How Much Does a Tesla Powerwall Cost? [CNET]

Looking to get a home battery? Here’s everything you need to know about the Tesla Powerwall.

The high-powered Tesla Powerwall battery is benefiting from the brand’s widespread automotive recognition and a boom in residential solar adoption. This surge has been further fueled by incentives, including a federal tax credit that lets you claim 30% of your storage system’s total cost on your tax return.

Tesla itself has also recently offered rebates that can be combined with other incentives. 

But even with the many credits, rebates and other incentives, batteries are often the most expensive single component of a residential solar system.

Fortunately, the Powerwall 3 is considerably cheaper than the Powerwall 2, with the newer model priced around $6,000 at various locations across the US. The incentives make it an even better deal — it’s likely the most affordable battery available today.

In this quick guide, we’ll take a closer look at the Tesla Powerwall 3 to help you decide if it’s a worthwhile purchase. 

There are plenty of factors you may not have considered, according to Garrett Mendelsohn, founder of Solar Bootcamp. 

“The thing about batteries is they have a 10- to 15-year lifespan, and a lot of the time homeowners finance for 25 years,” he says. “So you’re financing a product that’s not going to really be doing anything by the end of the 25 years and paying interest on it.”

Let’s dig into the details to help evaluate what makes sense for you.

What is the Tesla Powerwall?

Put simply, the Tesla Powerwall is a big battery that can be mounted inside or outside of your home. It can be hooked up to charge an electric vehicle in your garage, provide backup power, store excess solar energy from a connected solar array or all of the above. You can also connect multiple Powerwalls together for more capacity to do all these things at once. 

A Tesla Powerwall solar battery, like any other solar energy storage system, can keep your essential systems online during grid outages, help maximize your net metering savings or even be your primary source of power if you have an off-grid setup. 

The Powerwall 3 is the latest model, offering a major upgrade over previous versions while also being much more affordable. However, it’s not compatible with older Powerwall systems.

Those are the basics. Here are some of the more technical details:

Tesla Powerwall battery specs

Category	Tesla Powerwall 2	Tesla Powerwall Plus	Tesla Powerwall 3
Usable capacity	13.5 kWh	13.5 kWh	13.5 kWh
How many can I stack?	Up to 10 units	Up to 10 units	Up to four units
Round-trip efficiency	90%	90%	89%
Depth of discharge	100%	100%	100%
Continuous power output (on-grid)	5 kW	5 kW	11.5 kW
Continuous power output (off-grid)	NA	7 kW – 9.6 kW	NA
Battery type	Lithium-ion	Lithium-ion	Lithium-ion
AC- or DC-coupled?	AC	AC	AC
Price	$8,400 – $13,000	$8,400 – $13,000	~$6,000

How much does a Tesla Powerwall cost?

Adding energy storage to your home can be a substantial investment. The Tesla Powerwall 3 typically costs around $6,000 before taxes and installation. If the price seems high for a single battery, keep in mind that Powerwalls used to cost between $8,400 and $13,000. And this price beats other comparable storage systems on the market by a mile. 

Other factors can impact the total cost of installing a Powerwall, such as labor and material expenses for placing it in a safe and convenient location. On the other side of the ledger, the federal tax credit, other incentives from state and local governments, utilities and even Tesla itself can drive down the net price. 

Tesla offers an energy design tool to help drive sales, but it’s also useful to get a sense of how much you might expect to spend on a solar system for your home that includes a Tesla Powerwall battery. Depending on your home’s energy needs, you might need multiple Powerwalls if you’re looking to create a whole-home backup.

And remember — don’t make any major decisions based solely on online research. Talk to multiple installers in your area to get more than one quote specific to your situation.

Pros and cons of the Tesla Powerwall

Pros:

• Unlimited cycle warranty 
• High power output 
• Well-rounded efficiency and performance 
• Cheaper than other batteries of similar size
• Compatible with and without solar panels

Cons: 

• Limited modularity
• Glitchy energy management app
• Poor customer service reputation
• Not compatible with other Powerwall models

Tesla Powerwall 3 vs. other batteries

Category	Tesla Powerwall 3	Generac Pwrcell	LGES 16H Prime	Enphase IQ Battery 10/10T	SunPower SunVault
Usable capacity	13.5 kWh	9 kWh – 18 kWh	16 kWh	10.08 kWh	13 kWh – 39 kWh
How many can I stack?	Up to 10	Up to two battery cabinets	Up to two	N/A	Up to two
Round-trip efficiency	90%	96.50%	>90%	89%	86%
Depth of discharge	100%	84%	100%	98%	92%
Peak power output (on-grid)	30 kW	4.5 kW – 9 kW	11 kW	5.7 kW	10 kW – 12 kW (off-grid)
Continuous power output (on-grid)	11.5 kW	3.4 kW – 7.6 kW	7 kW	3.84 kW	6.8 kW – 13.6 kW (off-grid)
AC- or DC-coupled?	AC	DC	DC	AC	AC
Price	~$6,000	$10,000 – $20,000	$7,000 – $11,000	$8,000 – $10,000	$16,000 – $26,000

Is the Tesla Powerwall worth it?

If you’re set on storing a significant amount of energy for your home, the Powerwall is a solid choice. It has a great warranty, strong performance, an extremely competitive price and the backing of a well-known brand. But some have reported the company’s customer service to be lacking. Tesla no longer operates a media office and didn’t provide comment for this story. 

For those with existing Powerwall 2 or Powerwall Plus models, you should know that you can’t install the Powerwall 3 within your existing system. That, of course, can be a dealbreaker. However, it’s clear Tesla wants you to switch to the Powerwall 3 and leave the older, less powerful models behind. Since one of these is much more powerful than previous models, it could be a savvy upgrade.

If you’re on the fence about getting a large battery, Mendelsohn advises it might be better to wait. Most components of a home solar system are warrantied for 25 years, but batteries are rarely guaranteed to last longer than a decade, he points out.

“If you don’t have blackouts, it’s not really worth it for the price. You spend $13,000 to $15,000 … for a battery that can’t even do the full house” Mendelsohn says. “So it doesn’t really make a lot of sense until the battery technology gets better, and they can be warrantied for 25 years.”

Frequently asked questions

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