Arizona Powerwall Installs

[destructure00]

I've called 3 times asking about sales tax removal and been told each time they have opened a ticket with their finance group. Last call was 2 weeks ago. I've heard nothing back. I even emailed an advisor from someone in this thread who was able to have sales tax removed and got no response. I think since I've already paid they are not interested in revisiting/refunding anything. Who knows. I'd love to have the $1300 back. The only unique thing about my installation is that the solar is owned by Tesla (subscription) and I purchased the powerwalls. My understanding is that the sales tax should not have been charged, but I'm not 100% confident about that.

 

[Thai480]

"I put in a request to remove taxes"
This is the response i got from my advisor today after telling them that they shouldnt charge tax on my system and referencing
Arizona Revised Statues (ARS) 42-5001 line 20 "20. "

 

[Shawzzzzzz]

I've called 3 times asking about sales tax removal and been told each time they have opened a ticket with their finance group. Last call was 2 weeks ago. I've heard nothing back. I even emailed an advisor from someone in this thread who was able to have sales tax removed and got no response. I think since I've already paid they are not interested in revisiting/refunding anything. Who knows. I'd love to have the $1300 back. The only unique thing about my installation is that the solar is owned by Tesla (subscription) and I purchased the powerwalls. My understanding is that the sales tax should not have been charged, but I'm not 100% confident about that.

any luck?

 

[destructure00]

any luck?

Nothing yet. I need to call back again.

 

[ragedogg69]

It's a custom app that @Darwin created to run on either SmartThings or Hubitat smart home hubs. Do you have either of those?

I found the Time Based modes don't operate quite the way I want...they don't seem to be designed for plans with flat solar export rates and demand charges (I am on Saver Choice Max plan with APS). So I toggle back and forth between Backup Only mode (with Storm Watch enabled) to prioritize charging the powerwalls during off-peak periods, and Self-Powered (with Storm Watch disabled) to avoid pulling from the grid during peak periods with demand charges. This is scheduled and automatically executed using the built-in Rule Machine app on my Hubitat hub, taking into account weekends and off-peak APS holidays.

Tesla Powerwall Manager app for SmartThings (and Hubitat) Hubs - DarwinsDen.com


In my case, during off-peak periods, I want solar to prioritize charging the batteries first, so they are full when the peak period starts at 3pm. After the batteries are full, solar powers my house, then any excess gets exported. Backup Only mode accomplishes this.

During on-peak periods, I want to pull zero from the grid. So the house runs first off solar, then pulls from the batteries if solar is not enough. If there is excess solar, it will recharge the batteries first, then export whatever's left. Self-Powered mode accomplishes this.

So far it's worked perfectly. During the hottest days here with lots of A/C usage, I am ending the day with around 30% remaining in the PWs. Cooler days like yesterday I ended with 75% remaining. This is with a single A/C unit and 2 PWs.

This is super useful. What was your experience with the default Cost Savings in the Tesla app during peak?

I am just waiting for PTO from APS. Do you remember how long it took for your inspection passed to PTO?

 

[destructure00]

This is super useful. What was your experience with the default Cost Savings in the Tesla app during peak?

I am just waiting for PTO from APS. Do you remember how long it took for your inspection passed to PTO?

I never really tried the cost savings approach, saw small grid pulls during peak from a few members here, and based on the description where it says the PWs will occasionally discharge off peak to "make room" for solar told me it wasn't what I was looking for. Scheduling the switch between Backup and Self-Powered, along with a few notifications for warnings if something goes wrong has been pretty good. Although there was one day when our internet was down at the 3pm cutover time....I had to go flip the breaker to force a cutover since Hubitat couldn't send the mode change. I also screwed myself one afternoon...made a partial rule change and messed it up, PWs didn't change modes at the right time and I got hit with .77 kw demand charge for the month. I also saw a couple days last week where the change back from Self Powered to Backup sent at 8pm, the status changed in what was reported to Hubitat, but the batteries kept discharging. First day like this it finally switched over at 8:45 pm, the other 2 days I went into the Tesla app and changed modes around and got it to stick. No idea why, but it happened 3 days last week. Yesterday worked fine.

APS was really quick with PTO. It actually took Tesla a couple weeks after I passed inspection to get updated plans over to APS, when I thought I was waiting on APS. Once that happened, I think it was less than a week for APS to review and approve and come set meters. They were super quick.

 

[Squeezit]

Those of you who used to pay around $380 in the summertime on electric. What kind of system did you install?
I was recommended two power walls on the 16kw system and was told that should be enough that I sound shouldn't really need to pull from the grid, and if I do they'll use my banked hours from wintertime.

Can anyone confirm?

 

[BrettS]

Those of you who used to pay around $380 in the summertime on electric. What kind of system did you install?
I was recommended two power walls on the 16kw system and was told that should be enough that I sound shouldn't really need to pull from the grid, and if I do they'll use my banked hours from wintertime.

Can anyone confirm?

Instead of looking at your average monthly cost you should look at your actual power consumption, which will be a much more accurate indication of how much power you are using. If you add up the consumption from your power bills for the last 12 months you can see exactly how much power you used last year and then compare that to the amount of power tesla estimates your solar system will generate in a year.

 

[charlesj]

Those of you who used to pay around $380 in the summertime on electric. What kind of system did you install?
I was recommended two power walls on the 16kw system and was told that should be enough that I sound shouldn't really need to pull from the grid, and if I do they'll use my banked hours from wintertime.

Can anyone confirm?

I am certainly not the expert especially with the AZ power company. But it seems there is a high cost demand charge at peak time periods.
I would think you would want to have enough battery power to last that time period with a good reserve just in case. Also, how reliable is the power company for outages.
I would use the max kWh you may have used in that period. Perhaps the power company has your record available for a few years to you on line.
As to having a big enough PV system and how much you want to cover with your annual production, that would require annual usage as suggested.

 

[destructure00]

Those of you who used to pay around $380 in the summertime on electric. What kind of system did you install?
I was recommended two power walls on the 16kw system and was told that should be enough that I sound shouldn't really need to pull from the grid, and if I do they'll use my banked hours from wintertime.

Can anyone confirm?

How many A/C units do you have? I have one, in a 2300 sq ft house. 2 powerwalls are enough to get me through the 5 hour demand period with about 30% remaining during the hottest parts of the year. My 11.4kw solar covers a lot of the consumption during the daylight hours. Obviously the cooler it gets, the less the A/C runs, and the less of the battery capacity I use.

11.4kw is also enough to have the batteries recharged from 30% back to full by about 11am the next day if it's a clear day.

 

[destructure00]

This is super useful. What was your experience with the default Cost Savings in the Tesla app during peak?

I am just waiting for PTO from APS. Do you remember how long it took for your inspection passed to PTO?

I tried setting TBC Cost Savings last night, my PWs discharged from 70 to 30% overnight. That costs me .05/kwh (I just lost the ability to export that 40%), so I'm going back to the scheduled Backup/Self-Powered mode changes. TBC needs some work before it's good for demand based plans IMO.

 

[jboy210]

I tried setting TBC Cost Savings last night, my PWs discharged from 70 to 30% overnight. That costs me .05/kwh (I just lost the ability to export that 40%), so I'm going back to the scheduled Backup/Self-Powered mode changes. TBC needs some work before it's good for demand based plans IMO.

I also reverted from Cost Savings to Self-Powered. I find if works in a more predictable manner.

 

[ragedogg69]

I tried setting TBC Cost Savings last night, my PWs discharged from 70 to 30% overnight. That costs me .05/kwh (I just lost the ability to export that 40%), so I'm going back to the scheduled Backup/Self-Powered mode changes. TBC needs some work before it's good for demand based plans IMO.

Out of curiosity, what do you have your 8PM to 3PM labelled? I was wondering if that discharge changes if that overnight was shoulder vs off peak?

I guess if it is "making room" for your solar, it wouldnt matter.

 

[destructure00]

Out of curiosity, what do you have your 8PM to 3PM labelled? I was wondering if that discharge changes if that overnight was shoulder vs off peak?

I guess if it is "making room" for your solar, it wouldnt matter.

I have 8pm to 3pm set as off-peak, and 3-8pm, as shoulder. I don't have a peak period set, since that causes it to run the house off battery only and export all the solar. I wouldn't make it through the entire 5 hour period during the hottest days on battery like that.

 

[ragedogg69]

That seems odd that it is exporting your solar during peak. I guess that would make since with net metering, but horrible with a demand charge. I reread the Powerwall description for Peak and it only says "Powerwall will discharge during peak and discharge in other periods to ‘make room’ for solar based on energy forecast." I guess that is what it is doing. I guess I will be getting a Hubitat when I finally get PTO.

 

[Squeezit]

How many A/C units do you have? I have one, in a 2300 sq ft house. 2 powerwalls are enough to get me through the 5 hour demand period with about 30% remaining during the hottest parts of the year. My 11.4kw solar covers a lot of the consumption during the daylight hours. Obviously the cooler it gets, the less the A/C runs, and the less of the battery capacity I use.

11.4kw is also enough to have the batteries recharged from 30% back to full by about 11am the next day if it's a clear day.

To answer your question I have two ac units. One for upstairs and one for downstairs.
I'll have to double check the power consumption.



On a side note, Tesla just raised the price of the power walls today.
I pulled the trigger and purchased with a representative on September 25th.
They didn't send me anything until today and they included the new higher cost of the power walls which was just implemented today. I'm kind of ticked off and might cancel my order over how shady that was

 

[charlesj]

To answer your question I have two ac units. One for upstairs and one for downstairs.
I'll have to double check the power consumption.



On a side note, Tesla just raised the price of the power walls today.
I pulled the trigger and purchased with a representative on September 25th.
They didn't send me anything until today and they included the new higher cost of the power walls which was just implemented today. I'm kind of ticked off and might cancel my order over how shady that was

How much of an increase?
Tell them you placed the order well enough before to give you your older price. Ba-humbug.

 

[Squeezit]

They increased it by $500 per power wall. I'm getting two power walls so that's an extra $1,000

I know that's probably not a lot to some people but it's still the principle.

I've reached out and am just waiting for a response.
I also spoke with my sales rep who called me when I was initially considering getting solar and have an original price quote from the website when him and I went over it together.

 

[ragedogg69]

They increased it by $500 per power wall. I'm getting two power walls so that's an extra $1,000

I know that's probably not a lot to some people but it's still the principle.

I've reached out and am just waiting for a response.
I also spoke with my sales rep who called me when I was initially considering getting solar and have an original price quote from the website when him and I went over it together.

Well it is not just the more expensive price, the cut down on the Solar/Powerwall combo discount as well. My 8.16 Solar with two Powerwalls is now $33,400. Back in July I got it for 30,500. If you can get them to honor your previous quote, that is a substantial difference IMO.

 

[charlesj]

They increased it by $500 per power wall. I'm getting two power walls so that's an extra $1,000

I know that's probably not a lot to some people but it's still the principle.

I've reached out and am just waiting for a response.
I also spoke with my sales rep who called me when I was initially considering getting solar and have an original price quote from the website when him and I went over it together.

Thanks. Seems like they are taking advantage of product demand and prices going up, credit cards going out.