Solar & Powerwall: smart-home tips for Tesla owners

If you have Tesla solar and a Powerwall, the Tesla app already handles a lot of energy automation. Your smart home can help with the rest: moving big loads into sunny hours, stretching outages with Powershare, and getting alerts when the grid goes down.

1. Let the car charge on solar

Charge on Solar lets your Tesla charge using only excess solar power. Tesla lists these requirements: Powerwall with solar on site (software 23.12.10 or later), vehicle software 2023.32 or later, and Tesla app 4.30.5 or later.

1. Make sure your phone is paired with the Powerwall (Tesla app > your energy site > Settings > Phone Pairing).
2. In the Tesla app, select your vehicle and tap Charge on Solar.
3. Follow the prompts to set a charge limit and a charge location.
4. Plug in at that location during the day. The car charges toward the limit only with extra solar energy.

Tip: If you don't see the option, owners report that you need to be the vehicle's owner (not an added driver) and that export or site limits can block it. Both the car and the Powerwall need a stable Wi-Fi connection.

2. Turn on Storm Watch

Storm Watch fills the Powerwall ahead of severe weather, so you can keep a low backup reserve the rest of the time. Tesla says your phone must be paired and Grid Charging must be enabled.

1. Tesla app > Settings > Storm Watch.
2. Turn on the Storm Watch toggle.
3. To charge up manually before a storm, tap Schedule Event, pick a duration and tap Schedule.

3. Use Time-Based Control with your utility rates

On time-of-use rates, Time-Based Control tells the Powerwall to save stored energy for expensive hours. Set it up in the Tesla app's Powerwall modes. Then match your smart home to the same peak window:

• Apple Home: Add a Time of Day automation at the start of peak that turns off a dehumidifier or fan on a smart plug. Add a second one at the end of peak that turns it back on.
• Thermostat: Pre-cool or pre-heat the house just before peak starts, then set a gentle setback during peak (see the Climate guide).
• EV: Set the car's charging schedule to finish after peak ends (see Off-peak charging).

4. Get a smart-home alert when the grid goes down

The Tesla app sends its own outage notifications. If you also want the house to react, for example by turning off non-essential plugs, you'll need a bridge like Home Assistant. Its Tesla Fleet integration can read energy-site data, and community tools such as pyPowerwall read the Powerwall locally. This is a hobbyist setup, so test it carefully.

5. Powershare Home Backup: use the car to stretch an outage

Powershare Home Backup lets a compatible Tesla send energy into your home during a grid outage when it is paired with a Powerwall and a Wall Connector. Tesla recently opened this to new Model 3 and Model Y vehicles (it started on Cybertruck). With Powerwall 3, Tesla says you do not need a separate Powershare Gateway.

1. Confirm the car supports it: on the touchscreen go to Software > Additional Vehicle Information and look for Powershare Support: Enabled. Tesla says all Cybertrucks qualify, plus Model 3 and Model Y ordered in the U.S. and Puerto Rico on or after October 1, 2026 (some earlier cars also qualify). Vehicle firmware 2026.32.6 or later is required to check.
2. You need a Powerwall (Powerwall 3 works now; Tesla says Powerwall 2 and Powerwall+ are coming), plus a Gen 3 Wall Connector or Universal Wall Connector.
3. Put the Powerwall and the Wall Connector on the same Wi-Fi, register them to the same energy site, and pair them in the Tesla app.
4. Contact Tesla Customer Support to enable Powershare for the site once the hardware is paired.
5. During an outage, keep the car plugged into that Wall Connector so it can extend backup. Tesla’s estimates (about 30 kWh/day home use, car at ~90%): Model 3/Y Standard up to two days; Premium/Performance over two days; Cybertruck over three days.

Tip: Strong garage Wi-Fi matters. If the Wall Connector or Powerwall drops offline, pairing and Powershare enablement stall. A mesh node near the garage helps.

Note: Powershare Grid Support (selling power back to the grid) remains Cybertruck-only in regions with a program. Model 3/Y Home Backup still needs the Powerwall path; Cybertruck can do standalone backup with a Powershare Gateway when there is no Powerwall.

6. Wall Connector Smart Charging (firmware 26.34)

Separate from the car’s Charge on Solar button, firmware 26.34 ties a Gen 3 Wall Connector to your Powerwall’s mode. In Savings mode the connector uses Low-Cost Charging (rate plan + solar forecasts). In Self-Powered mode it prefers Charge on Solar. It works with Powerwall 2 and Powerwall 3, and can charge any EV on that connector.

1. Update Powerwall and Gen 3 Wall Connector to firmware 26.34 or later, and use a current Tesla app.
2. Keep both devices on the same Wi-Fi and paired on one site.
3. In the Tesla app: Settings > Vehicle Charging > Wall Connector > Set Charging Configuration.
4. Enter your utility rate plan and a departure time. Tesla recommends a low minimum charge target so the system can wait for cheap power or surplus solar.
5. Only one Wall Connector per site can use Smart Charging; other connectors stay on plug-in or schedule.

Tip: If you are already in Self-Powered mode, the update may switch the connector to Charge on Solar automatically. Switch the Powerwall to Savings if you care more about the cheapest grid hours.

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Real-world examples

Summarized in our own words. Links go to the original posts.

Checked against: Tesla: Powershare · Tesla: Powershare overview · Tesla: Charge on Solar · Tesla: Storm Watch · Tesla app support · Home Assistant: Tesla Fleet