I work for Tesla as an Energy Advisor, and have been with the company since SolarCity for the last two years. I found this forum and seemed like there is some good information here, but also some questions about some things. I am pretty well informed about how things work and would be happy to see about some of the rules and regulations in your area and even look into your own home to see how it would work. Feel free to ask me anything.
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AMA Tesla Advisor about Solar and Storage
- Thread starter Solar411
- Start date
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- Tags
- powerwall 2 solar array tesla
kev1n
Active Member
why is Tesla/Solarcity sales so pushy? after getting a quote from them, they literally called me every other day trying to get me to sign. big turn off in my opinion.
bkp_duke
Well-Known Member
*cough* commission *cough* or *cough* quota *cough*
The above is usually the reason for pushy sales people.
The above is usually the reason for pushy sales people.
- Why is the release of TOU support for the PW2 so delayed? It's not Dec 2017 by any margin.
- Why is the functionality so anemic compared to other industry products and leaders?
- Does the TOU support even support seasonal (and locality) multiple tariff rates and times?
- When will you have PW2 stock to ship to installers? Months lead-time while charging the deposit up-front is shady.
- Why aren't you up front on your website that Tesla has exhausted all SGIP rebate steps?
- Why are your panel price quotes extremely high (> $4 per kW), or higher, on first-quote compared to other premium-plus-plus panels with better efficiencies and real-world, long-term, reliability proving?
- Why does it take weeks after a PW2 reservation "order" before anybody from Tesla Energy actually follows up with a phone-call, email, something, to discuss the order and issues?
- Why doesn't your optional soft-starter device, for HVACs, support reciprocating-compressors when other similar products on the market do?
- Why isn't Tesla going after PW2 installers that really gouge on price, after Elon's tweet about it?
I do apologize for this. I have heard this complaint before. Probably does have some things to do with what was posted below. I majored in sustainability, so never has really been my big push to sell. I treat it more like a car sale, and work with each individual differently. But definitely no sense in being pushy, and not how we were trained either. Advisors and specialists with a sharp mind, usually can avoid this. Unfortunately, we weren't all cut the same. If you know good people who have a passion for sustainability, we would love to meet them.
*cough* commission *cough* or *cough* quota *cough*
The above is usually the reason for pushy sales people.
Likely some truth here.
1. Not a question for an advisor unfortunately. I could get more answers from our team, but I believe that update has occurred or is currently occurring.
1. My apologies, a little unsure of the question
2. Seasonality would be tough to affect based on the storage capacity. This would be more for day to day load shifting.
2. Not sure how and when we will be providing to outside companies. The product is definitely exclusive.
3. Possibly not to affect existing jobs. Not a question for an advisor either unfortunately.
4. We offer more warranties, aesthetics, and long term reliability than other companies, but as far as I know we are competitive in all our regions.
5. It is best to work directly with an advisor for best service. These issues are likely related to the niches we serve first.
6. This could be case by case. Would need an example.
7. Based on the exclusivity again... their loss.
I am here to satisfy the minds for sustainability. I see people not choosing us for reasons of being in Home Depot over Lowe's. The world is to fragile to be petty over some pretty extreme details of it. Not saying we are the only company out here, but would love to do my part to reduce the questions and concerns to make a real change to the world.
TheTalkingMule
Distributed Energy Enthusiast
People can feel free to reach out to me or ask me questions, but I will not be making the push actively in this discussion to pursue any sale.
TheTalkingMule
Distributed Energy Enthusiast
Sounds good. As a shareholder I applaud the effort to disseminate information efficiently.
I see you're in Pennsylvania. Given the potential for political instability due to fracking influence in our state legislature and a looming gubernatorial election in November, how would you suggest a potential solar go about calculating their payback period?
I use an escalator of 4.3% on your electricity rate over time. https://www.eia.gov/totalenergy/data/browser/?tbl=T09.08#/?f=A This website shows this increase as a best fit average from 1970 to 2015. The support of fracking may temporarily help keep rates lower, but we have many other issues with PECO being the 2nd oldest grid in the country, deregulation eventually facing issues with circumventing money out of our own public utility to be regulated by FERC, and the need to close TMI and other older power plants. With higher inflation and the addition of more electrified transportation increasing electricity demand, there will be breaking points throughout your investment.
Additionally, our state government is definitely encouraging solar as well, through their improvements to the SREC market through a bipartisan effort.
Shygar
Member
When will regular SolarCity customers (with no Powerwall) be able to use the Tesla app to view their solar usage?
Software versions for Powerwall 2? for what TOU features another battery maker offers.
Note SCE has seasonal rates. Tesla seems to have not anticipated this nor other specific TOU details for other localities (as compared to other deployed implementations):
Time-Of-Use Residential Rate Plans | Rates | Your Home | Home - SCE
You actually have third-party installers (per question 7). They're waiting upon their PW orders to get filled, as you're out of SGIP rebate competitiveness (per question 3). It seems your Gigafactory is just as behind on PW2 production along with the Tesla 3 batteries. This is not my speculation but from new articles I've read. Hurricane Maria didn't help your customers already on the waiting list.
From personal experience, this doesn't work if there's no advisor that actually calls back until months later. Having a customer personally followup into CS, only to get "wait" for an advisor, oh in a few months. Considering I'm in SoCal, it shouldn't be a small niche -- from my POV.
3.5 tons compressor from ICP. Model# ACS042A2C1 / FBA042GC1 .
Technically, this is your loss imo, as you're letting other resellers tarnish your brand and milking the SGIP rebate for their own benefit. It's kinda cavalier to not care about this.
Everyone, even Tesla customers are using the mySolarCity app still for production. This integration is definitely closely on the verge. An image of the new app is already existing in the proposal, so I would say likely another 2 months or so. Based on those customers starting to use the app when installed. That is completely a guess, but based on the way I have seen the company bring on changes in the past.
Welcome and thank you for doing this!!!
A few questions:
1) When is a bigger gateway unit coming? The current unit handles a max of 200 Amps, and I am building a new house with a 400A feed, so a 400A unit coming out in the next few months would be great!
2) The current approach for supporting a generator with the Solar and PW's on the line side of an automatic transfer switch menas that if the PW's run out of power, the Generator will take over and the Solar will never be used until the AC power from the utility comes back on. The FAQ mentions we should stay tuned for updates. Is a better approach coming soon, and when?
Even if it wasn't available when my house was finished, if I knew how the wiring was supposed to be set up, I could have it prewired for supporting thew new method. It's expensive to redo 400 amp connections!
3) Can we get the capability for the app to talk directly to the gateway for control, at least during a power outage? During a long outage, Internet and cell service can go down, but if the PW's can be controlled completely locally, a lot of new options are available.
thanks!
mike
A few questions:
1) When is a bigger gateway unit coming? The current unit handles a max of 200 Amps, and I am building a new house with a 400A feed, so a 400A unit coming out in the next few months would be great!
No new information about this currently
2) The current approach for supporting a generator with the Solar and PW's on the line side of an automatic transfer switch menas that if the PW's run out of power, the Generator will take over and the Solar will never be used until the AC power from the utility comes back on. The FAQ mentions we should stay tuned for updates. Is a better approach coming soon, and when?
No new information here either
Even if it wasn't available when my house was finished, if I knew how the wiring was supposed to be set up, I could have it prewired for supporting thew new method. It's expensive to redo 400 amp connections!
We would likely do the wiring for the Powerwall into your system in a installation when available
3) Can we get the capability for the app to talk directly to the gateway for control, at least during a power outage? During a long outage, Internet and cell service can go down, but if the PW's can be controlled completely locally, a lot of new options are available.
Great idea, I will pass it along. Definitely can see the practicality with that idea and surprised it doesn't already have that feature through your ethernet cable into a LAN system. I guess they would need that local software.
thanks!
mike[/QUOTE]
1) When is a bigger gateway unit coming? The current unit handles a max of 200 Amps, and I am building a new house with a 400A feed, so a 400A unit coming out in the next few months would be great!
No new information about this currently
2) The current approach for supporting a generator with the Solar and PW's on the line side of an automatic transfer switch menas that if the PW's run out of power, the Generator will take over and the Solar will never be used until the AC power from the utility comes back on. The FAQ mentions we should stay tuned for updates. Is a better approach coming soon, and when?
No new information here either
Even if it wasn't available when my house was finished, if I knew how the wiring was supposed to be set up, I could have it prewired for supporting thew new method. It's expensive to redo 400 amp connections!
We would likely do the wiring for the Powerwall into your system in a installation when available
3) Can we get the capability for the app to talk directly to the gateway for control, at least during a power outage? During a long outage, Internet and cell service can go down, but if the PW's can be controlled completely locally, a lot of new options are available.
Great idea, I will pass it along. Definitely can see the practicality with that idea and surprised it doesn't already have that feature through your ethernet cable into a LAN system. I guess they would need that local software.
thanks!
mike[/QUOTE]
This is something they do care about, and I am sure will address appropriately. Just another company's loss in the sense of biting a hand that feeds presently (or not so presently for now), but perhaps that can encourage more growth and competition in competitive battery technology and weed out some of the bad apples as well.
