Tesla Powerwall 3 Causing Eaton AFCI breakers to trip during off grid test ?

[Thursday]

Hi All,

Posting this as a question, not a statement because it hasn't been proven yet.
Ive installed a Powerwall 3 with the BUS, per the Tesla Manual ( I am in fact a Tesla Certified Installer, have installed dozen's of these units in the past couple years)

The system is commissioned, working fine per the Tesla Installer App (Tesla One).

The problem arises in two different ways, both related to nuisance trips of Eaton AFCI and dual purpose AFCi/GFI 20 A 1P breakers.

1st) if the system is left on for any length of time ( say more than one day), a random number of breakers in the panel board will trip ( resetting them works temporarily, then they flash the 6 light self test error code and eventually trip again)

2nd) if the system is forced to do a backup test, using either the main breaker or via the installer app, the same breakers trip instantly, and then... this is where it gets interesting, will not hold in the closed position after being reset. They trip again instantly when in off grid mode.

Tesla Tech support so far has denied any issue with there system, once again, it looks fine on monitoring. But clearly something is up. Im not an expert on power quality. Maybe someone here is ??

 

[tortuga]

( resetting them works temporarily, then they flash the 6 light self test error code and eventually trip again)

6 blinks means the breaker is defective.
Verify its 6 blinks:
The last trip code can be recalled at any time by following these steps.
1. Turn the breaker handle to the OFF position
2. Press and hold the “TEST” button
3. While holding the “TEST” button, turn the breaker handle to ON position
4. Release the “TEST” button
5. The red LED will blink the trip code for 30 iterations, beginning approximately 3 seconds after the reset.

 

[suemarkp]

Here are the Eaton error light codes:

0 Mechanical Disconnect. The breaker has detected an overload, short circuit or was manually turned off.

1 Low Current Arc. A low current “series” arc has been detected within one of the current pathways. These arcs are typically found in worn or degraded appliance and extension cords, poor connections in appliances or fixtures, or in contacts within equipment.

2 High Current Arc. A high current “parallel” arc has been detected between two conductors. These arcs are usually found in installed wiring where the wire has been compromised by a nail or screw, tight staple, damaged insulation.

3 Short Delay. Short delay is an electronic backup to the short circuit mechanism.

4 Overvoltage. The breaker will trip if it experiences voltage of 160V RMS or greater. The breaker can be reset and the “TEST” button can be pushed to verify the breaker is working properly.

5 Ground fault. Current has found an alternate path to ground.

6 Self Test Failure. The breaker continually tests the internal electronics and software to ensure the arc fault detection technology is working properly. If the self diagnostics fail, the breaker will trip.

 

[wwhitney]

Not sure if this is what the OP is saying, but it could be that the breakers in question test fine and don't trip when the Powerwalls are actually disconnected. But connecting the Powerwalls causes both the intermittent trip, and the repeatable failures described when "off grid".

In which case, are the breakers actually bad, or is it just some sort of weird incompatibility with the Powerwalls?

Cheers, Wayne