Knowledge Hub

What is the Tesla Gateway?

A standard Tesla Powerwall setup has two components, the Powerwall itself, which houses the battery cells and battery inverter, and the Backup Gateway. The Gateway is the hub of your system. Tesla has designed the system to be highly flexible, allowing for many location options for component placement. The Tesla Gateway serves ... Read more
Micro-inverters vs string inverters

When it comes to choosing the right inverter for your solar system, the question of whether micro-inverters are better often arises. Usually, our answer is no, here’s why: Difference between micro-inverters and string inverters Firstly, you need to understand the difference between a micro-inverter and a string inverter. A string inverter is a ... Read more
What is AC and DC Coupling?

There are two main architectures for battery systems: AC and DC coupling. DC coupling refers to both the battery and solar connecting to a single inverter. Solar and the battery need to pass through the inverter in order to power electrical loads. Therefore the power you have available is limited by ... Read more
Maximise Your Solar Power with a Powerwall: The Importance of Charge and Discharge Rates

Your home battery’s charging and discharging speed will make a big difference in how much it contributes to your energy consumption, and your overall experience. Charge Rate The charge rate is how fast the battery can charge. The higher this rating, the more solar power the battery can absorb at once. The more ... Read more
Tesla Powerwall is the only home battery with thermal management

Tesla’s car batteries are renowned for their longevity, and this is in part thanks to battery thermal management. With millions of kilometres worth of data they have proved that managing the temperature of the battery cells is the way to go. Simply, when batteries get too hot, they wear out faster. ... Read more
Why Powerwall Battery Cells are a Game-Changer for Home Energy Storage

The Powerwall uses energy-dense NMC (Nickel Manganese Cobalt) battery cells, the same kind used in Tesla’s high-performance cars such as the Model X and S. Tesla knows that your garage space is really valuable to you. The Powerwall does not take up much room compared to other bulky home batteries because ... Read more
What do these common solar terms mean? A Solar glossary

There’s no avoiding it, there is a lot of jargon used in the solar industry. Between the acronyms and new technology, you’ll likely come across terms you haven’t heard before. That’s why we’ve put together a quick solar glossary of common terms. We want to make your solar research as easy ... Read more
Case Study: Moonlight Passive Home

The system Panels: 14 x Hyundai 390w Black Battery: Tesla Powerwall 2 13.5kWh Inverter: Fronius Primo 5.0 The install Compound approached us when building Moonlight. Their goal was to build an energy-efficient, high-performing home using passive home principles. So how does a solar install work for a passive home? As we do with all installations, we modelled the ... Read more
Using Solar to charge your EV

EVs are becoming more and more common on New Zealand roads with 38,117 EVs in New Zealand (as of March 2022). The transition to EVs is expected to speed up with the Climate Change Commission recommending the government phase out imports of fossil-fueled cars by no later than 2035. A Solar ... Read more
What to look for in a solar inverter

What is a solar inverter? The inverter is one of the most vital parts of your solar system. It converts DC power produced by your solar panels into AC electricity for your home. Your inverter will work very hard for a long time, as it converts the sunlight that hits your roof ... Read more

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