Before You Start
PowerSync Cloud runs from the cloud, so Home Assistant is not required. You need a PowerSync account, a supported battery provider connection such as Tesla or FoxESS, and an electricity plan that matches the automation you want to use.
What You Need
- PowerSync email/password sign-in. Authenticator 2FA is optional and can be enabled from Settings.
- Tesla account access to the Powerwall energy site, or FoxESS Cloud access and an OpenAPI key.
- Your electricity retailer and NEM region, if using wholesale-price features.
- Physical access to the Powerwall only if you want off-grid pairing.
- The $7 battery + vehicle plan for active Tesla vehicle or OCPP charger control.
What PowerSync Does Not Need
- Your Tesla password. Tesla provider authorization still happens on Tesla's own login page when you connect Tesla.
- A Home Assistant install for cloud automations.
- A separate Tesla developer account.
First Setup
1. Sign In To PowerSync
Open PowerSync Cloud, sign in with your PowerSync email/password, then enter your authenticator code only if you enabled 2FA. If you already used Tesla or FoxESS sign-in, use the same email to transition onto a PowerSync account.
2. Connect A Provider And Link A Site
Go to Settings, connect Tesla or FoxESS if prompted, select your energy site, enter a friendly site name if needed, and choose the electricity provider for that site.
3. Pick Region And Tariff Details
For wholesale features, choose the AEMO region for the site. Flow Power users should also choose their network and tariff code so PowerSync can build the correct tariff rows.
4. Save, Then Enable Automations
Save the site first. Once it appears in your linked sites, enable tariff sync, curtailment, spike export, or pairing from the site panels.
Dashboard
The dashboard is the operating view. It shows live Powerwall state, home/grid/solar/battery power, state of charge, retailer pricing, automation state, and the current Tesla tariff view.
Live Energy
PowerSync refreshes live site data frequently so you can see whether the battery is charging, discharging, importing, or exporting.
Automation State
Curtailment and spike export status explain whether PowerSync is monitoring, actively changing the Powerwall, or restoring normal settings.
Tesla Tariff
The tariff panel shows what the Powerwall currently thinks import and export prices are. If PowerSync temporarily overrides the tariff, it labels that source.
Multiple Sites
If your Tesla account has more than one energy site, use the site selector in the app header before changing controls or settings.
EV Charging
The $7 battery + vehicle plan adds two separate control paths. Use Vehicles to control a Tesla directly, or Chargers to control a compatible OCPP 1.6-J charger. Both paths can follow surplus solar from a linked Tesla or FoxESS energy site; neither requires Home Assistant.
Tesla Vehicle
Grant charging-only Fleet API access, add PowerSync's virtual key to the car, link an energy site, and set the car's home location. PowerSync can then use Stop, Auto, or Charge Now.
OCPP Charger
Create a charger in the Cloud app, then enter the supplied connection details in the charger's OCPP settings. Use Solar to track surplus or Charge Now for the configured maximum current.
Tesla Vehicle Controls
| Control | What It Does |
|---|---|
| Stop / Auto / Charge Now | Stops managed charging, tracks surplus automatically, or charges immediately at the configured maximum current. |
| Battery Reserve | Stops the EV control loop from using home-battery energy below your selected reserve. |
| Energy Priority | Chooses whether available energy should favour the home battery or the EV. |
| Charge Limit / Ready By | Sets the target vehicle state of charge and the time it must be reached. PowerSync tracks solar first, then uses a grid top-up only if the deadline requires it. |
| Price Boost | Charges at maximum current when the supported live import price is at or below your threshold. |
| Renewables Boost | Charges at maximum current when Amber's live NEM renewables signal reaches your threshold. |
| Home Location | Limits automatic Tesla charging changes to within 500 metres of the saved home location. |
Current And Safety Settings
Set the voltage, phase count, minimum current and maximum current to match the installation. Solar tracking respects the charger's practical minimum-current floor: if there is not enough surplus to charge safely, PowerSync pauses instead of repeatedly importing small amounts from the grid.
Start in shadow mode where offered if you want to inspect PowerSync's decisions before allowing real commands. The activity and statistics views show recent actions, energy charged, and solar contribution.
For Solar Only, Prefer Solar, Cheapest and Meet Deadline scheduling across a wider charger set, see the Home Assistant EV Smart Charging guide.
Settings
Settings is where cloud behavior is configured. The main panels are site linking, Powerwall pairing, negative-price curtailment, tariff sync, tariff creator, AI tariff optimisation where enabled, and AEMO spike export.
| Setting | Use It For |
|---|---|
| Electricity Provider | Selects the pricing integration and determines which automation options are available. |
| AEMO Region | Maps the site to wholesale dispatch prices for spike export and wholesale tariff sync. |
| Network / Tariff Code | Flow Power-specific fields used to build accurate network tariff rows. |
| Powerwall Pairing | Enables signed local commands for off-grid island mode and richer battery stats. |
| Custom Tariff | Creates a tariff for cost tracking and optimisation logic when a fixed tariff is needed. |
Tariff Sync
Tariff Sync writes a time-of-use tariff into the Tesla Powerwall so Tesla's own operating mode can react to the same prices PowerSync is tracking.
- Amber: syncs the Amber price feed into the Tesla tariff.
- Flow Power: builds tariff rows from AEMO wholesale pricing plus Flow Power tariff rules, including Happy Hour export windows where applicable.
- Wholesale passthrough: can use the AEMO wholesale curve for import and export behavior.
Negative-Price Curtailment
Curtailment stops unwanted solar export when feed-in prices are negative or below your threshold. In normal cloud mode, PowerSync uses Tesla export-control behavior. If off-grid mode is selected and the site is paired, PowerSync can open the Powerwall grid contactor instead.
Recommended Starting Point
Start with export-control curtailment unless you specifically need full islanding. Export control is less disruptive and does not require local Powerwall pairing.
Restore Behavior
PowerSync stores the state it needs before changing the Powerwall and restores normal behavior once the price condition clears. The app history shows the reason for each action.
AEMO Spike Export
AEMO spike export watches wholesale prices and temporarily pushes the Powerwall toward export when the price exceeds your configured threshold.
Threshold
The default is commonly expressed as $3000/MWh, which equals $3.00/kWh. Set this to match your risk tolerance and retailer pass-through rules.
Priority
When spike export and curtailment both apply, spike export takes priority because the site is being paid to export rather than charged to export.
PowerSync restores the saved tariff and mode after the spike clears. Check the history view if you need to confirm why a spike action started or stopped.
Manual Controls
The Controls page exposes direct Powerwall controls such as mode, reserve, export rule, grid charging, force charge, force discharge, manual curtail, restore, and off-grid mode where available.
- Use Restore after a manual intervention if you want PowerSync to return the Powerwall to normal operation immediately.
- Force charge and force discharge are short-lived control actions. Avoid running them against active tariff-sync or spike-export changes unless that is intentional.
- Off-grid mode is powerful and disruptive. Only use it if you understand the site impact.
Powerwall Pairing
Pairing registers an RSA key with the Powerwall gateway. It unlocks signed local commands used for off-grid islanding and gives PowerSync access to richer gateway and battery health information.
Pairing Flow
- Open Settings and choose Pair now on the Powerwall Pairing panel.
- PowerSync generates and registers a public key through Tesla.
- When prompted, physically toggle the Powerwall DC isolator off and back on within the two-minute window.
- PowerSync finalises the pairing once Tesla reports the key as verified.
Stats
The Stats page shows energy history, battery health, gateway details, pack-level information, cycle counts, and raw BMS data where available.
Some stats are available from Tesla Fleet API alone. Pack-level health and raw BMS detail require Powerwall pairing because they come from the local gateway path.
Troubleshooting
No Tesla Sites Appear
Confirm the Tesla account can see the Powerwall in the Tesla app, then sign out and sign in again. Tesla account permissions decide which energy sites are returned.
Tariff Sync Is Disabled
Check that a supported electricity provider and region are saved. Flow Power users should confirm network and tariff code fields are set.
Curtailment Did Not Start
Check the threshold, current feed-in price, selected curtailment method, and whether the site is subscribed. For off-grid curtailment, confirm pairing is complete.
Pairing Times Out
Start again when you can toggle the Powerwall DC isolator within the two-minute window. If Tesla does not report the verified key, the cloud app clears the pending key and leaves the site unpaired.
Tesla Vehicle Will Not Start Charging
Confirm the vehicle is plugged in, the charging-only virtual key is paired, a home location and energy site are set, the $7 plan is active, and the mode is Auto or Charge Now. The recent activity message should show the last blocking reason or command error.
OCPP Charger Is Disconnected
Check the central-system URL and credentials shown when you paired the charger. Also confirm the charger is not still configured to connect to another OCPP service, including a Home Assistant OCPP server.
Need The Home Assistant Docs?
The source-available integration has a separate wiki for inverter-specific setup and advanced Home Assistant behavior. It is available on this site at PowerSync Wiki.