guys just to set the unit in place and it's a more complex wiring.
@@SolarSurge Where as it is true that the average owner cannot on their own add a powerwall and that adds to cost for later installation however, you should probably have been a bit more elaborate on the cost side. The cost of the product /KWH is not slightly less for the powerwall. Its almost half the cost for the product alone. In my point of view that shows a huge bias towards generac. The base generac model giving only 9KWH is 2500$ more expensive for the unit alone which is around 33% more.
@@jacobwolfgang7571 I agree with you on the cost side.
Plus there is likely to be a lot of finger pointing between Panasonic and Generac in case of faults. Not even to mention if you dyi extra batteries into it
@@eavdmeer Generac covers the battery warranty regardless of the cell manufacture. The great part is the warranty is 10yrs or an energy through put rating which is very clear cut.
Great explanations as always, I do believe you should include the life expectancy given the usaable DOD, Operating temps etc, so that the audience also has such information and the fact of replacing batteries every 5-7 years does not come as surprise!
I hadn’t considered that.
If my Powerwall needs replacement every 5-7years that would fall under the warranty so hopefully it happens in that timeframe:)
Well done
Outstanding video man thank you!
Great presentation ! Nicely done.
With the price of the Powercell, you can buy 2 Tesla Powerwalls... and have 28 kwh capacity and 10k continuous watt draw plus 60 amp capacity to start heavy loads..
Great point!
Generac offers load management so you don’t need that many batteries and can back up to 50amps with one battery.
@@craigsurman4281 Generac also offers the worst quality imaginable and a nightmare future of breakdowns and excuses to not honor the warranty.
How much do these cost?
@@michael931 You can add battery backup for as little as $10k depending on location. Please visit solarsurge.net and "Request a Quote"
Great comparrison
Thanks for the great analysis
This is very informative. Thanks. There is one thing I would like to add: customer service. Generac has gotten very negative review on this regard.
Thanks for sharing! Your first line of service should be the local installation company, not Generac. The local installer should have parts in stock and be able to get you back up and running more quickly.
@@SolarSurge I am not as knowledgeable as you and thus not arguing with you. And I am not so much talking about PWRCell; it is the whole house backup generator that many ppl are having problem with. I am in this rabbit hole of backup power for the house in case of storm and I am looking at all options: powerwall, whole house backup generator, portable generator, etc... Though I have a set of solar panels on the roof and so powerwall system makes more sense. But since many out there pooping on Generac when it comes to customer service (with regard to their generators) it makes me not wanting to look at Generac at all.
@@anthonynguyen9779 I'm an electrician that installs off grid systems and lives off grid.
When you see a Generac, scream like a little girl and run away.
Avoid Generac like the plague.
Trust me on this.
@@DaveMiller2 yeah, I think so too. Will have to see how high can my voice get tho? :)
Great video. Wish you were in my area to install.
Interested in getting a power wall to supplement our existing solar
Very helpful comparison! Thank you very much.
One thing to keep in mind is that if you have two Powerwalls, you double the amount of maximum output power that the system is capable of outputting. So with two powerwalls, you can get 10 kW continuous and 14 kW peak power out of the system.
Which is roughly equal to the 1 generac system, so the Tesla would need to be half the cost to equal comparable capacity.
@@Natedoc808 Except we never found out how a fully upgraded Generac system compares price-wise. He only said a non-upgraded one costs 20% more than Tesla
@@topeka088 so price the Tesla at add 1/5 the cost. Or call generac and find out the cost of additional battery unit. The cost of the generac system is available on their website including the additional battery units to fill out the cabinet
or at a lower load, a near doubling of battery life, and with increased load potential this should be enough to make a household have an energy surplus, making it truly off grid capable. And if the rules are right where you live, you can get electric company credits instead of bills.
@@Natedoc808 Not really. 2 Tesla powerwall's have 26 kWH capacity for the price of $18,500 (2 of them), compared to $18,000 for one 9 kWH capacity Generac power cell battery.
I have a general question. At night when the solar panels are no longer producing power, does the battery kick in or do you have to draw power from the grid. A/C is my biggest concern. I live in the desert. Thank you.
In my case (tesla) battery kicks in
Good information - Thank you
Great information, I am planning to go into solar with my construction company. I see some good things here
Sounds good. Please reach out to us once you're up and running and we can probably send some projects your way!
Outstanding
I currently power all of my critical systems in my rural home with a 7.5kw gas generator when the power's out. This includes well pump, boiler, water heaters, fridge, two 9 cu ft freezers, along with many non-critical items like internet, tv, and lights. The generac pwrcell 9kw should be more than enough for most homes. I'd say buying the 18kw of power would enable you to live completely off the grid when mixed with solar panels.
Thanks for another great video! I’m a Tesla car owner and love it. However, I’m now quite dissatisfied with Tesla’s new business plan where you can’t just add a Powerwall to your existing system, or in my case a new DIY system I’m designing for my new FL home. I was in a chat session with Tesla and was told I would have to have Tesla come out and install a minimum of 10 panels for them to put in a Powerwall for me. Deal breaker for sure!
As I was without power for 22 days after hurricane Michael, I need a system that can handle a whole home backup (A/C unit and well pump included), which is driving me toward the Generac PowerCell for short 1 to 2 day outages and a generator to recharge the batteries in case of prolonged overcast weather or storm damage to the solar system.
As I’m still in the design phase and this is a DIY project, I was leaning toward micro-inverters, but with the Generac system, it appears I’d need to go with DC optimizers, correct?
I’ll contact Sola Surge to get some additional info and possibly quotes for portions of the project I might need installer help with.
Thanks again, Tim
Hi Tim and thanks for writing in. We can certainly help with getting you Generac PWRCell for whole-house backup in FL. That's our most popular option for homeowners in your state.
You should have included a review of the user interface (the app) for each.
Thanks for the feedback.
Would you do a video on Sol-Ark vs Tesla inverter and Home Grid Stack'd Battery vs Tesla Battery?
Great review. Thank you
I would have liked some idea how much each unit would cost. Thank you
What I would like to see when doing comparisons with price would be to choose a minimum specification and price the minimum system with those specs. For example if you decide you need 20kwh and 7kw to power your test home. You'd need 2 powerwall 2's or a generac system with maybe 2 cabinets if that's even possible? That way you can compare all your batteries the same.
Yes, 2 cabinets to one inverter is possible
I see you don't service Maryland..any recommendations?
You need to give cost numbers even if it was at time of recording. The generac would need to be presented with two cost numbers because of the initial base cost and the expansion cost.
What about the Tesla powerwall 2 plus they upgraded can you update the specs or do a update video on the different between the 2 hole home system please Thanks
Good review, I will be forwarding on. I just wanted to mention that the Tesla Powerwalls can stack up to 6 units. At least that is what it says in the quote I just did. Again. You helped bring to light good points for both. Helped me decide to go with Tesla. Although the case you made for the Generac was compelling.
Great point! I'll be doing a follow up video about Generac soon. They have a whole set of load management features that allows you to backup the entire house using a much smaller battery than Tesla.
can you please talk about the phone app for both companies
Good idea. I'll plan a future video on this topic.
@@SolarSurge looking forward to it also add customer service to it. Thank you for your hard work.
Can you back up a solar battery like that with the power w/o the panels?
Lots of people reporting the Islanding Overload fault with the PWRCELL. In places were voltage fluctuations is common, the PWRCELL enters into fault mode and shutdown instead of interpreting the fluctuations as a grid failure to activate battery backup.
Thanks for the feedback. We will keep an eye on this.
Thanks ... that was helpful
Can I have one of these on my house without having a solar panel system? I’m just looking to have some stored power for storm caused power outages? I’m hoping to just charge it from the grid and use it if the grid goes out
Researching solar plus battery to do this year. Thanks for the info! Planning one solar on roof plus one battery just to run refrigerator and other critical components during outage.
Sounds good. We're happy to help you get setup whenever the time is right.
How about ROI? How may years does it take?
Nice vid.....just subscribed. The RUclips algorithm is scary accurate about me.
Welcome to the channel!
You did a great job reviewing the 2 companies. I do the TSLA over all has more to offer with its app. I'm bias I own stock in TSLA and have a friend that spend a fortune on Generic
I live rural and am completely off grid. Would you recommend the Generac for off grid homes?
If someone has no solar panels and were to install a solar+battery system from scratch - how would the prices of the 2 products compare (including installation etc)? Are both the products compatible with all types of homes?
Very informative !
Subscribed!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
What about battery technology ie,
The batteries used in the tesla vs other brands
Both Tesla Powerwall and Generac PWRCell use Lithium NMC chemistry.
Well done!
I would like some information for solar for my home.
Thank you
Great. I see you booked an appointment. Looking forward to chatting with you.
What's the prices?
I currently have solar, I think the Tesla option will work for me. My power panel is on the outside of my home. Will the installation be connected to current solar system?
Great video
great video .., with the powerwall setup according to your video i wouldn't need solar panels ?
That is correct. You can use Tesla Powerwall as a stand-alone battery backup charged from the grid only.
Will they be able to source from the battery and panels at the same time???
Yes it can.
@@SolarSurge Thank You...!;!
I wish you would've gave some type of prices
As of right now, you are look at about $12.5k for a Powerwall installed. Generac PWRCell starts at $15k.
Thanks for the presentation. The Generac system is more flexible for users with future needs, such as adding a hybrid of EV. In northern CA, i have a quote for $11,000 to install a four module, 12kwh panel. Adding 3kwh modules in the future would cost approximately $2500 each. And users can add Generac panels - not sure how many. If I buy what I can use now (i.e. 3-4 3kwh modules), then I receive the federal tax credit for most of the battery cost and adding additional battery capacity (2-3 more modules) in the future is less impactful on the wallet vs having to purchase a whole new Tesla panel (which might not be available given the current 'no solo buy" policy). Remember that the batteries only dispense 90% of capacity.
You didn't discuss if either unit can be controlled or monitored by an app that is very important in this day and age.
Yes, both have app support. For Tesla vehicle owners, they will like being about to monitor both the EV and Powerwalls on the same app.
What is the cost?
Hi, I like the video, we have 20 k solar an 32 225 trojen black, we have no grid tie and no generator but are able to run our 5 fridges 4 air conditioners 24 hours a day regaurdless of weather, and in this country we don't buy new batteries, after 7 years we just use the acid for the pool and clean off the plates and put in new acid, we spent about $3000 on the batteries 2 years ago, How would you compare the amp hour capacity of this bank as lead acid and lithium use different terminology to describe capacity? Sorry if I'm asking alot, you seem extremely informed on off grid matters, thanks in advance
Your 32 Trojan bank has a capacity of 32kWh assuming 100% depth-of-discharge. Because they are lead-acid chemistry, you should only discharge 50% or 16kWh.
what is the cost of adding a Tesla 2 battery backup?
Can you expand the tesla system?
With the price of the Powercell, you can buy 2 Tesla Powerwalls... and have 28 kwh capacity and 10k continuous watt draw plus 60 amp capacity to start heavy loads..
Good point. If you jump to 2 Powerwalls, that may be a more cost effective solution.
Yes, the Tesla system be expanded by adding up to 7 Powerwall's in parallel.
Plus with an internal inverter, each extra power wall adds 5 kW power output, which doesn't happen with an external one
@@eavdmeer That's correct. So, I guess Tesla is more easily expandable in terms of power, while Genera is more expandable in terms of storage capacity.
This video is very informative!
Glad it was helpful!
So this batteries replaces the old traditional Generator?
Yes, this is a possible substitution for a standby generator. The solar + battery system allows running indefinitely off-the-grid because the solar system can recharge the batteries as many time as you need with 0 fuel requirement.
10 year Warranty, full replacement or limited?
Can you add Enphase to compare also? Thanks
Yes, please see my video comparing the Enphase battery: ruclips.net/video/VjskIv1-DEo/видео.html
Do you plan to do an update since Tesla has updated Powerwall?
Yes, future video coming.
Can’t you also easily add extra battery panel to the tesla PowerWall just as easily as the Generac?
Does the power cell need to be inside because I don’t have room inside near the circuit breaker.
The PWRCell is outdoor rated so you can install on an exterior wall if necessary.
Very well done presentation thank you. I live off grid in Alaska and have several months with very low light levels for solar panels. You wouldn't happen to have a series on setting up a complete off grid system with generator, AGS, efficient use of generator to recharge batteries with minimizing power loss, as well as any possible turn key systems out there would you?
Thanks for the note. I will do a future video on this subject. The Outback Radian is the system that would provide all of the capabilities you just mentioned and that's why I use Radian on my home here. ruclips.net/video/5CXxOHKR9jc/видео.html
Question I want to use this in my rv with solar and a generator. In place of the house battery in the rv using the 12v alt as the engine is running on a rv inverter to charge while driving!
What about the power wall plus?
The Powerwall+ is a new DC-coupled architecture.
You should do another comparison with PowerWall 2 updated firmware. I have 2 Powerwalls and I'm very happy. I also have 2 AC units and can run them at the same time.
Thanks for the feedback. We will plan a future video with the updated firmware specs.
Would your recommendation change with Tesla's Powerwall 3?
Yes. Powerwall 3 is a complete game changer. Be on the lookout for a future comparison video.
I have the solar panels that are grid tied. Can not find anyone local that will talk about batteries. Do you work N Central Fl?
Yes, absolutely. We cover all of FL. Please visit the website and book a virtual meeting with me and I can help you get setup with battery backup.
Can you add a wind generator to either system
Not really. If you want to integrate wind power with PV, then I would suggest an 48V modular system like Sol-Ark or Outback Radian.
You mentioned expandability and gave PWR cell the point? Can’t the Tesla power wall take up to nine additional power walls?
great informative video
Helpful.
Do these backups blink when the power goes out or do you just receive a notice.
It depends. You can configure the Generac system for uninterrupted power supply for partial home back up. If you use whole house back up then there is about a five second switch over delay to back up power.
@@SolarSurge is their a system that allows seamless transition to whole home power.
If the house is designed properly, you could place the entire house on UPS backup using the Sol-Ark or Outback Radian systems.
Thanks. What type of battery does the power cell use?
Both Powerwall and PWRCell uses Lithium NMC (Nickel Manganese Cobalt) cells, like most electric vehicles.
@@SolarSurge OK. So still fire risk.
The generac system can run the house of solar power (in case of grid loss) and will only tap into the battery if the PV power no longer is able to provide the energy draw from the loads. I would have given the pwrcell one more x-factor point for that. The inverter has 4 DC bus'es to hookup, so you can actually have 3 battery cabinets hooked up and the 4th for PV input (which would be underrated compared to storage size). I think a balanced system would have 2 battery cabinets & 2 PV strings with optimizers. Not the cheapest solution, but pretty flexible imo
I agree. 2 PV strings, 2 battery cabinets would provide the most balanced design for residential grid-tie with battery backup.
great vid
Thanks for the info!
What about something like in floor radiant heating systems? Could I just install additional batteries?
The Radiant floor heating system generally does not consume much energy, assuming the water heating is done by a wood furnace. A single PWRCell should be able to run the water pumps no problem.