With little fanfare this week, Tesla launched its own solar inverter that came one step closer to a fully internal PV system. The Tesla Solar Inverter is available now and is a stackable string inverter with two models – 3.8 kW and 7.6 kW – with two or four MPPTs (Maximum Power Point Tracker). The efficiency stated on the website is only 97.5% but it does not state whether this is Max or CEC. The website states that it has built in fast shutdown, arc and earth fault protection (at the string level) and has a 12.5 year warranty.
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Above all, it was developed for integration with the Tesla Powerwall and the Tesla monitoring app. EnergySage also says there will be wireless updates. “Just as Tesla provides software updates for its electric vehicles via WLAN or apps on your phone are regularly updated via WLAN, the company plans to update its inverters wirelessly in a similar way and to update the inverter's software in the future with updates on the fly. To achieve this, the battery has both a WiFi / Ethernet connection and 4G LTE connectivity. “
Other properties
- Based on Powerwall 2 technology for exceptional efficiency and reliability
- Wi-Fi, ethernet and cellular connection with wireless updates
- Developed for integration with Tesla Powerwall and Tesla App
- Rated for operation from -22 ° F to 113 ° F.
- Size: 26 “x 16” x 6 “
- Weight: 52 lbs
Why this? Presumably to bring the entire solar + storage + EV ecosystem under one roof. This could allow more options when tying / tinkering with a complete energy package for the home. Maybe this could help them find hardware cost reductions? However, the existing solar inverter market has already done a good job reducing costs while improving technology and fixing bugs over the years. From this perspective, launching a new product in this area could pose a risk, given the proven technology that already exists.