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Experiences with Tesla Energy at the beginning of Service in your state

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I believe that Tesla Energy has either started or is planning on doing energy installations in Georgia, North Carolina, and possibly in other states.. I'm starting this thread for three primary reasons:
  • I hope this thread will be an ongoing discussion for folks in new states for Tesla Energy installations to gather helpful input from those in other regions who have been through the process.
  • I'm in Atlanta, Georgia where installations are supposed to start soon even though mine is not scheduled yet. I'm curious how the process went for the first installations in other states. Were the crews experienced? Were they Tesla employees or were they subcontractors? I'm really looking for any information that would be helpful for others who are about to follow in your path.
  • I had started threads for Georgia and North Carolina but Moderator @jjrandorin suggested it would be better to avoid having individual state-by-state threads. @jjrandorin please feel free to merge the threads...thanks.
 
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(moderator note)

I can merge the threads for you if you want, but because of the way the forum software works the posts will be merged into the thread in date order. This means the ones in the georgia thread will be first, and the (very nice) Opening post in the thread will be lost.

My suggestion would be to let this post stand alone, and possibly sticky this post so it doesnt get lost / buried. Your OP in this thread is good, and I hate to see it get buried in the body of the thread because I merge the threads.

Links to the other two threads you mention could just be left in this thread, like so:



Note that, if you still think they should be merged together, I certainly can do that... i just wanted to give you the ramifications, especially as it appears to me that you put some effort into formatting that opening first post (and as I said, I like it).
 
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(moderator note)

I can merge the threads for you if you want, but because of the way the forum software works the posts will be merged into the thread in date order. This means the ones in the georgia thread will be first, and the (very nice) Opening post in the thread will be lost.

My suggestion would be to let this post stand alone, and possibly sticky this post so it doesnt get lost / buried. Your OP in this thread is good, and I hate to see it get buried in the body of the thread because I merge the threads.

Links to the other two threads you mention could just be left in this thread, like so:


That all sounds good. Perhaps I'll add a post to each of the other threads with a link to this one. Then if you would like you could lock the other threads stopping any further comments.
 
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So, I received my official roof assessment from Tesla and they say that I'll need to find a contractor to replace all shingles before they can move forward with the project. I wonder if I should just look at going with a Solar Roof instead, which is doable, but a little out of my budget.

The tech that did my assessment did say Tesla Roofs were their priority anyway.
 
So, I received my official roof assessment from Tesla and they say that I'll need to find a contractor to replace all shingles before they can move forward with the project. I wonder if I should just look at going with a Solar Roof instead, which is doable, but a little out of my budget.

The tech that did my assessment did say Tesla Roofs were their priority anyway.
Would you have been close to replacing the roof without the 'push' from Tesla?
 
So, I received my official roof assessment from Tesla and they say that I'll need to find a contractor to replace all shingles before they can move forward with the project. I wonder if I should just look at going with a Solar Roof instead, which is doable, but a little out of my budget.

The tech that did my assessment did say Tesla Roofs were their priority anyway.
You could look into it, but solar glass roofs are expensive and create less electricity than solar panels.
 
I believe that Tesla Energy has either started or is planning on doing energy installations in Georgia, North Carolina, and possibly in other states.. I'm starting this thread for three primary reasons:
  • I hope this thread will be an ongoing discussion for folks in new states for Tesla Energy installations to gather helpful input from those in other regions who have been through the process.
  • I'm in Atlanta, Georgia where installations are supposed to start soon even though mine is not scheduled yet. I'm curious how the process went for the first installations in other states. Were the crews experienced? Were they Tesla employees or were they subcontractors? I'm really looking for any information that would be helpful for others who are about to follow in your path.
  • I had started threads for Georgia and North Carolina but Moderator @jjrandorin suggested it would be better to avoid having individual state-by-state threads. @jjrandorin please feel free to merge the threads...thanks.
My solar installation in PA was completed about three weeks ago. The crew worked for Tesla, not a contractor. They acted in a professional manner and all went well. The leader said they spend most of their time doing glass roofs but fill in their time with solar panels.
 
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Would you have been close to replacing the roof without the 'push' from Tesla?
Well, up until the Tesla rep showed me up close pictures of my tiles I thought my roof was in pretty decent shape. There are a couple of leak spots when it rains hard but I think that is more to do with the plates around the roof vents not being secured.

My memory is fuzzy but I could have sworn the previous owner told me he replaced the roof himself back in 2010 or so (he ran a roofing company.) But when I go back to look at my home inspection report from '15 (when I purchased the house) "the age of the roof" line says "unknown." so, who knows.
 
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You could look into it, but solar glass roofs are expensive and create less electricity than solar panels.
While the expense part definitely could be an issue, I think the latter statement requires some qualification. I have not seen evidence that the same size array, pointed in the same direction, will show any significant difference in production whether the array is of panels or the roof. However, because the density of solar cells in the solar roof product is significantly less than that for panels, it is far more common to run out of prime positions to place the solar, resulting in placement in less ideal locations which generate less solar.

But, in any case, that should all be accounted for in the pricing and estimates from Tesla, so it is not difficult to get the numbers as a homeowner and proceed from there.
 
I have a solar only install in NC. They first came out on August 6 to start the install and have had to come back multiple times to complete the install. I have now failed inspection twice and it will be at least another week before issue is corrected and third inspection.
 
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I believe that Tesla Energy has either started or is planning on doing energy installations in Georgia, North Carolina, and possibly in other states.. I'm starting this thread for three primary reasons:
  • I hope this thread will be an ongoing discussion for folks in new states for Tesla Energy installations to gather helpful input from those in other regions who have been through the process.
  • I'm in Atlanta, Georgia where installations are supposed to start soon even though mine is not scheduled yet. I'm curious how the process went for the first installations in other states. Were the crews experienced? Were they Tesla employees or were they subcontractors? I'm really looking for any information that would be helpful for others who are about to follow in your path.
  • I had started threads for Georgia and North Carolina but Moderator @jjrandorin suggested it would be better to avoid having individual state-by-state threads. @jjrandorin please feel free to merge the threads...thanks.
I live in New Jersey and had a great installation experience for both Powerwalls and solar panels (one large project but installed separately for logistical reasons). Tesla performed all the work directly; no contractors or third-party personnel were involved. Each installation took a single day. This was in mid-2020 during the onset of the COVID epidemic, no less.

My particular misery now is with their post-installation support (which is abysmal) but that's the topic of a separate thread I started:


Fruitcake
 
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Got my roof replaced a couple of weeks ago, now I'm waiting on Tesla. Just got off the phone with them and they say they planned on using the Florida install crew for GA installs but because of high install demand in both states, Tesla says they are going to open a warehouse in ATL and hire a crew to work from there. No date or location yet for the warehouse.

They say I'd be lucky to have my install done before the end of the year.
 
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Got my roof replaced a couple of weeks ago, now I'm waiting on Tesla. Just got off the phone with them and they say they planned on using the Florida install crew for GA installs but because of high install demand in both states, Tesla says they are going to open a warehouse in ATL and hire a crew to work from there. No date or location yet for the warehouse yet.

They say I'd be lucky to have my install done before the end of the year.
Thanks for the update. I was hoping for installation this year but Georgia Power has not completed their review yet. Tomorrow makes 4 weeks from the application by Tesla. When I combine that with your information it's not looking good for this year.
 
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@Fred42 Good point. I just wasn't sure if the cost of a roof tile replacement + Solar panels would equal the price of a Solar roof. I guess I'll start gathering quotes.
The SolarRoof worked out cheaper than a replacement roof plus solar panels for us. One caveat is in our original roof was tile, so this may not work out if you have an asphalt single type roof. We also go more generation capacity out of solarroof because active tiles can fit in smaller areas than panels.
 
A data point from another new state, Hawaii:

My sister visiting from the islands mentioned that a solar roof was being done in her neighborhood, only the 2nd on Oahu, according to the installing team. (credible, as I found recent articles from 2021 mentioning the first solar roofs on neighbor islands Kaua'i and BIg Island as well). Hawaii is a bit unique, as they're training their first installers on the job, since they can't bring in teams from other states, and these teams obviously will be dedicated to the state for the same reason. Prob also for that reason, the project also went fairly slowly, after old roof tear-off at least 5 days with a large team to install the solar roof. Generated a lot of curiousity from the neighbors seeing the Tesla logo on the building materials (I think on the underlayment?), as well as the shiny glass tiles.

Her neighborhood is typically about 2000 sq ft homes both single and two-story; total price according to the owner is about $100K for the solar roof. The tropical sun is pretty harsh on roofs, most in the neighborhood long ago already replaced their 1970's-era OG wood shake roofs with more durable cement or clay tile, so the longevity of the solar roof is a huge benefit. A new tile roof alone would've cost about $30-35K, so with the federal tax credit, about half of the price can be attributed to needing a new roof anyways - so say about $50K for the solar cost of the roof, as opposed to solar panels. Not sure how many active tiles or solar watts for that price - premium product for sure, but labor in Hawaii can be expensive as well. For comparison, my sister paid about $3.80/ DC watt for panels about three years ago, before Tesla did their big price drop on panels.

No sign of Powerwalls on this project, though my sister and other neighbors were not knowledgeable enough to ask. Most of her area is undergrounded utility lines, so less prone to outages, but I do remember the occasional outages during major storms/hurricanes and flash floods from my childhood. But another benefit to Powerwalls for Hawaii is load-shifting - there is so much solar that HECO (the local PoCo) in had not only reduced NEM but even blocked installs by disallowing sending excess energy to the grid. Claim was grid instability - that even passing clouds were causing neighborhood grids to suddenly jump up and down in instantaneous demand. You can get nearly 12 hours a day of sun all-year round in Hawaii, but if HECO only credits pennies for excess production, in one of the most expensive electricity regions in the country, the Powerwalls can pay back pretty quickly.
 
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A data point from another new state, Hawaii:

My sister visiting from the islands mentioned that a solar roof was being done in her neighborhood, only the 2nd on Oahu, according to the installing team. (credible, as I found recent articles from 2021 mentioning the first solar roofs on neighbor islands Kaua'i and BIg Island as well). Hawaii is a bit unique, as they're training their first installers on the job, since they can't bring in teams from other states, and these teams obviously will be dedicated to the state for the same reason. Prob also for that reason, the project also went fairly slowly, after old roof tear-off at least 5 days with a large team to install the solar roof. Generated a lot of curiousity from the neighbors seeing the Tesla logo on the building materials (I think on the underlayment?), as well as the shiny glass tiles.

Her neighborhood is typically about 2000 sq ft homes both single and two-story; total price according to the owner is about $100K for the solar roof. The tropical sun is pretty harsh on roofs, most in the neighborhood long ago already replaced their 1970's-era OG wood shake roofs with more durable cement or clay tile, so the longevity of the solar roof is a huge benefit. A new tile roof alone would've cost about $30-35K, so with the federal tax credit, about half of the price can be attributed to needing a new roof anyways - so say about $50K for the solar cost of the roof, as opposed to solar panels. Not sure how many active tiles or solar watts for that price - premium product for sure, but labor in Hawaii can be expensive as well. For comparison, my sister paid about $3.80/ DC watt for panels about three years ago, before Tesla did their big price drop on panels.

No sign of Powerwalls on this project, though my sister and other neighbors were not knowledgeable enough to ask. Most of her area is undergrounded utility lines, so less prone to outages, but I do remember the occasional outages during major storms/hurricanes and flash floods from my childhood. But another benefit to Powerwalls for Hawaii is load-shifting - there is so much solar that HECO (the local PoCo) in had not only reduced NEM but even blocked installs by disallowing sending excess energy to the grid. Claim was grid instability - that even passing clouds were causing neighborhood grids to suddenly jump up and down in instantaneous demand. You can get nearly 12 hours a day of sun all-year round in Hawaii, but if HECO only credits pennies for excess production, in one of the most expensive electricity regions in the country, the Powerwalls can pay back pretty quickly.
5 days to install is not bad. Ours took 3 weeks. We found the cost to be just slightly less than a new tile roof plus solar panels.

My guess is Powerwalls are definitely part of this project. I don't know if Tesla even sells a Solarroof with Powerwalls.