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Design Change After Acceptance?

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I currently have a Tesla 3.25kW system with two Powerwalls. I’m trying to add an additional 4.25kW system because of expected usage increase (another electric car and switching from gas to electric heat). I’m in the Bay Area (San Mateo County).

The initial layout came back and it’s sub-optimal and I have put in a request to make get it changed, but Tesla said it will take a few weeks to come up with a different design. According to PVWatts, the Tesla design will generate 5,300kWh per year. If they move the panel the out put can reach 5,700kWh.

With NEM3 coming up soon, I really don’t want to delay the installation.

Does anyone have any experience changing the design after the original design is accepted? Also can the installers make changes on the installation day?

Thanks In Advance
 
Also can the installers make changes on the installation day?
Tesla changed my system on installation day. They found a panel wouldn’t fit in its designated location and they moved it and one other panel to another location. I don’t know if their ability to change on installation day is limited to installation issues or not. I do know they had to contact someone to get approval.
 
I currently have a Tesla 3.25kW system with two Powerwalls. I’m trying to add an additional 4.25kW system because of expected usage increase (another electric car and switching from gas to electric heat). I’m in the Bay Area (San Mateo County).

The initial layout came back and it’s sub-optimal and I have put in a request to make get it changed, but Tesla said it will take a few weeks to come up with a different design. According to PVWatts, the Tesla design will generate 5,300kWh per year. If they move the panel the out put can reach 5,700kWh.

With NEM3 coming up soon, I really don’t want to delay the installation.

Does anyone have any experience changing the design after the original design is accepted? Also can the installers make changes on the installation day?

Thanks In Advance
When I was going through this earlier this year it took 3-4 weeks for a design change. I went through a couple of iterations delaying things. During install they realized a couple of panels wouldn't fit so they modified the layout on the fly.

Install was just a little over a week ago. I'm assuming they are working on resubmitting permits now given the change. I wouldn't count on them making modification at your request during the install.
 
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I currently have a Tesla 3.25kW system with two Powerwalls. I’m trying to add an additional 4.25kW system because of expected usage increase (another electric car and switching from gas to electric heat). I’m in the Bay Area (San Mateo County).

The initial layout came back and it’s sub-optimal and I have put in a request to make get it changed, but Tesla said it will take a few weeks to come up with a different design. According to PVWatts, the Tesla design will generate 5,300kWh per year. If they move the panel the out put can reach 5,700kWh.

With NEM3 coming up soon, I really don’t want to delay the installation.

Does anyone have any experience changing the design after the original design is accepted? Also can the installers make changes on the installation day?

Thanks In Advance

I agree with @yblaser here. I would not expect to be able to make ANY requests for modification to the install team when they are there. If they find something does not work, if they are able, they might modify it (which may or may not mean re submittal of permits etc.

The best way to think of this is that "accepting the design" is actually "accepting the design", meaning, you are agreeing that you are ok with the design. "Expecting" to be able to change something after the fact, and that not delay stuff, is.... not something I would do or plan on doing, and something I would highly NOT recommend.

Dont accept the design until you actually except the design. Doing something different, to me, seem to be a fast track to being frustrated and disappointed.
 
When I was going through this earlier this year it took 3-4 weeks for a design change. I went through a couple of iterations delaying things. During install they realized a couple of panels wouldn't fit so they modified the layout on the fly.

Install was just a little over a week ago. I'm assuming they are working on resubmitting permits now given the change. I wouldn't count on them making modification at your request during the install.
How long did it take for Tesla to come back to you during the iterations during design? I'm 4 weeks into requesting an initial design change and am still waiting for them to come back to me. My fear is that each change will result in a 4-5 week wait.
 
How long did it take for Tesla to come back to you during the iterations during design? I'm 4 weeks into requesting an initial design change and am still waiting for them to come back to me. My fear is that each change will result in a 4-5 week wait.
How specific is your design change request? If it is a simple production size change you may try the sales chat to ask them to submit your design change request, not sure if they would do that if you want to dictate more specific changes. I was able to do the size increase change through the sales chat when my advisor was too busy to respond to me. Otherwise just keep calling your advisor, they know you are calling, just a matter if they want to pick up your call.
 
How specific is your design change request? If it is a simple production size change you may try the sales chat to ask them to submit your design change request, not sure if they would do that if you want to dictate more specific changes. I was able to do the size increase change through the sales chat when my advisor was too busy to respond to me. Otherwise just keep calling your advisor, they know you are calling, just a matter if they want to pick up your call.
I'm requesting all panels be placed on the south side of my roof. For some reason, they have placed 6 panels on the west side of my roof. I'm confident all panels would fit because I have received multiple other quotes with all panels on the south side.
 
I'm requesting all panels be placed on the south side of my roof. For some reason, they have placed 6 panels on the west side of my roof. I'm confident all panels would fit because I have received multiple other quotes with all panels on the south side.
If your advisor is not responsive to your change request, did you try the sales chat and ask if they would submit the request for your? The chat icon is on the lower right corner of the solar panel page. They have been very responsive for me even when I had questions on support after installation.
 
How long did it take for Tesla to come back to you during the iterations during design? I'm 4 weeks into requesting an initial design change and am still waiting for them to come back to me. My fear is that each change will result in a 4-5 week wait.
If I remember correctly, a new layout picture appeared on my tesla account page within at most a few days of making the request. I think the majority of the delay happens on the back end as the update the detailed design and resubmit the permits as necessary. The exact duration of that was a bit opaque to me, but they generally quoted it would delay things 3-4 weeks.

The first time I did an update, I emailed them a request and then followed up a little less than a week after by phone. It was obvious that it was just sitting in an email queue at that point and nobody had looked at it. Once I called and they forwarded it to the design team it only took a couple of days to see the update on my tesla account page.
 
If your advisor is not responsive to your change request, did you try the sales chat and ask if they would submit the request for your? The chat icon is on the lower right corner of the solar panel page. They have been very responsive for me even when I had questions on support after installation.
My redesign request has been submitted, but it is taking them a long time to make changes. I texted last week and the rep said they were escalating the request as the time frame for the redesign exceeded their initial estimate of 2-3 weeks. It's been 1 week since escalation and I haven't seen a redesign.
 
If I remember correctly, a new layout picture appeared on my tesla account page within at most a few days of making the request. I think the majority of the delay happens on the back end as the update the detailed design and resubmit the permits as necessary. The exact duration of that was a bit opaque to me, but they generally quoted it would delay things 3-4 weeks.

The first time I did an update, I emailed them a request and then followed up a little less than a week after by phone. It was obvious that it was just sitting in an email queue at that point and nobody had looked at it. Once I called and they forwarded it to the design team it only took a couple of days to see the update on my tesla account page.
You got lucky that it only took them a couple of days to update your design after making the request. I'm 4 weeks in from my initial request and them responding that they will work on it.
 
My redesign request has been submitted, but it is taking them a long time to make changes. I texted last week and the rep said they were escalating the request as the time frame for the redesign exceeded their initial estimate of 2-3 weeks. It's been 1 week since escalation and I haven't seen a redesign.
I see, not sure what else you can do other than just keep waiting and calling. I think Tesla is dealing with thousands if not tens of thousands of potential solar customers across the country with only one central office, they are way under staffed. Unlike most local installers where they deal with hundreds of customers the most. If the wait does not work for you then you can always go to others, my next choice would be SunPower. Demands for Tesla product is insane, car is even worse, just look at a model Y, besides price keeps going up the wait time is well into middle of next year. Just for comparison, the so-called model Y killer Mustang Mach-E, I can pick one up tomorrow morning at any one of my local dealers.
 
the so-called model Y killer Mustang Mach-E, I can pick one up tomorrow morning at any one of my local dealers.

Any Mach-E you can pick up at a dealer will have a $5k-20k mark up probably..."Select" models are more common, but there is literally only 2 "Premiums" in all of San Diego currently (and both were special ordered cars so maybe sold already). They're not as 'common' as people make them out to be.

Their wait time posted on their web site is 28+ weeks for a Premium/GT so we're looking at June of 2022 now (I have a Mach-E on order so yes, I maybe biased).
 
I don't know if it is coincidence or not, but my redesign was completed a couple of hours after posting here. Things moved pretty faster after that. Permitting was completed and I have an install date scheduled for early November. Hoping things go smoothly from now on.