Powerwall 3 installed for $19,999$9,799
Battery + full professional installation. Backup power through California outages and lower peak-rate bills.
The battery that keeps your home on autopilot.
Powerwall 3 is the next-generation home battery that gives California homes reliable backup power and smarter use of every kilowatt-hour you buy or produce.
How your battery works
Three situations, one consistent promise: your home always comes first.
Running in the background
Your Powerwall quietly charges when your utility's rates are cheapest and powers your home during expensive peak hours. Monitor everything in real time from the Tesla app.
Powerwall intelligence
It doesn't just store energy — it decides when to use it.
Powerwall 3 watches weather alerts, utility rates and your home's usage around the clock, then acts on its own. You just get the savings and the lights staying on.
Storm Watch
When the National Weather Service issues a severe weather alert for your area, Powerwall automatically charges to full so you're at 100% before the grid goes down.
Starts the big loads
Powerwall 3 delivers 11.5 kW continuous and can start heavy motors up to 185 A LRA — so one unit can typically kick on an AC compressor, well pump or heat pump during an outage.
Expandable to 4 units
Start with one Powerwall and add up to three more later for whole-home backup, longer outage coverage or an EV charger, without replacing what you already own.
You control it from your phone
Choose Time-Based Control to arbitrage peak rates, Backup-Only to hold a full reserve, or Self-Powered — and watch live energy flows in the Tesla app.
Built for California weather
Water and dust resistant with an operating range of -4°F to 122°F, so it mounts indoors or outdoors — garage wall, side yard, or under an eave.
Quiet and maintenance-free
No fuel, no oil changes, no annual service. The inverter is built in, so there's one sleek unit on the wall instead of a rack of equipment.
See every watt in the Tesla app
Set your backup reserve, switch operational modes, and watch live energy flow between the grid, your home and your Powerwall — from anywhere. Savings mode uses your utility rate plan to decide when to charge and when to discharge, automatically.
Download the Powerwall 3 datasheet (PDF)
Specifications per Tesla's Powerwall 3 datasheet. Backup runtime and which loads stay on depend on your home's electrical design and usage. App screens shown are Tesla's; features may vary by software version.
Why a battery beats a generator
California's grid keeps getting less predictable. Your power shouldn't.
Between public safety power shutoffs, storm outages and rising time-of-use rates, backup power has stopped being a luxury. A Powerwall protects your home and pays you back the other 364 days of the year.
Hours of backup, not minutes
One Powerwall carries the essentials — fridge, lights, Wi-Fi, medical devices — through a typical PSPS or storm outage. Stack a second unit to keep AC and an EV charger running too.
It switches over automatically
No cords, no manual transfer switch, nothing to start. The Backup Gateway detects the outage and your home keeps running in a fraction of a second — even when you're not home.
Silent and emission-free
A generator is loud, needs servicing and only runs during outages. A Powerwall is silent, sits flush on a wall or garage, and saves you money every single day.
No fuel to store or refill
Nothing to haul, spill or stabilize. The battery refills itself from off-peak grid power or your solar array, so it's always full when the grid goes down.
One partner, start to finish
Design, permitting, utility interconnection, installation and Tesla app setup all handled by SolarSesame — plus workmanship coverage after the truck leaves.
Monitored and future-proof
Track usage, backup reserve and VPP events from your phone. Over-the-air updates keep adding features long after install day.
No solar panels? You can still get a Powerwall.
A Powerwall 3 does not require an existing solar system. Most of our battery customers start with storage alone — and many never add panels at all.
- Install a Powerwall on its own — no panels, no roof work, no re-roofing required.
- Charge it from the grid at off-peak rates and run your home during expensive peak hours.
- Powerwall owners with or without solar can qualify for virtual power plant programs such as Tesla's with PG&E, subject to eligibility including a valid Rule 21 interconnection agreement.
- Add solar panels later — Powerwall 3 already has the solar inverter built in, so you're ready when you are.
Is Powerwall right for your home?
If any of these sound familiar, a battery may make more sense than you think.
You already have solar, but no battery
Your panels produce the most electricity during the day, but your home may need more energy in the evening.
Keep more of the solar you already produce.
Your newer home came with builder-installed solar
Thousands of newer California homes were built with solar, but that doesn't mean they received battery storage.
Your home came with solar. Now make it work after sunset.
Your electric bill is still too high
Even with solar, you may still buy expensive electricity during evening peak periods.
Buy less electricity when it's most expensive.
Calculate what Powerwall could save me →You're worried about power outages
An outage can shut down your refrigerator, Wi-Fi, lights, security system, garage, AC and other important equipment.
When the grid goes down, your home doesn't have to.
You're considering a generator
Generators require fuel, maintenance and manual considerations, and they provide essentially no financial benefit while the grid is operating.
Don't buy backup power that only works when the power goes out.
Your home is becoming more electric
EVs, AC, heat pumps, pools and other large loads can significantly increase household electricity demand.
EV. Pool. AC. Heat pump. Your home uses more electricity than it used to.
Two ways one Powerwall pays you back
Save — buy power when it's cheap and use it when it's expensive. Earn — get paid when your battery supports the grid. The sections below break down both, then you can run your own numbers.
Time-of-use bill savings
$350–$900/yr
PG&E ~$350–$600 · SCE ~$500–$900 per year
Tesla VPP earnings
$100–$450/yr
Paid $2.00/kWh when your battery supports the grid
Combined potential value
$450–$1,350/yr
Per Powerwall, per year, depending on your utility
Ranges are potential, not guaranteed. Actual results depend heavily on your usage pattern, rate plan, number of VPP events and how frequently the battery cycles.
Buy power cheap. Use it when it's expensive.
Your Powerwall charges when rates are lowest and powers your home through the expensive evening peak. Pick your utility to see the numbers.
PG&E — Sample time-of-use plan
- One full 13.5 kWh cycle a day is roughly $1.66 of avoided peak cost.
- That's about $50 a month, or up to ~$606 a year in theory.
- After real-world round-trip efficiency (~89%), plan on ~$350–$600 a year.
- Works with or without solar panels — the grid can do the charging.
The math, one Powerwall on PG&E
| Peak rate | $0.5224 / kWh |
| Off-peak rate | $0.3994 / kWh |
| Spread you capture | $0.123 / kWh |
| Usable capacity shifted | 13.5 kWh/day |
| Daily savings | ~$1.66 |
| Monthly savings | ~$50 |
| Realistic annual savings | $350–$600 |
Based on sample PG&E time-of-use rates and ~89% round-trip efficiency. Actual savings depend on your rate plan, usage pattern and how often the battery fully cycles.
On SDG&E or a municipal utility? The same strategy applies — send us a recent bill and we'll model the savings on your exact rate plan.
Tesla Virtual Power Plant · California
Get paid when your battery supports the grid
When California's grid is strained, Tesla calls an event and your Powerwall discharges stored energy. You're paid $2.00 per incremental kWh delivered — and your backup reserve stays protected.
- Available to both PG&E and SCE customers — PG&E through Tesla's VPP, SCE through the Emergency Load Reduction Program (ELRP). Both pay $2.00/kWh.
- Enroll from the Tesla app in minutes — no cost to join.
- You set how much of the battery can participate, and can opt out of any event without penalty.
- Eligible with or without solar, with a valid interconnection agreement (Rule 21).
- Tesla estimates $100–$450 per Powerwall per year.
PG&E
Tesla Virtual Power Plant. Events typically in the late-afternoon peak; $2.00 per incremental kWh delivered.
SCE
Tesla + SCE Emergency Load Reduction Program (ELRP). Same $2.00 per kWh, with events concentrated in summer 4–9 p.m.
Tesla's example event
| Powerwall capacity | 13.5 kWh |
| Backup reserve at 20% | 10.8 kWh available |
| Incremental energy dispatched | 7.8 kWh |
| Rate | $2.00 / kWh |
| Payment for that event | $15.60 |
Source: Tesla's PG&E Virtual Power Plant program, shown as an example; availability and terms vary by California utility. Earnings are potential, not guaranteed, and vary by event participation.
Now put your own numbers in
Move the sliders to model your own time-of-use rate-shifting savings plus Tesla Virtual Power Plant earnings. Defaults use PG&E rates as an example — we'll run the numbers on your actual California utility and rate plan.
Based on PG&E's peak $0.5224/kWh vs off-peak $0.3994/kWh as a California example (a $0.123/kWh spread), 13.5 kWh usable per Powerwall and 89% round-trip efficiency. Tesla's PG&E Virtual Power Plant (one example program; other California utilities vary) pays $2.00 per incremental kWh delivered during events.
Estimated annual value
$1,544
per year, all sources combined
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$1,076
Peak / off-peak bill savings
364 cycles/yr × 13.5 kWh × $0.123
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$468
Tesla VPP earnings
15 events × ~7.8 kWh × $2.00
Estimates only. Actual savings and VPP compensation vary with your rate plan, usage, solar production, backup reserve setting and the number of grid events Tesla calls.
How the price works
Federal tax credit still available — through the lender
The $9,799 price is not a cash purchase. It is a prepaid PPA price that captures the remaining commercial clean-energy credit so you do not have to wait on a tax return or qualify for homeowner-level incentives.
Section 25D expired for homeowners
The federal residential clean energy credit (Section 25D) expired for battery storage on December 31, 2025. Homeowners can no longer claim the 30% tax credit directly on a battery-only purchase.
Section 48E still applies to companies
Commercial entities can still claim the Section 48E clean energy investment credit. SolarSesame partners with a financing provider that claims the credit and passes the savings to you as a lower upfront price.
Prepaid PPA = your discounted price
The $9,799 installed price is made possible through a prepaid power-purchase agreement structure. You pre-pay for the energy service, the lender claims the commercial credit, and you get the battery at a fraction of the cash cost.
Incentives change often
California utility rebates, Virtual Power Plant programs and federal tax rules can change with little notice. We keep this page current, but you should always verify the latest rules with the program source. Tesla maintains a public incentives guide for California homeowners.
- PG&E Permanent Battery Storage Rebate Program: up to $7,500 — homeowner applies directly.
- San Diego Community Power Solar Battery Savings Program: up to $350/kWh — homeowner applies directly.
- Other city, utility or CCA rebates may also be available, but the homeowner is responsible for submitting those applications on their own.
Disclaimer: SolarSesame is not a tax advisor. The $9,799 price assumes the financing provider successfully monetizes the available commercial credit. Utility, city and state rebates are the homeowner's responsibility to apply for and are not guaranteed. Your final agreement, eligibility and pricing are subject to credit approval and program availability at the time of installation.
Everything included in your install
- Tesla Powerwall 3 (13.5 kWh) with integrated inverter
- Tesla Backup Gateway and system commissioning
- Standard installation, mounting and electrical work
- Permitting and Rule 21 utility interconnection paperwork
- Tesla app setup, VPP enrollment help and homeowner walkthrough
- 10-year Tesla warranty, backed by SolarSesame workmanship coverage
Certified installers
Licensed electricians, trained to our standards.
Service-first
Backed by our repair & maintenance memberships.
Add solar later
Battery-first today, panels whenever you're ready.
Powerwall 3 · installed
$19,999$9,799installed
Prepaid PPA price — commercial credit captured for you
Battery + installation included. No homeowner tax form required.
Final price depends on panel upgrades, load management and site conditions.
Permit & utility application fees
City permit and utility interconnection application fees are billed separately and paid by the homeowner. SolarSesame prepares and submits every application for you, and we pass through the actual agency invoice — no markup.
Free site review · No-pressure consultation
What could increase my installation price?
$9,799 covers a standard Powerwall 3 installation. If your home requires additional electrical work, equipment, longer wiring runs, or upgrades to meet local code, those items are additional. Any extra work is identified after the site survey and quoted for your approval before it is performed.
- Tesla Remote Energy Meter, if required$500
- Battery location beyond 15 ft$15/ft
- Garage safety equipment, if required$1,500
- Tesla Gateway (> 200 amps), if required$1,800
- Electrical subpanel, if required$1,800
- Main Panel Upgrade, if requiredStarting at $5,500
Other uncommon site-specific or code-required upgrades may also apply.
Does it pay for itself?
Roughly $103 a month — and your savings can cover all of it
Most homeowners finance with a Figure HELOC instead of paying cash. At 6.35% APR over 30 years (excellent credit, primary residence), a Powerwall 3 + Expansion Pack lands at about $103/month, while time-of-use savings and Tesla VPP earnings can run about $128/month. Adjust the numbers below to see your own break-even.
Choose your system
Savings default to the output of the calculator above (peak / off-peak bill savings plus Tesla VPP earnings). Payments match Figure's HELOC calculator: the system price plus Figure's 4.99% origination fee, financed over the term you pick. 6.35% APR reflects excellent credit (760+) on a primary residence — Figure sets your actual rate and approval, not SolarSesame.
Your monthly math
$0 out of pocket
Your savings cover the whole payment — and then some.
That means the Powerwall covers its own payment and leaves about $26 a month in your pocket — roughly $308 in the first year.
And what that buys you:
- •Whole-home backup instead of a generator — no fuel, no noise, no $5k–$15k install and no annual service contract.
- •Outages stop being an event — power switches over in a fraction of a second, so food, Wi-Fi, medical devices and A/C keep running.
- •A permanent home improvement — appraisers and buyers treat battery storage as an upgrade, and it stays with the house.
- •Rate protection — utility rates keep climbing, so the savings side of this math grows every year while your payment stays fixed.
Illustration only, not a financing offer. Payments assume a fully amortizing fixed-rate HELOC including Figure's 4.99% origination fee; Figure sets your actual rate, term, fee and approval. Home-value impact varies by market and is not guaranteed.
Where your Powerwall can go — and why that can change the price
Tesla's installation manual and California fire and electrical codes set minimum clearances around an energy storage system. We walk every site against these rules before we quote, so you know exactly what your home needs.
3 ft from doors, windows and openings
Code requires the Powerwall to sit at least three feet away from any door, operable window or vent. This is the constraint that most often decides where your battery can go — and sometimes means a longer conduit run from the meter.
1 ft from the electric meter, 3 ft from gas
We keep a working clearance around your utility equipment so meters stay accessible for service and inspection. If the only compliant wall is far from the meter, extended wiring is quoted by the foot.
Garage installs: heat sensor + bollards
Indoor and garage installations add a listed heat sensor, impact protection bollards where a vehicle can reach the unit, and 3 ft of clearance to the door entering the living space.
How placement affects your installation price
The $9,799 flat price covers a standard installation. When the only code-compliant location adds distance or requires garage protection, these are the adders you may see — always identified at your site survey and approved by you first.
Extended battery wiring
$15 / ft
When the compliant wall is more than 15 ft from the electrical meter.
Garage safety equipment
$1,500
Required heat sensors and bollard protection for garage placements.
San Jose bracket inspection
$240
When required by the City of San Jose for the mounting bracket.
Site survey findings
Quoted first
Anything site-specific is priced and approved by you before work starts.
Clearances shown are typical requirements per Tesla's Powerwall 3 installation manual and California code. Your local authority having jurisdiction may impose additional requirements, which we confirm during permitting.
Next steps
Project timeline
No deposit required
City permit and utility application fees are the homeowner's responsibility. SolarSesame files everything on your behalf and shares the invoice so you only pay what the agency charges.
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Agreement
Sign your agreement — no deposit, nothing to pay upfront.
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Design
Site survey and a custom system design for your approval.
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Permits
We prepare and submit your city permit and utility interconnection applications.
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Install
Installed by licensed electricians, certified and trained to SolarSesame standards.
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Activation
System activated once the utility gives permission to operate.
Questions homeowners ask
No. Powerwall 3 works as a standalone battery — it charges from the grid during cheaper off-peak hours and powers your home during expensive peak hours and outages. Tesla also allows battery-only homes into virtual power plant programs such as the one with PG&E, subject to eligibility requirements including a valid Rule 21 interconnection agreement.
Using PG&E as an example, with peak at $0.5224/kWh and off-peak at $0.3994/kWh, every shifted kWh saves about 12.3 cents. A 13.5 kWh Powerwall cycled daily is roughly $606/yr in theory, or about $363/yr after 89% round-trip efficiency. We present a realistic range of about $350–$600 per year depending on your usage and how often the battery fully cycles. Other California utilities such as SCE and SDG&E have their own time-of-use spreads, so we quote savings against your actual rate plan.
During a qualifying grid event, your Powerwall discharges energy to the grid and Tesla pays $2.00 per incremental kWh delivered. Tesla estimates $100–$450 per Powerwall per year. Payments vary with the number of events and how much your battery contributes.
It depends on what you back up. 13.5 kWh typically covers essentials — fridge, lights, Wi-Fi, outlets — for roughly a day, or a few hours if you're running AC and other large loads. We size the system around the loads you tell us matter most.
Powerwall 3 carries a 10-year Tesla warranty. SolarSesame covers the workmanship and can keep your system monitored and serviced through our repair and maintenance membership plans.
We handle all permit and utility applications, but the actual application fees are paid by the homeowner. These typically range from $200–$800 depending on your city and utility. We'll provide the actual invoices for complete transparency. All installations are fully permitted and completed to code, helping ensure your home and battery system are safe and compliant.
Every home is different, and some installations may require additional electrical work, equipment, longer wiring runs, or upgrades to meet Tesla requirements and local building codes.
Common additional costs may include:
- Tesla Remote Energy Meter: $500, if required to integrate your existing solar system with the Powerwall
- Extended battery wiring: $15 per foot when the Powerwall is installed more than 15 feet from the electrical meter
- San Jose bracket inspection: $240, when required by the City of San Jose
- Garage safety equipment: $1,500 for required heat sensors and bollard protection if you require Tesla Powerwall installed in the garage
- Tesla Gateway: $1,800 for electrical services greater than 200 amps, when required
- Electrical subpanel: $1,800, if required when the main service panel is full of circuits.
- Main electrical panel upgrade: Starting at $5,500, if required
Other uncommon site-specific or code-required upgrades may also apply.
No surprises: Any additional work will be identified after your site survey and quoted for your approval before the work is performed.
No. This is not a lease. Your Powerwall is provided through a Prepaid Energy Storage Service Agreement. After 6 years, ownership of the system transfers to you for $0, with no additional Fair Market Value (FMV) payment required, subject to the terms of your agreement.
Most installs are completed in a single day once permits are approved. Permitting and utility interconnection timelines vary by city and typically add a few weeks.
See if your home qualifies for the $9,799 offer
Send us your details and a SolarSesame energy advisor will review your utility bill and come back with a fixed installed price — usually within one business day.
- No-pressure consultation
- Fixed, itemized pricing
- Permits and interconnection handled for you
By submitting you agree to be contacted about Powerwall pricing. No spam, ever.
Quote requested!
A SolarSesame energy advisor will be in touch within one business day.
Savings and earnings figures are estimates for illustration only. PG&E peak ($0.5224/kWh) and off-peak ($0.3994/kWh) rates are used as a California example; rates are subject to change and vary by utility (PG&E, SCE, SDG&E and others) and rate plan. Tesla Virtual Power Plant compensation of $2.00 per incremental kWh and estimated $100–$450 per Powerwall per year comes from Tesla and is not guaranteed. PG&E customers participate through Tesla's PG&E Virtual Power Plant and SCE customers through Tesla's SCE program (ELRP). SDG&E customers may be eligible through Tesla's SDG&E Virtual Power Plant. Eligibility requires a valid interconnection agreement and other Tesla and utility requirements. $19,999 is SolarSesame's standard list price for a standard Powerwall 3 installation. The $9,799 promotional price reflects a commercial tax credit passed through to the homeowner and is available for a limited time, while commercial tax credit funds last. $29,999 is SolarSesame's standard list price for 1 Powerwall 3 plus 1 Expansion Pack installed; $15,799 is the corresponding promotional price after the pass-through commercial tax credit. Final pricing depends on site conditions. City permit and utility interconnection application fees are not included and are billed to the homeowner at cost, with the agency invoice shared by SolarSesame. Discounted pricing below $9,799 is available through our Prepaid PPA program; program availability, eligibility and final discounted pricing are confirmed during design and agreement.
© 2026 SolarSesame. Tesla and Powerwall are trademarks of Tesla, Inc.