8 months and counting...Will I get Tesla solar installed this year?

[JWardell]

I signed up for Tesla Solar at the end of January just before the referral credit expired. I've been through multiple visits, designs, and entire teams at Tesla since. Signed off three times. Halfway through august, and they still haven't applied for permits!
I want solar this year both for the tax credits and incentives. At what point do I give up with Tesla and contact someone local?
Does anyone have any good contacts at Tesla energy that can help move things along?

Here's a timeline...
Jan 20ish Signed up for Solar through my referral code
Jan 26 first visit by Tesla Sales to start project and make estimates, upload documents Tesla contact is Juan
Feb 23 first assessment by inspector, thumbs up
Feb 28 first design, 9.75kW system, but missing panel upgrade and not 208V Tesla contact is now Jamie
it's sent back to engineering for the panel upgrade, they come back invalidating the whole roof due to photos, ignoring inspection notes, so we schedule another...
Mar 16 second inspection, inspector runs more tests and approves
Mar 20 second design, now 5.5kW on different roof, still no panel upgrade and not 208v. New contact is Robert
Mar 21 call to discuss, they submit back to engineering.
Then I wait and wait, no response from any Tesla contact
Apr 19 I call Tesla customer service and explain I haven't heard from anyone
Apr 20 New contact Juan I get to explain everything to and promises to get on top of everything asap
Apr 24 Another design, 5.2kW, Panel upgrade at $9k cost, 208v inverters
Apr 28 discussion with Juan, promises to look into roof and upgrade costs
Apr 1 panel cost reductions with new quotes "escalated to manager"
May 9 Juan asks me to send pictures of electrical (the TWO inspections weren't good enough?), I expose and measure incoming service conductors in hopes to knock off service upgrade and trenching costs
May 10 "Good news we have determined that trenching is not needed" Panel upgrade now $3500
May 20 while reviewing documents to sign, find panel is only 8 breakers/same as existing size/panel upgrade missing...how are we back to this?? Sent back to engineering for review
May 23 I get assurances that the panel will be upsized
May 24 I sign all documents and loan apps
May 31 New contact Cody emails for blank check and says electric company needs to make an inspection
Jun 14 Cody now says electric company insists on trenching and service upgrade and we are back to $9000 up front but has no documents, going back to request them
June 26 Cody responds that trenching is not negotiable and things panel upgrade is only because of my request, not because laws of physics prevent 20 breakers from fitting in a 8 breaker panel...
July 5 I speak to Cody on phone for the first time and explain the WHOLE DEBACLE to him and he finally seems to understand. Again start attempts to increase solar install size, and finally increase panel to 200A/20 position.
July 24 another new design, 5.2kW with 200A panel, Cody says I need to sign before the 26th or credit will expire and need to be re-pulled
July 25 I sign all documents again
July 30 I receive $4k invoice for out of pocket, but Cody instructs not to pay as he is working to reduce it
July 31 I receive Load Approved email, immediately followed by Loan Cancelled email! Never got an answer why...
Aug 2 Cody says they are still running alternatives. Then I hear nothing
Aug 12 finally hear back from Cody. Still waiting for quotes. He confirms they can't apply for solar permits till all the service upgrades and panel installs are complete...and we are still waiting on quotes for those!
...

 

[JWardell]

Just off the phone again with Tesla, with more bad news, let's continue the timeline:

Aug 23 Cody says that he learned from the Project Manager that this subcontract work and quote was not optional as he thought all this while, but is required due to the trenching, so we have no choice but to continue waiting for a quote
Aug 29 Call from Cody with bad news that he learned in reality the subcontractor (which he can not provide contact info for) has been waiting on National Grid (my utility) all this while for their schedule and costs. He also just learned this can take SEVERAL MORE MONTHS! He recommends I try to contact National Grid to move things along, which is akin to a needle in a haystack.

So at this point I think it is time I reach out to anyone that may have some contacts that could help here. Considering I signed documents in May could it really take six months for work to begin? Who else has had Tesla Solar installed in Mass with National Grid?

 

[JWardell]

More bad news and changed stories from Tesla who now say I'm better off going with someone else for the install!!

Sept 3 My utility responded to my inquiry saying that they are in fact waiting on Tesla, who have not uploaded documentation required to create a work order before anything can start! Immediately emailed Tesla their response and waited...
Sept 6 I gave up waiting and called the 800 number who connected me to my advisor. Story changed again, they are simply not hearing back from their electrical contractor in the area, but will call me back after he speaks with his manager. Calls back later in the evening with insane news: They only have two approved electrical contractor in the Boston area, one can't do work "for insurance reasons" and the other has not been returning Tesla's calls. WHAT!?! At the end of my straw, I asked, more to just light some flames, if I would be better off going with a different solar installer that can handle local challenges...to my surprise Cody said YES, strongly recommends I start contacting other installers, and they will put my project on pause! W!T!F!

So I did just that, and have an inspection tomorrow with a local solar company, New England Clean Energy.
Sept 9 I filled out the form on their web site, and had a nice long call and explanation with them...the SAME DAY.
They then followed up and scheduled a solar inspection, again on that same day that I first contacted them. We'll see how this goes.

 

[Unofficial]

Use a local installer. Not one guy in a truck but a company with like 5 trucks that still has the owner directly involved in day to day stuff. Tesla direct is a joke unless you fit in their cookie cutter mold.

 

[JWardell]

The adventure continues. I might as well continue to document the saga. And at the moment Tesla is back in the race!

We last left off with Tesla telling me point blank, after 9 months, to go with someone else, and I started that process.

New England Clean Energy responded with emails and phone calls the same day I initiated first contact on sept 9, and scheduled a Solar inspection on Sept 16.

Sept 16 NECE visit and inspection. Includes funky tool on a pole that takes light readings and fisheye pics of sky view/trees
Sept 16 Cody@Tesla calls out of the blue to say they have an electrical contractor and they will be visiting on the 24th (!!)
Sept 24 Area electrician visits and I show and explain everything. Trenching will involve permission utility, town, and neighbors...big delays. But he thinks I can use existing feed with 100A panel upgrade (this is what I was asking Tesla to do back in MAY!!)
Sept 26 NECE comes back with their quote. $32k for a 9.1kWh system, including panels on the roof Tesla won't touch. Doesn't include electrical upgrades (Compare to Tesla $14k for 5.2 kW)
Oct 1 NECE responds to first round of questions, confirms install can not happen in 2019 Their electrician still needs to review.
Oct 2 Quotes from electrician come back, $7500 for trenching 200A upgrade, $3500 for 100A panel/no service upgrade. Call with Cody and ask to please move forward with 100A ASAP.

So Tesla is back on...but I think there is a large chance they will come back with the same BS as before refusing to work without crazy service upgrades.
I'm asking NECE for quote on south facing roof only, first for more palatable cost, but also possibly to add on to Tesla system next year.

Stay tuned for more boring snail race! (I know no one is probably listening, but this is useful for me to document this insane process...and I thought I would be churning out install and system videos by now!)

 

[JWardell]

Electrical work is scheduled to begin on Monday!!
and...
Tesla has decided to cancel the project!!!
WHAT!?! [T..F..]

Since I last updated, things were actually moving forward, and as close to actually happening as they ever have been. Now I'm back to people with no knowledge of my project looking a photos of plaster...

Oct 9 Cody confirms that purchase order has been issued to the electrical contractor for the $3500 panel upgrade and they will schedule soon
Oct 18 I check in with Cody, who said they are still waiting on scheduling with the electrical contractor.
Oct 21 EC responds that they are about three weeks out and will contact me when we get closer.
Nov 11 I reach back out to electrical contractor as 3 weeks have passed with no news. He responds that they are ready for me next week and we agree to schedule electrical work this Monday the 18th. I send an email to Cody@Telsa to inform him we are scheduled.
Nov 12 I wake up to an email from the electrical contractor informing me that "Tesla has cancelled this job last night." (WHAT??)
I scramble to put out this fire, with several calls with Tesla and the electrician:
-Cody isn't in yet, so I call the Tesla 888 number. They tell me that an employee departing Tesla decided to look at my project and put it on hold for roof rework (WHAT??), sees nothing about cancelling electrical work, but only Cody can see more details.
-I get a hold of Cody in the afternoon who is somewhat sketchy on the history details of my job (it's been a while...) but claims the operations team just relocated to his building, and he will walk over to meet the supervisor and discuss my project.
-Cody emails me that he has set up a meeting to discuss the project tomorrow morning with the operations manager and project supervisor. Confirms he sees no reason why the electrical work was cancelled.
Nov 13 Cody calls and explains that after reviewing my project, the operations team has decided not to proceed and cancel the project! This is after they reviews photos of my attic that give them structural concerns. I immediately clarify that those photos are of the MP1 roof that we were already avoiding, this is a literal repeat of issues we already addressed in February and March! They were not aware that the photos they were looking at were of the attic of MP1, not MP2&3 (which, again, were mechanically tested and approved by on site inspection)
Cody will discuss again with the operations team tomorrow and get back to me.
Meanwhile, discussing with my coworker, who after nearly as long of an ordeal finally got his Tesla Solar system installed and commissioned, mentioned the technician stated they had a new policy of skipping inspections and cancelling projects by photos, and those of us who already had on site inspections got caught up in this new procedure.

So Tesla Energy continues to keep dropping the ball and shooting itself in the foot. All I want is to support this company and help produce half the energy I feed into my wonderful car. But they just keep fighting me.

 

[Shadious]

In poker there is a saying”don’t throw good money after bad.” This seems like a good example of when to cut ties with Tesla and go with a reputable local company.

 

[charlesj]

Boy, what a story. I feel for you.

Why the trenching? To bring upgraded power to house?

 

[JWardell]

In poker there is a saying”don’t throw good money after bad.” This seems like a good example of when to cut ties with Tesla and go with a reputable local company.

Thankfully I haven't thrown any money...just a lot of time. And in April, thousands of extra dollars in taxes as I was expecting to get a big rebate for solar

Once the local company told me they couldn't schedule install till next year, I figured I should just keep moving forward with Tesla.
If we get to next year without any movement, then they probably will truly be done.

Boy, what a story. I feel for you.

Why the trenching? To bring upgraded power to house?

Because Tesla dreamed up that upgraded power was required, then dreamed up a $9000 upfront price, without ever consulting an electrician.
Thankfully the electrician agreed we could upgrade the panel and move the meters without touching the service, at a fraction of the cost and more importantly with needing permission from the city and neighbors to dig everything up. Which is where we were back in April or May before they added months of delay to find someone to do trenching.

No promised response yet again, so I will have to reach out to Tesla again next week, because sadly, nothing ever moves unless you keep poking them.