About Tesla Remote Meter

Tesla Remote Meter Overview

Tesla Remote Meter can be connected to Powerwall 3 via Wi-Fi or an RS-485 (RS485) wiring harness.

Figure 1. Location of RS-485, AC, and External Antenna Terminals
1 External antenna input
2 RS-485
3 AC power
Figure 2. Location of CT Terminals
Note
At the time of publication, Tesla Remote Meter has (3) CT terminals. CT4 functionality will be available at a later date.

Tesla Remote Meter LED

Tesla Remote Meter has an LED which indicates the following status:
Solid green ON Powered and operational
Figure 3. Tesla Remote Meter LED Location

About Voltage Taps and Current Transformer Connections

The Tesla Remote Meter functions by measuring voltage (by voltage tap) and current (by Current Transformer, or CT) at key locations in the system. For the meter to function correctly, the following are critical:

  1. The Tesla Remote Meter voltage line harness leads must be connected to the correct phases.
    Note
    Regardless of the grid type the system is connected to, Tesla Remote Meter must always be connected to L1 and N. If the meter is connected to L2 and/or L3, but not L1, it will not be powered.
  2. The CTs must be placed around conductors of the correct phase:
    • CT1 = L1
    • CT2 = L2
    • CT3 = L2
Figure 4. Voltage Harness Wiring and CT Placement (1-Phase Service)
Figure 5. Voltage Harness Wiring and CT Placement (3-Phase Service)
Note
A single Tesla 200 A CT or 800 A CT can be placed around multiple conductors which are on the same phase, provided the sum of the conductor’s current ratings does not exceed the CT's maximum current capacity. This is especially useful for systems with multiple solar inverters.

Install the Tesla Remote Meter and CTs describes how to perform these steps correctly, but the following diagrams illustrate some high level correct and incorrect meter / CT installations.

Figure 6. Correct Meter and CT Installation
Figure 7. Incorrect CT Installation - CTs are Measuring Incorrect Phases
Figure 8. Incorrect Meter Installation - Main Breaker Swapped Busbar Phases, Resulting in Voltage Line Harness Being Wired Incorrectly
Figure 9. Incorrect Meter Installation - Installer Skipped a Breaker Pole, Resulting in Voltage Line Harness Being Wired Incorrectly