Solar Sharer Offer: Can You Store the Free 3 Hours in a Tesla Powerwall?

Yes — in principle, a Tesla Powerwall can store electricity imported from the grid, including during a free-electricity period. The important part is making sure your Powerwall is set to charge at the right time, then return to your normal settings when the free window ends.

For eligible homes in NSW, South East Queensland and South Australia, the Solar Sharer Offer began on 1 July 2026. It provides three hours of free electricity in the middle of the day for households that opt in and have a smart meter. The standard free periods are 11 am–2 pm in NSW and South East Queensland, and 12 pm–3 pm in South Australia.

What is the Solar Sharer Offer?

Solar Sharer is an opt-in electricity offer available through eligible retailers in Default Market Offer areas. It is designed to shift electricity use into the middle of the day, when solar generation is often high and wholesale energy is cheaper.

You do not need rooftop solar to access it. You do need:

• an eligible retailer plan
• a smart meter
• a home outside an embedded network
• the ability to move electricity use into the free three-hour window

The offer applies to houses, apartments and other multi-residential homes, provided they are not in an embedded network.

Can a Powerwall store the free electricity?

Tesla states that Powerwall can store energy generated by solar or from the grid. Its Time-Based Control mode is also designed to charge or discharge around changing electricity rates.

That means a Powerwall owner may be able to use the free window to:

• Import electricity from the grid while the rate is $0.
• Charge the Powerwall toward a chosen target.
• Use that stored energy later in the evening, when electricity would otherwise cost more.

The exact result depends on your Powerwall model, Tesla settings, retailer tariff, site configuration and any export or grid-charging restrictions that apply to your installation.

Why manual setup is awkward

The free period may only be three hours, and your normal Powerwall strategy might be very different outside that window.

You may want the battery to:

• charge from the grid during the free period
• avoid discharging while that period is active
• stop grid charging once the period ends
• return to your usual backup reserve and self-powered or time-based behaviour afterwards

Doing that manually every day is possible, but it is easy to forget, especially when your normal Powerwall settings are also there to protect you during outages or manage solar generation.

Where WallPilot fits

WallPilot is being built for Tesla Powerwall owners using eligible Australian free-electricity plans.

The goal is simple: set your retailer's free window and your preferred battery behaviour once, then let WallPilot apply the temporary charging settings during that window and restore your normal Powerwall settings afterwards.

WallPilot is independent and is not affiliated with Tesla. It is intended for Tesla Powerwall systems only.

Before changing electricity plans

A free three-hour period does not automatically mean a lower overall bill.

Before switching, check:

• the electricity rate before and after the free period
• daily supply charges
• controlled-load or hot-water tariffs
• solar feed-in tariff changes
• whether your Powerwall can actually absorb useful energy during the window
• whether your household uses enough energy outside the free period to make the plan worthwhile

The Solar Sharer Offer creates a free period, but retailer pricing outside that period can vary. Compare the whole plan, not just the headline offer.

Making the Most of the Free Window

For many Powerwall owners, the free window could be useful because it lets the battery charge when grid electricity is free and preserve that energy for later.

But the value depends on the full tariff and how reliably your Powerwall is configured around the window. That is the gap WallPilot is designed to automate.