Tesla Powerwall 3 now boosts heat pumps to store cheap solar as heat — SkimNews
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- Tesla has launched Heat Pump Optimization in Europe, enabling Powerwall 3 and Powerwall 3P to signal compatible heat pumps to run in 'boost' mode when solar energy is abundant or grid prices are low.
- Powerwall 3 systems operating in Self-Powered mode trigger heat pump boosts only when excess solar remains after covering household loads, while Savings mode uses 24-hour tariff forecasts to optimize timing.
- SG-Ready-certified heat pumps receive signals via a physical relay connection, requiring wiring by a Tesla-certified installer and firmware 26.26 or later on the Powerwall, with no cloud integration involved.
- A 300-liter hot water tank heated 30°C above normal stores about 10.5 kWh of thermal energy, requiring only ~3.5 kWh of electricity via a heat pump with a COP of 3, effectively acting as low-cost energy storage.
- Germany’s heat pump market saw 299,000 units sold in 2025, up 55% year-over-year, with heat pumps making up nearly half of all new heating installations, according to the BWP.
Why it matters: Homeowners with compatible systems can now shift major energy loads to low-cost periods without discharging their lithium batteries, preserving battery life and reducing grid dependence. This makes solar-plus-storage economics more favorable in regions with high heating demand and variable electricity pricing.
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