Netzero What's New - October 2026

This is the October 2026 update covering new Netzero features, Powerwall firmware observations, and user-reported issues. To manage your email update preferences, go to Settings > Preferences in the Netzero app. We will send at most one update per month.

For past updates, see Netzero Updates.

New in the 3.0 release

Connect an AI Assistant

You can now connect Claude, ChatGPT, or other AI assistants to Netzero and ask about your system, energy use, and costs in plain language. The assistant reads the same data the Netzero app shows you, and can combine it with information you give it, such as a utility bill. For example:

Of the utility rate plans offered by my utility, which would have been cheapest over the last 12 months?
Would another Powerwall pay off, based on my last year of solar, usage, and prices?
Is anything wrong with my system? Check the diagnostics, the alerts, and each solar string.

Access is read-only unless you choose to allow control when approving the connection: the assistant can then also change the Powerwall configuration and start or stop EV charging, the same way Netzero automations do. Connect an assistant under Settings > Connect AI (requires a Netzero Pro subscription or active trial). See Connect an AI Assistant for setup steps.

A Refreshed App

The 3.0 release updates the look and navigation of the whole app, and makes it faster:

Performance: the dashboard loads faster, switching between Day, Month, and Year is faster, especially on Android, and Settings screens open instantly, refreshing in the background.
Devices is now a single scrolling list, with solar, gateway, and network status as summary cards. Alerts moved behind the bell in the header, and the bell shows the number of unread alerts.

New Languages and Countries

The Netzero app is now available in French and Japanese, in addition to English, German, Italian, and Spanish. The documentation is also available in all six languages: use the language picker at the top of any page.

Netzero Pro subscriptions are now available in Ireland, France, Japan, and Switzerland, and can also be purchased in the web app, through Stripe.

Other Changes

Virtual Power Plant (VPP) event triggers: run an automation as soon as an event is scheduled, a set number of hours before it starts, when it starts, or when it ends or is cancelled. See Virtual Power Plant event triggers.
Set Storm Watch participation: a new automation action that turns Storm Watch participation on or off, for example to opt out during the months when storms rarely cause outages in your area.
Sign in with Tesla now supports Tesla passkeys.

Octopus Energy (UK) - Saving Sessions

Netzero can now configure the Powerwall automatically for Octopus Saving Sessions:

Weekend Happy Hours: Netzero charges the Powerwall from the grid during the free hour you booked with Octopus.
Power Down sessions: Netzero exports stored Powerwall energy to the grid during the sessions you joined, using Powerwall Grid Export.

Joining and booking sessions stays with you, in the Octopus app or from the Octopus invitation emails. Switch either option on under Settings > Utility Rate Plan, with your Octopus API key and account number.

Power Down sessions usually fall in the early evening, so exporting down to a low backup reserve can leave the home importing at peak prices later in the evening. With the new Keep a higher backup reserve option, Netzero raises the backup reserve to the level you choose (30% by default, up to 80%) before the export starts, and restores your usual reserve when the session ends. The option is in the web app now, and comes to the iOS and Android apps with the next app update. See Higher backup reserve during the session.

Powerwall Firmware Updates

Powerwall firmware updates are managed and deployed by Tesla. As of mid-October 2026, the newest version is 26.34.1, installed on about 11% of Powerwall 2 and 10% of Powerwall 3 systems. For detailed tracking data, see Powerwall Firmware Versions.

Some Powerwall 3 owners with large solar arrays reported lower solar output after recent firmware updates, and we confirmed it in Netzero data. With 26.26, a Powerwall 3 limits solar output to around 10 kW once its battery is full. Output while the battery is still charging is unchanged, so only systems whose solar array can produce more than about 10 kW are affected, and only while the battery is full: a small share of Powerwall 3 systems. This is a Tesla firmware change, not a Netzero or installer setting, and only Tesla can change it.