KumuKit | Generac vs Tesla

More Power. More Capacity. More Capability.

PWRcell is Generac’s end-to-end solar + storage solution. Larger and more powerful than other systems on the market, PWRcell is also customizable: it can meet your needs today and expand as your energy needs change in the future. Whether for whole home backup power or energy cost savings, PWRcell has power and capacity options for any application.

More Power: 80% more continuous power than Powerwall 2 keeps the whole home powered.
More Capacity: 33% more energy storage capacity than Powerwall 2 keeps appliances running longer.
Whole Home Power: Load management systems keep your home running smoothly, even during a power outage.

Power

The PWRcell Battery has up to 9kW of continuous power on tap for protected loads in a grid-outage.

Scalability

Connect as much as 36kWh of energy storage and up to 15kW of PV to a single PWRcell system.

Ease of Use

Plug-and-play capabilities that allows for seamless integration of other PWRcell products such as the PWRcell Inverter and PV Link.

Ease of Upgrading

Due to its modularity, the PWRcell can be easily upgraded with additional capacity, should your energy needs change in the future. The heaviest single part is about 75 lbs.

PWRcell vs. PowerWall*

More power, more capacity and smarter load management. Generac’s PWRcell system boasts leading specifications from the leader in home backup power. Get more from your solar + battery storage system with PWRcell. PWRcell provides impressive power, storage and monitoring capabilities in an integrated, easy-to-install package. More than just a manufacturer, Generac is a partner you can depend on to provide you with support when you need it most.

Generac knows Home Backup Power

Generac has 31 years of home backup power experience with 2.2 million home backup systems installed worldwide, making up more than 75% of the home standby generator market. Generac is building on that tradition with PWRcell. See how Generac PWRcell compares below.

Beware: The Practice of Misleading System Sizing

In any industry, there are those who mislead (unknowingly or intentially) in pursuit of the easy sale. The solar industry is unfortunately not immune to this practice.

What may sound like a great deal may in reality be an under-performing & difficult to expand system or worse, an over-priced & energy-wasting system.

Optimized battery sizing is paramount. Generac offers a broader range of battery sizes than Tesla, which provides many more paths to accurately "right-size" your battery, so you don’t buy a battery that is too big or too small.

The math behind sizing a Solar PV system is inherently complex, even for a highly-trained solar professional, which is why we created our exclusive “System Sizer”™ application. With the app, we can quickly determine the perfect balance of number of solar panels panel and battery size you’ll need.

We hear about it often. New owners of PV Solar discover that they over- or under-purchased after it’s too late. In most cases, we find that the errant sizing is simply the result of an underinformed salesperson, oblivious of any error. Sometimes, though, the problem is a result of misleading marketing practices.

The Truth about Tesla^® and Power Outages

The Tesla Powerwall is an unmanaged energy storage system. If a Tesla Powerwall battery completely drains during an outage, it remains dead until the power is re-established. This fact is taken directly from the Tesla FAQ web page! If the power remains out for multiple days, battery backup will not be available for the entire period. This is a significant disadvantage of an unmanaged battery, such as the Tesla Powerwall.

Conversely, if the Generac Storage Solution is drained during an outage, it will automaticallt "go to sleep" and then come back on when the sun come up again. This is a major advantage of a managed battery system!

Generac vs. Tesla
Feature	Generac PWRcell M6 Battery	Tesla Powerwall 2	Description
Whole Home Backup with Single Battery System	Yes	No	A single-battery† PWRcell system is whole home capable thanks to Generac load management technology. Multiple Powerwalls are required to protect the same loads.
Whole Home Load Management	Yes	Load Shedding Only	The PWRcell Automatic Transfer Switch and Smart Management Module Systems allow users to set electrical load priority ensuring they can power what they need the most.
Usable Capacity	18 kWh	13.5 kWh	PWRcell features a modular design, and can be customized to meet homeowners’ needs; the Tesla Powerwall 2 is a one-size fits all concept.
Peak Motor-Starting Current	50 Amps	32 Amps	PWRcell offers 56% more peak motor starting capacity in a single battery†, enabling it to start larger loads when the grid falls.
Maximum Continuous Power	9.0 kW	5.0 kW	PWRcell offers up to 80% more continuous power in a single battery†, enabling it to keep more loads running in backup.
Charging Speed	9.0 kW	5.0 kW	A PWRcell battery can charge up to 80% faster† than Tesla Powerwall 2.

Generac^®	Tesla^®