Progress report: agonized for hours, talking to Tesla and one other installer (who I met at an EV meetup, who is recommending Sunpower panels that have integrated emphase - and this looks like good advice) - but my price for 10k panel system (without re-roofing or battery backup, one of which I definitely need - last windstorm tore off a shingle that then flew AGAINST the wind to scrape the frunk on my new Model 3 - still in mourning on that; and given I’ve lost electricity twice in 6 months - both times for at least 12 hours, the former is a maintain-sanity issue for me) is >$45K out of pocket. Which is about 20 years to cash positive (based on bidders’ calculations that do include tax incentives).
@Xenoilphobe - did you do your own site survey and engineering? I have very limited (think Habitat for Humanity) experience on roofs, but my contractor (who has given me a good price estimate on new roof here, and did great job on my old townhouse) has installed solar at his cabin in WV, so I’m thinking he can do this. But basically, that makes me the contractor/engineer...
And I’ve heard you need a “single invoice” for going solar, or you won’t get the tax credit. How did you do that? I’m trying to figure out how to get Tesla Energy to subcontract to my contractor (which is nuts) just to get to a single invoice. But now I’m thinking - if I take down trees in the back (Have to come down - too tall, spindly, crowded, dropping branches, oak leaves corroding copper roof over an addition that will not be getting solar, etc.) - can I include that in the cost of going solar?
Thanks in advance for any advice, opinions, not-an-advice (props to investor threads for that inside joke), or moral support...
(And p.s. yes, i do love trees and will plant more - just better, more size-appropriate trees, further from the house and I will not crowd them so they can individually flourish)