A Tesla Certified Installer in Auburn & the Sierra Foothills

What a Powerwall Actually Does When the Power Goes Out

• It switches over instantly and silently. There is no start-up delay, no engine noise and no fuel. Most households only learn the grid went down because a neighbor mentions it.
• Whole-home or essential loads — the backup gateway decides what stays powered. We map your circuits honestly rather than promising everything runs on one unit.
• Sizing is about surge, not just kWh — central air conditioning and well pumps (very common out here) draw hard on startup. That often means more than one Powerwall, or accepting that the well runs on a managed schedule during an outage. We will tell you which before you buy, not after.
• It works every day, not just during outages — storing cheap or solar energy and discharging during expensive peak hours, which matters a great deal under California time-of-use rates.

Powerwall or a Generator? The Honest Comparison

Frequently Asked Questions

• Are you actually a Tesla Certified Installer? Yes — we install, commission and service Powerwall as a certified installer, and we are a licensed, insured California electrical contractor.
• How many Powerwalls do I need? It depends on what you want to run and for how long. Air conditioning and well pumps drive the number up because of their startup surge. We size it from your actual loads and tell you plainly what one unit will and will not carry.
• Can I add a Powerwall to solar I already have? Yes, and it does not matter who installed the array or what inverters it uses — Powerwall is AC-coupled and retrofits onto existing systems.
• Will it run my whole house? Sometimes, and sometimes the right answer is essential circuits. We map that out honestly before you buy rather than after you are disappointed.
• Do I need a permit? Yes — battery storage requires an electrical permit and a PG&E interconnection application. We handle both.
• Does it help when the power is not out? Yes. Under California time-of-use rates, shifting stored energy into peak hours is where much of the day-to-day value comes from.
• Powerwall or Enphase? Powerwall is a larger single unit with whole-home ambition; Enphase IQ batteries are modular and scale in smaller increments. We install both — and if you drive a compatible electric truck or SUV, GM Energy vehicle-to-home backup is worth comparing too, since you have largely already bought the battery. We will recommend based on your loads and budget.