A youtube reviewer (Waveform Science) brought this up, the AC500 as competition for the Tesla Powerwall.
-One big advantage of the AC500 is the DIY setup, plus you can add batteries over time. Tesla won’t sell you a Powerwall unless THEY install it, for a fee of course. They also have to pre-approve your rooftop solar panel system before purchasing.
-Tesla also won’t reveal how many charging cycles you can expect; only that it should last 10 years. And then only THEY can replace it if you buy another one.
-If you sell the house, you can’t take the Powerwall with you like you can the AC500 and batteries.
-If you have an RV you can bring your Bluetti with you.
Of course, to make it a completely fair match, you will need 2 AC500s (to output 240 Volts for an HVAC, electric stove, etc.)
Decisions, Decisions. Reliability is also a factor. At least tesla has somewhat of an established track record for their equipment. Bluetti keeps pumping out newer generations before older ones even have 3 years of performance data of day to day use. This AC 500 “should” be a great unit but until there’s a proven history no one can say. I have the AC 200 and a B230. I haven’t had any problems with it but I don’t use it day to day either. IMO Bluetti is in a unique position to be the industry leader in this type of equipment if they had better customer service and a rock solid performing product.
At both home webpages, Bluetti or Tesla, you can download the user manuals and see the differences in installation and operating instructions. The AC300 and AC500 are plug in and use it. The Powerwall needs special training and certification in some States to install. Finally the B300 batteries are low care and very reliable, while the Powerwall can fail due to its more complex construction. Actually, a Powerwall is more like a huge AC200 because it has the controller enclosed with the battery.
In costs, a dual AC500 system for 240 VAC and 12kWh of battery is cheaper.
This is completely true for us DIYers, which we can do with our education , training, and experiences. But unfortunately, I see many TV and printed ads (probably on web ads, too) for solar energy systems using Tesla Powerwall for laypersons who will just put money for a system and never care who or with what it is done. Those laypersons will end up paying much more and become totally dependent on the chosen supplier/vendor for future support. This makes such investment more expensive (over $5 per kW) and scare off others who wish to save money or become independent of utility companies.
I think Bluetti owners are in the grey space between real DIYers and those who just go with the likes of Tesla
I should have mentioned Plug and Play. Other than mucking around with MC4 connectors and a little research on string and parallel configurations of panels the Bluetti was virtually plug and play.
I agree, many are missing out by not at least thinking outside the Tesla box
Bluetti wins of battery chemistry / battery cycles, versatility and price, Tesla will probably win on build quality, service and brand name recognition.
