Clayfield Solar Hybrid System with Tesla Powerwall

This Clayfield family home wished to secure their energy independence with the addition of a large solar array and solar batteries to their residence. Their established family was consuming a large amount of energy from the grid, with air conditioning, the kitchen, computers and gaming equipment, and pool all demanding draw. 

To cover current energy use and also accommodate future energy increases, our team designed an oversized solar array to maximise as much of the available roof space as possible. A 27kW array was installed on all east/west-facing roofs to maximise the solar generation throughout the day. 50 Canadian Solar 440W TOPCon Solar Panels were selected for their industry-leading 22.5% module efficiency, huge power output, and extensive product and power warranty. 

SolarEdge Optimisers were installed on the back of each panel to mitigate shading, module mismatch-loss, and boost panel-level production. The addition of the optimisers to this system will improve energy yield, a result that our customer was chasing given the large energy consumption in the home. 

As the home is connected to three-phase power, we installed an inverter on each phase so that even in a blackout if the sun is shining the solar power will keep charging the Tesla. A single three phase inverter would not have allowed for this.  One 10kW SolarEdge Genesis and two 5kW SolarEdge Genesis Inverters were installed to achieve this. As each Tesla Powerwall has an in-built 5kW battery inverter, this totals the system’s inverter capacity to 30kW. 

With two Tesla Powerwalls, the home can store up to 27kWh of solar energy to be accessed when the solar on the roof is not feeding the home directly, such as during inclement weather, at night, or during power outages. 

The system is estimated to produce 135kWh a day. Data has shown that expectations have already been exceeded however, with the system regularly producing more over summer. For example, on the 2nd February 2024, the system produced 142kWh of solar energy, of which 48% was self-consumed to charge the batteries and power the home during daylight hours. The remaining 52% was exported to the grid for a credit on the next electricity bill. 

The Powerwalls were 100% charged by 9:30am that morning, and only began discharging as evening fell at 5pm. The home consumes the most electricity during this evening period as the family arrives home from work and school and multiple loads are used simultaneously. The batteries supported this evening/night usage until they were depleted at approximately 8:30pm, by which time grid electricity is drawn to continue to power overnight air conditioners. 

This data shows that on an average summer day, the home is 73% self-sufficient across a 24-hour period. To improve this home’s solar self-consumption further, additional batteries would need to be installed to increase their stored energy capacity. 

Overall, this family home is now largely self-sufficient with a solar and battery system that was within their budget. Extensive product warranties and ongoing support from the Springers Solar after-sales service team will protect this system for decades to come, providing our customer ultimate peace-of-mind over their investment.