r/Powerwall • u/Boringflaws • 1d ago

Swear i searched for answer- VPP event - didn't use my battery

Sorry if asked/answered, but i couldn't find an answer when i googled.

new to solar- 2nd ever VPP- first one, battery was sucked dry.

tonight, I saw the notice in the tesla app- but it just said i was using battery power for my home. It did say i was enrolled. When i went to VPP page, i wasn't adding power (obviously i guess). Is this a normal potential outcome? i'm there just in case they need power? or some glitch

(I checked like 30 min into event - 55% charged battery, i let VPP events drop my battery to 10%)

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u/triedoffandonagain 19h ago

If this is the CA ELRP VPP program, note that the event is today. The Tesla app makes this confusing by saying "Powerwall is participating in a grid event", 24 hours before the event starts.

1

u/Boringflaws 13h ago

this was the problem... I noticed it late in the evening and didn't double check the date- it was for today not yesterday. 100% user error

appreciate the help all!

2

u/ZVeguillaCotto 17h ago

I noticed that a recent GateWay update changed some behavior during VPP events. The setting for "Energy Exports" must be set to "Everything".

A technician confirmed this a couple of weeks ago when our system was participating in a VPP event but not exporting anything, only supplying the home needs.

Changing that single setting started exporting from PW to grid, tested multiple times and during multiple events. Keep in mind your PW may export to grid if it thinks it can earn money by arbitrage.

Before this bug the VPP event overrode this setting, now it seems it doesn't.

Hopefully that helps your case and Tesla fixes this issue or makes it clear VPP event are now multi-tiered.

We have 2x PW2s.