Tesla has launched Heat Pump Optimization for Powerwall 3 and Powerwall 3P in Europe. Tesla Energy announced it on X on Oct. 30. The feature lets the battery boost a home heat pump when there is surplus solar or cheap electricity.
How it works
Tesla's installation manual says the feature works with SG-Ready heat pumps. SG-Ready is a label from the German Heat Pump Association (BWP). It certifies that a heat pump can respond to a signal from an energy-management system. Powerwall sends that signal through a simple relay wired to the heat pump's SG2 terminal. Tesla says installers must not use the SG1 terminal.
- Normal (relay open): the heat pump follows its own thermostat settings.
- Boosted (relay closed): the heat pump runs harder and raises target temperatures in buffer or hot-water tanks, storing energy as heat.
When it boosts
- Self-Powered mode: Boosted when there is excess solar, Normal otherwise.
- Savings mode: Boosted when there is excess solar or electricity is cheap. Normal at mid or high prices.
Set-up notes
An installer configures the feature at commissioning in the Tesla One app, with the relay on either the Powerwall or the Backup Gateway 2. Turning it on overrides any existing load-shedding set-up on the same relay, so a home cannot use both. Drive Tesla Canada says Tesla has not given a timeline for North America.
