Tesla now lets Powerwall owners have the chance to join its "Tesla Virtual Power Plant," but without compensation, for now at least. The EV manufacturing giant recently launched its new program to give power back to the electricity grid in times of great need.
The company plans to help the California grid through 2021, which seems to be an understatement given the summer's record-high temperatures.
Tesla Virtual Power Plant
Tesla first announced the program last week, and it said, "the California grid operator forecast a continued need for Californians to support the grid through 2021."
Tesla plans on helping the state like it does for the world as a whole like it did by creating Tesla EV chargers open to all EV owners.
This move is seen to help the state amid the reord-high temperatures that have been surging throughout the year, which has become more frequent. Enrollment is now ongoing and is open for all PG&E, SDG&E, and SCE customers who own Powerwall and solar as Tesla mentioned in its release.
More and more people are starting to use Tesla energy solar installations as new permits ramp up which will effectively help in the overall "Virtual Power Plant" plan.
How to Enroll and How Does It Work?
If you want to enroll in the program, then you must have the Tesla app 3.10.14 on top of the new Powerwall firmware, which will be released "soon," as per Engadget's report.
To sign up, you first need to follow four simple steps:
- Step 1: Go to the Tesla app and switch to your home.
- Step 2: Go ahead and tap "Settings"
- Step 3: Scroll all the way down to "Tesla Virtual Power Plant"
- Step 4: Click on the switch on the button and follow the instructions provided to finish signing up for the program.
Tesla gave an example, which states that the app will provide you with a push notification a few hours ahead of time that "A Virtual Power Plant event is scheduled today" from so and so hours.
The company also mentioned in the statement that the Powerwall may need to prioritize the charging from your solar system to assist the shifting of your home grid for you to use.
"If Powerwall fully charges before an event, your solar system will resume powering your home and export any excess power to the grid," the company noted.
No Compensation, For Now, But
Sadly, if you're looking for any compensation, you won't be getting any as of now.
However, Tesla still encourages its users to join the program for the "public good." But if you're a customer already on existing metering programs, you will be compensated as usual.
Public good can still be a good call for users as California is experiencing unprecedented heat waves and its power grids are already at their limit. Given the high power demand, droughts are already occurring within hydro plants, further making problems worse in the long run, as reported by Electrek.
Tesla is planning on using its Virtual Power Plant to help stem the favor back to people and a chance to do goodwill for others and possibly nature itself.
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Written by Alec G.
