Tesla Powerwall in a home.

What’s the Difference Between Powerwall+ and Powerwall 2?

NOTE: Tesla now offers Powerwall 3. (Powerwall 2 and Powerwall+ have been discontinued.)
LEARN MORE ABOUT POWERWALL 3
FIND OUT WHY POWERWALL 3 IS REVOLUTIONARY

Prior to 2024, True South Solar offered Tesla’s two different home energy storage options, Powerwall+ and Powerwall 2. There were some critical differences between the two products (namely, DC vs AC coupling). Tesla’s Powerwall 3 offers the same benefits as Powerwall 2 and Powerwall +, but with an important difference: the same Powerwall 3 unit can be programed to act like Powerwall 2 OR Powerwall +. Additional storage capacity (fuel for the engine, so to say) is achieved through battery extension packs, rather than adding on complete Powerwall units.

Moreover, Powerwall 3 offers maximum continuous power of 11.5 kW (130% more than Powerwall 2), a load start capability of 185 LRA (75% more than Powerwall 2), and a maximum solar system size of 20 kW DC (119% more than Powerwall 2).

Tesla Powerwall 2

True South Solar is a certified Tesla Powerwall installer
  • Powerwall 2 was Tesla’s second-generation home battery storage system.
  • It has a storage capacity of 13.5 kWh and a power output of 7 kW peak / 5 kW continuous.
  • It was compatible with both new and existing solar panel systems.
  • It was designed to be coupled with solar panels that have microinverters.
  • Powerwall 2 came with a 10-year warranty.

Tesla Powerwall+

Powerwall+ is interesting, and we were excited to offer it as part of our line of products. When installing a new solar electric system, Powerwall+ consolidated a lot of equipment, reducing the overall cost of the project. One drawback, however, is that it was be ideal for roofs that have partial shading. Powerwall 3 now offers a lot of the benefits we saw from Powerwall +, but with more power and the shading issues have been addressed.

  • The Powerwall+ was introduced in 2021.
  • It had a storage capacity of 16.5 kWh and a power output of 9.6 kW peak / 7.6 kW continuous.
  • It was compatible with both new and some existing solar panel systems, however, it was mainly installed with new solar energy systems.
  • It had its own inverter for converting DC power generated by your solar panels into AC power to be used in your home or business.
  • The Powerwall+ came with a 15-year warranty.

The similarities of Powerwall 2 and Powerwall+

  • Both units were designed for daily cycling, meaning they were intended to be charged and discharged on a daily basis to maximize energy savings.
  • We only install Powerwall as part of a grid-tied system.
  • Both units could be stacked, giving you more storage capacity (for a full home backup, most clients needed more than one Powerwall).
  • Finally, and most importantly, both products enable you to have power when the grid goes down.