Tesla Powerwalls did a lot of the heavy training as The golden state’s home batteries established a new grid document last week. On October 6, more than 85, 000 Powerwall proprietors sent out over 600 MW to the grid, the mass of a combined 745 MW dispatch that Sunrun introduced today.
That’s 28 % more than the 580 MW record both business established much less than a month earlier. And it’s bigger than many gas peaker plants in the state.
Tesla published its record first
Tesla Energy put out its own numbers on October 8, 2 days after the occasion. The business stated 85, 000 + Powerwall proprietors throughout The golden state dispatched greater than 600 MW to assist satisfy peak need, calling it “a brand-new record for the largest Powerwall VPP event.”
Sunrun followed this morning with a release that has Sunrun “leading” the dispatch. It says “the companies” provided 669 MW on October 5 and 745 MW on October 6, however it doesn’t break out just how much came from Sunrun customers versus Tesla consumers.
Put Tesla’s figure against Sunrun’s overall and Powerwalls make up about 80 % of the document. In September, the share was even greater: 517 MW of the 580 MW originated from concerning 110, 000 Powerwalls , and Sunrun possesses or operates 55 % of those.
So both business are taking a triumph lap for greatly the same batteries. Sunrun is the greatest Powerwall channel in the country, which is why both maintain turning up in each various other’s news release.
There’s also an intriguing detail in Tesla’s mathematics. Simply over 600 MW from regarding 85, 000 homes works out to about 7 kW per home, well above the 5 kW constant output of a Powerwall 2 That points to a fleet increasingly constructed from Powerwall 3 systems, rated at 11 5 kW, and homes with greater than one battery.
Exactly how the send off functioned
The events came throughout an October warm front, at the demand of the California Energy Commission and the state’s energies. Batteries discharged through multi-hour evening peaks to cut need and push down real-time power prices.
Sunrun states October 5 was the very first event this year where the state’s Demand Side Grid Support (DSGS) and Emergency Lots Decrease Program (ELRP) both called dispatches at the very same time across every getting involved investor-owned utility territory. DSGS begins when CAISO’s day-ahead cost passes $ 200/ MWh.
According to Sunrun, 745 MW suffices to cover every household in San Francisco and San Jose incorporated during optimal hours. The company currently has more than 120, 000 home batteries signed up in California grid programs.
The rate is what stands apart. The previous property document, 539 MW, stood from July 29, 2025, till September 9, 2026 It grew 8 % in over a year, after that 28 % in 4 weeks.
Consumers make money for this, as well. Sunrun chief executive officer Mary Powell claimed “customers are being compensated for helping strengthen grid integrity.”
Next up: San Jose
Sunrun also claims a Google-funded dispersed nuclear power plant with PG&E in the San Jose area plans to enroll almost 21, 000 devices with Tesla and Everyday Electric, the company previously referred to as Renew Home. Initial dispatches are anticipated this month.
It’s the first concrete item of the 16 8 GW virtual power plant plan for data centers that Tesla, Sunrun, and Renew Home introduced in June. Yet it’s early: Sunrun notes the Tesla and Everyday Electric component of the project is still under a non-binding letter of intent.
Electrek’s Take
Tesla’s genuine benefit turns up right here: a huge set up base and software that obtains 85, 000 + homes to respond to the very same grid signal at the same time. No one else in household storage space is close.
The credit rating grab between Tesla and Sunrun is a little bit silly. It’s one fleet, mostly Powerwalls, with Sunrun as the greatest proprietor. Fine. Both deserve it.
What I ‘d actually such as to see is energy, not simply power. Both companies report MW, and neither provides MWh or exact period. A 745 MW optimal for 20 minutes and 745 MW held for 3 hours are very different points for the grid. The September event ran a three-hour night home window, which is good. Posting MWh every single time would make the situation even more powerful.
And this works since California spends for it. DSGS and ELRP put actual cash in home owners’ pockets for releasing at the right time. The majority of states have absolutely nothing like it, so these batteries simply sit there throughout peaks.
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