I tried Tesla 360 living: Driving a Model Y to a solar home with a Powerwall 3 to test Musk’s green energy dream

Part of the appeal of owning a Tesla for many buyers is the whole lifestyle it encompasses. 

You aren’t just buying an electric car, you’re buying into a zero emissions environmentally-friendly, cost effective and technologically advanced way of living.

And that’s not just a EV evangelist ambition, because Tesla has a product that works hand-in-hand with your Tesla electric car: the £5,500 Powerwall.

The clean energy system stores energy from the sun or grid to power your home and EV is growing in popularity, and with over 800,000 Powerwalls already installed worldwide.

Freda Lewis-Stempel drove the new Model Y RWD up to the Powerwall-installed Tesla House in the Lake District to see how the two work together, and just how smart and appealing the Tesla lifestyle really is….

What is a Tesla Powerwall? 

If you’ve ever seen a very sleek, long white rectangular box on the side of a house, and maybe even noticed a discrete light grey Tesla-stylised ‘T’ on it, then you’ve seen a Powerwall.

Tesla Powerwall is a compact home battery clean energy system that lets you store energy for later use.

Essentially a smart energy system, a Powerwall is equipped with energy monitoring, metering and smart controls which you can customise via the Tesla app.

And a Powerwall can be used either with or without solar panels.

While looks aren’t everything, the Powerwall 3’s white, sleek design looked really good (much better imagined) against the Cumbrian stone and would blend well with a modern home too

The latest Powerwall, the Powerwall 3 – the version installed in the house I stayed in in the Lake Disrict – has a solar inverter already integrated which connects directly to the panels for high efficiency.

Like the Powerwall 2 – the version before – it can be added to an existing solar capture system or installed on its own.

A Tesla spokesperson told me that while their clientele is mixed between home and business, residential customers are the majority. 

It costs around £5,500 (which doesn’t include VAT, delivery or installation) so it’s far from cheap but with energy savings promised, it’s a long term investment that pays you back year-on-year.

How does the Powerwall work? 

A Powerwall (whichever version you have) will store the energy generated from the grid, or via solar, and you can then use it to power devices and appliances in your home.

A Powerwall can work day or night to give you energy and can even be used during power outages – which is one of its most useful points, especially if you live in remote areas.

If you have solar panels connected then every day when the sun comes out, it will recharge the Powerwall to give the house a cycle of clean, renewable energy.

As you use the Powerwall system it will learn and adapt to your energy use, including monitoring energy consumption to match EV charging to excess solar production.

The Tesla app controls the whole Tesla clean energy system – the Powerwall and your Tesla EV – giving you live updates on energy consumption, modes, pricing and savings

Via the Tesla app it is also entirely customisable – you can change modes to optimise stored energy to save money on bills or for outage protection.

Tesla said that customers can save up to nine per cent a year on energy costs using Powerwall, and on average customers save £1,450 a year in the UK.

An added benefit is the ability to make money by selling excess energy back to the grid.

According to Tesla a lot of people want to future-proof their homes with Powerwall, potentially protecting against rising electricity costs in retirement too.

The Tesla clean energy lifestyle in Cumbria: Model Y and a Powerwall house – what’s it like in reality?

The Powerwall either uses stored energy from solar panels or energy from the grid banked up during low electricity cost periods to power the house, and steps in during outages 

Tesla is shifting from automotive manufacturer to a full clean energy ecosystem provider and visiting the Tesla House near Penrith in Cumbria was an insight into how living with the Tesla ecosystem works and can benefit you.

Over a weekend (which happened to coincide with Storm Darragh hitting) I drove the new rear-wheel drive Tesla Model Y up to the Haweswater reservoir.

While it wasn’t my first time in a Model Y – the first EV to be the best-selling car in the world – it was my first time in the RWD version and using both the Tesla home charger and Powerwall 3.

London to the Lakes was just over five hours on the road, and by exploring the weather-beaten mountains, the town of Penrith and the nearby Ullswater lake over the weekend I clocked up a lot of rural miles in the Y, which meant home charging using the Tesla Wall Connector to recharge the battery.

The Tesla Model Y Long Range Rear Wheel Drive has a range of 373 miles on a single charge. It fits five (although a seven-seater version is now available) and costs £46,990

Fitted to a post outside the house, the sleek little white box and black cable Wall Connector was just as inconspicuous and stylish as the white Powerwall 3 fitted to a wall at the back of the house.

The point isn’t the looks, but obviously no-one wants a home energy system or EV charger that looks ugly, and Tesla is the Apple of home energy systems it seems. 

The two parts are slick, minimal and cool, and looked equally at home against Cumbrian stone as I imagine they would on a minimalist LA house.

The Tesla Wall Connector, which costs £475 (including VAT), looked just as good as the Powerwall 3 and worked seamless with the Tesla app which controls it

Moving beyond aesthetic first impressions and into usability, you very quickly realise how easily the whole system comes together.

The Tesla app is the hub of everything – charging and controlling the car, Powerwall settings, energy use and costs. For owners of the whole Tesla energy system (car and battery storage) you can look at your consumption over any period of time, whether that be a week, month or year.

Because it’s a smart system it works with the weather and with your energy use to save you money.

December in stormy Cumbria, although gloriously dramatic, gives about as much sunlight to the house’s 4kW solar panels as a cave would, so solar charge wasn’t at its highest.

During these moments the Powerwall either uses stored energy from the solar panels or energy from the grid banked up during low electricity cost periods.

And while the storm didn’t take out the power (just a few local trees across the road) if there had been an outage this would have been the moment Powerwall kicked in with its stored energy and powered the whole house.

For rural homes this is one of the most impressive features of Powerwall – it’s ability keep the house up and running even if the mains are out.

It also means you won’t ever get stranded with your EV unable to charge, because Powerwall will power the Wall Connector too.

Tesla’s Storm Watch activates the Powerwall in advance based on Met Office warnings charging to max capacity to make sure you’re protected if the power goes off 

Storm Darragh was in full force in Cumbria, with trees down and roads flooded, but the Model Y dealt with it with ease. Many people consider EVs better in floods because they can’t hydrolock

Another very clever linked feature is Tesla’s Storm Watch; it’ll activate the Powerwall in advance based on Met Office warnings (you’ll get a push notification on the app), charging to maximum capacity to make sure you’re protected if the power goes off.

Your Tesla EV’s ‘vehicle to home’ capability (or vehicle to load/bi-directional charging in non-Tesla terminology) can actually power the house too if you have a Powerwall installed.  If needed the Model Y would have stepped in and saved the day. 

That was very soothing the whole stormy weekend knowing that despite the howling wind and thrashing rain, you’d stay warm, fed, showered and cosseted thanks to the Tesla energy system. 

Coincidentally while I was staying in Cumbria, the Cumberland and Westmorland Herald reported that local emergency hubs would start using EVs to power buildings when power cuts occur in a pioneering new scheme.

It served as a stark reminder that as well as being environmentally-friendly, cost reducing, and peace-of-mind inducing, this kind of technology can help save lives.

Why having an electric car and a Tesla Powerwall can  be a smart idea in remote areas

Many people would say EVs aren’t meant for the countryside but 5 out of 6 rural properties have access to off-street parking and 80% of EV charging is done at home in the countryside

It struck me while in Cumbria just how good EVs can be in the countryside. 

I might live in London now, but I grew up in the countryside, my family live in the middle of nowhere, and an EV can make a lot of sense in the sticks.

If you live in more secluded areas, then you drive more and are far more dependent on your car.

The 2021 National Travel Survey People found people living in rural areas in England made the most trips on average with 769 trips per person, and travelled the furthest distance on average with 6,449 miles per person in 2021.

In comparison people living in urban conurbations made the fewest trips on average with 748 trips per person and travelled the shortest distance on average compared with those living in other rural and urban areas, with 3,661 miles per person in 2021.

In 2022, the Countryside Alliance found that rural households spend nearly £800 a year more on fuel than people who live in urban areas; 47 per cent more in fuel costs to access basic services, amenities and commute.

But in the countryside five out of six rural properties have access to off-street parking which means you can charge an EV at home, giving you a cheaper alternative. In fact, 80 per cent of EV charging is done at home in the countryside.

People who charge at home save a lot of money every year – often spending just 8p/kWh for off-peak energy – you can charge a Tesla Model Y overnight for a few pounds, even if you don’t have a Powerwall.

ZapMap found that a typical couple who do 80% of their EV charging at home and travel 10,000 miles a year spend just £660 on fuel, vs an ICE driver who spends £1,430 on fuel a year 

Driving an electric car can massively reduced your cost per mile outgoings as this ZapMap study shows

A recent ZapMap study found that a typical couple who do 80 per cent of their EV charging at home and travel 10,000 miles a year spend just £660 on fuel, compared to an ICE driver who spends £1,430 on fuel a year.

And with the Tesla Model Y Long Range Rear-Wheel Drive variant offering 373 miles of range (about 330 real world) you really won’t run out of charge.

To cover your 6,449 average miles, you’d only need to charge the Model Y 17.3 times at home.

Realistically you wouldn’t every time, but certainly there are some big savings to be made.

How does a Tesla Powerwall system impact property values and buyer appeal?

Liam Gretton, owner of Liam Gretton Bespoke Estate Agent, says: ‘A Tesla Powerwall may not significantly boost a property’s marketing price [..] but ‘brings is a highly desirable feature’

We asked a property expert to find out.

Liam Gretton, owner of Liam Gretton Bespoke Estate Agent on Wirral Peninsula, says: ‘Over the last decade, electric vehicles have gone from niche to mainstream, and with them advancements like the Tesla Powerwall are sparking interest, not just in cars but in homes too.

‘Directly, a Tesla Powerwall may not significantly boost a property’s marketing price in the same way a new kitchen or extra bedroom might. 

‘However, what it does bring is a highly desirable feature. This added system connects with eco-conscious home buyers and tech savvy individuals who value sustainability and innovation.’

Adding that its broader appeal lies in ‘future-proofing’ for ‘buyers who are increasingly aware of rising energy costs and climate change’, Gretton points out that a Powerwall is a ‘differentiation’ and while not ‘a dealmaker it’s certainly a deal-enhancer.’

However, he warns there is a ‘flip side’ ‘and it’s not ‘a guaranteed way to add thousands to a property’s value’: ‘Not all buyers are ready to embrace this technology or its upfront cost.’