Tell us your Powerwall model, what the Tesla app shows for solar generation, and how long the issue has been happening. We review app data and Gateway configuration remotely.
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My solar panels stopped producing unexpectedly, contacted Ron who assisted me initially remotely and then visited to correctly diagnose that the problem was on the roof. Within a month the solar panels are now up and working, kept me up to date with when scaffolding arriving and the lads who checked the solar panels, a very professional team, organisation and service
Ron was Absolute God send . After 6 months of nightmares with the installer who messed up in every single aspect of the install... Ron came investigate and provide me with a detailed report and standing behind his words for my case His knowledge and understanding are simply exceptional. I can not express how happy I am to have the luck to deal with him
After 7 months of not being able to access/control my system following a change of wi-fi provider, followed by the news that GivEnergy had ceased trading i was left high and dry. I was unable to get any help whatsoever from my installer, tried various electrical tradespeople etc but no-one knew how to help me. Changed the Dongle but then couldnt get this change recognised in the inverter. Found Solar Tech Support while researching yet again online. Ronald has been amazing. Responding very quickly to my emails and very knowledgeable on the system. Managed to give us the information we needed to get the Dongle up and running and created me another account which now works as it should. His help has been invaluable. Thank you so much. Reviews I saw from other people said Solar Tech Support are very good, but i would say they are Outstanding!! Thanks again for all your help- Mick & Sandra
Within an hour they were online and after less than another hour had it all sorted. Good communication throughout.
After recently changing my fuse board the ct clamp broke, this meant my inverter was not communicating properly with my GivEnergy system. After several people letting me down, finally got put in touch with Ron. He came out within 24hours & resolved the fault within an hour, no fuse just got on with it. Work was tidy & arrived when he said he would. Ron followed up a few days later to confirm all was still good, great service from all involved.
This is the second time I have used Solar tech first time a faulty Givenergy inverter, tried all sorts to get it going my last call was to Solar tech and yes they got me back up and running, today system went down again due to a firmeware update and Ron talked me through everything all whilst he was on someone’s roof sorting their system out. I would recommend this chap to every body that has problems with their system no matter what make..
Work through these steps in order. Step 1 catches the simplest cause — wrong mode. Step 2 addresses the most common hardware cause — reversed CT clamps. Steps 3–5 cover Gateway, inverter, and Powerwall 3 specifics.
Open the Tesla app → Settings → Customize. The mode should be Self-Powered or Time-Based Control. If it is set to Backup Only, the Powerwall reserves capacity exclusively for power cuts and will not charge from solar during normal operation. In Self-Powered mode, the battery charges from any excess solar not used by the house. Also check Energy Exports under Customize — if set to Everything, the system prioritises export over battery charging once full, which is normal. If the battery is not full and still not charging, the mode is not the issue.
CT clamps are directional — the arrow must face toward the source (away from the consumer unit). If the solar CT is backwards, the Gateway reads generation as negative and will not charge the battery. In the Tesla app, check the energy flow diagram: if solar shows 0.0kW when the sun is out and the inverter is running, or shows a negative value, the CT is reversed. The fix is physical — rotate the clamp 180 degrees on the cable. A reversed site CT can also cause the entire power flow to be misread, making it appear that solar exports to grid instead of charging the battery. This requires an electrician.
In the Tesla app, go to the Device page and confirm your solar inverter appears as a recognised device. Then check the Metering page — the Solar CT must be assigned and on the correct phase. If the inverter is not registered, the Gateway does not know solar exists and will not use it to charge the Powerwall. This can happen after a Gateway replacement, a firmware update, or if commissioning was not completed. Re-registration requires installer access to the Gateway commissioning interface.
The Powerwall cannot charge if the solar inverter is faulted or producing nothing. Check the inverter display or its own monitoring app — is it showing active generation? Common faults that prevent generation include grid voltage trips (G98/G99 disconnection in the UK), a tripped AC or DC isolator, or an earth fault. If the inverter is faulted, the Powerwall not charging is a symptom, not the cause — fix the inverter first and the Powerwall will resume charging automatically.
Powerwall 3 charges at a maximum of 5kW per unit from solar or grid, despite having an 11.5kW discharge output. This is a design characteristic of LFP (lithium iron phosphate) chemistry that protects the cells. If your solar array peaks above 5kW, the excess exports to grid even while the Powerwall is not full — this is normal behaviour, not a fault. Two Powerwall 3 units charge at 10kW combined. Powerwall 2 (NMC chemistry) also charges at 5kW per unit. If your system charges slowly but does charge, the rate limit is likely the explanation rather than a fault.
If the mode is correct, CTs are properly oriented, and the inverter is generating — perform a Gateway power cycle. Turn off the Gateway circuit breaker, wait 30 seconds, turn it back on. Allow 5 minutes for the system to reconnect and re-establish communication. Check the Tesla app for pending firmware updates — Tesla pushes updates automatically but they can stall. If the issue persists, the Gateway may have a metering fault or the Powerwall may have a hardware issue. Contact STS for a remote diagnostic — we review your Tesla app data, generation history, and Gateway configuration to determine the next step.
The Tesla Powerwall charges from solar through the Gateway, which acts as the brain of the system. It monitors solar production via CT clamps, measures house consumption, and decides whether to charge the battery, power the house directly, or export to the grid. The decision depends on the operating mode in the Tesla app: Self-Powered prioritises battery charging from excess solar, Time-Based Control follows a tariff schedule, and Backup Only reserves capacity for power cuts. If any part of this chain breaks — wrong mode, reversed CT, unregistered inverter — the Powerwall appears to ignore solar even though everything else is working.
Powerwall 2 is AC-coupled — solar goes through a separate inverter to AC, then back to DC into the battery, with roughly 7% conversion loss. Powerwall 3 is DC-coupled with a built-in inverter, reducing loss to under 3%. However, Powerwall 3 has a 5kW charge input limit per unit due to its LFP chemistry, which means large solar arrays will always export some energy midday even when the battery is not full. STS diagnoses Powerwall charging faults remotely by reviewing the Tesla app energy history, Gateway metering configuration, and firmware versions. We are independent from Tesla and from your installer.
If you have checked the mode, CT orientation, and inverter — and the Powerwall still will not charge from solar — the issue may be a Gateway metering fault, a firmware bug, or a Powerwall hardware problem. We review your Tesla app data, energy history, and Gateway configuration remotely. Independent from Tesla and your installer.
Due to unprecedented demand we’re currently only carrying out on-site work in Yorkshire, and replies are taking up to 7 days. Remote diagnostics continue for the whole UK as normal.
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