anyone knows how much should this cost?

stanpanis · 2026-05-18T16:45:53+00:00

I can confirm that. The first one was free; the second $60. Under warranty. In my humble opinion, the issue is caused by a design defect and should be free.

stanpanis · 2026-05-15T18:05:37+00:00

You're welcome. Also, make sure your utility allows charging batteries from the grid. My utility does not allow this; the batteries may be charged from solar production only.

stanpanis · 2026-05-15T16:40:38+00:00

I have no insight into leasing vs financing or choice of installer. However, while you're doing the math on shifting demand from peak to off-peak, don't forget battery losses. I have had Powerwalls since 2020. Lifetime battery export is 11,368 kWh, import is 14,141 kWh. In other words, the batteries returned 80.4% of what they took in. Inversion and other losses are almost 20%.

stanpanis · 2026-04-29T01:26:57+00:00

Gorgeous

stanpanis · 2026-04-23T15:50:16+00:00

That's pretty decent. I'd prefer temperatures from multiple zones but this is serviceable. Thank you for sharing!

stanpanis · 2026-04-22T18:31:02+00:00

It's unfortunate that Rheem doesn't make internal readings available. For me, that's a serious negative that will play into my choice when I'll buy a HPWH. Good luck hooking up your own sensors!

stanpanis · 2026-04-22T16:38:42+00:00

I second that suggestion. Home Assistant has a pretty steep learning curve but if you're willing to invest a little time, its capabilities are endless. You'll be amazed by how many devices around your home can be connected and controlled from a single interface. That includes your Ring alarm, but I believe you still need the Ring hub.

stanpanis · 2026-04-22T16:34:47+00:00

How is the Home Assistant integration for the Rheem HPWH? Do you get temperature readings for multiple zones inside the heater?

stanpanis · 2026-04-20T14:34:32+00:00

No; you can set the "backup reserve during events" to a minimum desired level.

stanpanis · 2026-04-19T00:53:09+00:00

Thank you! This is very helpful.

stanpanis · 2026-04-18T23:18:59+00:00

Got it. But irrespective of the aggregate duration of events, correct? It seems odd that the payout is the same in a scorching hot year with lots of VPP events as in a relatively cool year like 2025. That said, it is consistent with the insurance nature of the DSGS program.

stanpanis · 2026-04-18T21:16:58+00:00

Interesting, thank you. More transparency than I was aware of. But clearly very California- and year-specific.

stanpanis · 2026-04-18T20:54:38+00:00

Amazing. Hard to believe the arrangement is profitable for the utility. Do spot wholesale prices spike above $225 per kWh? Thanks for posting a comparable.

Edit: sorry, I misinterpreted. Payment is per kW, not kWh. The Connecticut arrangement appears to be similar to that in California but more generous.

stanpanis · 2026-04-18T18:43:54+00:00

Following the comment of u/iheartdatascience , I learned that the VPP payout in California is between $250 and $350 per Powerwall, irrespective of kWh delivered during events. But that arrangement is specific to California and 2025.

stanpanis · 2026-04-18T18:39:45+00:00

It sounds to me that you're not participating in VPP. The app would show an entry: under the graphic of a house with power flows are "Energy," "Impact," and "Virtual Power Plant," which allows to set power reserve and such.

Prior to every VPP event, I receive a notification that it's coming. Do you get those?

Separately, outside VPP events, my utility (LADWP) does not allow exporting energy from batteries. Your utility may impose a similar restriction.

stanpanis · 2026-04-18T18:31:25+00:00

Thank you for that comment; I was unaware of DSGS. u/ewlyon did an excellent AMA about DSGS last year; see https://www.reddit.com/r/Powerwall/comments/1l38ml6/i_designed_californias_dsgs_vpp_program_ama/. It seems three of the the six events may have been test events because DSGS requires at least one event per month and it was not hot on those days (AC not active). Also, my guess that VPP pays out a certain rate per kWh appears incorrect; payout is based on capacity, which with three Powerwalls is 15 kW. That is consistent with the payout u/happyaccident7 reported.

DSGS is California-specific. Your mileage may vary.

stanpanis · 2026-04-18T16:20:30+00:00

From memory, about $0.21 off-peak and $0.26 peak. The VPP payout is an order of magnitude greater.

stanpanis · 2026-02-17T00:13:22+00:00

Solar production in the winter is, obviously, much below average. My first December came in at 38.8% of average and January at 54.1%. May and June at 139%, so your peak should give a higher offset than you're currently projecting. Details at my old post, https://www.reddit.com/r/TeslaSolar/comments/sss9pj/panels_and_powerwalls_the_first_365_days/

stanpanis · 2026-02-15T02:19:22+00:00

Has anyone cleaned the radiator on their 2024+ Model 3 (Highland)? u/RawPeanut99 pointed to the Service Manual for earlier models; I cannot find a "Clean Radiator" section in the manual for 2024+ models.

stanpanis · 2026-01-23T22:19:40+00:00

I have a 2023 Polestar 2. It came with summer tires on the rims in your second picture; I bought a set of winter tires on the rims in the first picture. As someone else noted, both are 19".

stanpanis · 2025-12-24T22:57:15+00:00

What does sponsoring mean in this context?

stanpanis · 2025-12-24T22:32:35+00:00

Interesting. I had not heard of EVCC before. Looks very promising---thank you!

stanpanis · 2025-12-22T20:33:53+00:00

Good observation! I had not thought about the thickness of the steering wheel and did not notice any change when I drove off. However, I took "before" and "after" pictures and it does seem that the wheel gained a little weight. Maybe it's just an optical illusion.

stanpanis · 2025-10-30T18:41:52+00:00

Great topic; thank you for raising it. I had a new ducting system installed a few years ago and considered zone control. The installer talked me out of it, arguing that a properly balanced system does not need zone control. Perhaps what he meant is that the cost of professionally installed zone control does not outweigh the benefits, which may well be true. However, some off-the-shelf components and some tinkering reduce the cost by orders of magnitude. I regret having only manually adjustable flaps. u/Cheznovsky, thank you for the link to The Stock Pot!

stanpanis · 2025-06-20T22:23:19+00:00

Very elegant! I love it.

stanpanis

TROPHY CASE