How much design detail can I expect at the initial step?

[lensovet]

Put in an order at 3 am, a design was ready half an hour later. Implies to me that this was auto generated.

Sent a request to make some adjustments, as the placement they proposed would mean that most of the panels would be shaded the entire day during the winter at least. Is there any way to see the "progress" of this? I don't see anywhere on the site where I can even see the message I sent, much less a response to it. Where do these show up?

Also, how detailed of a design am I going to get at this stage? I chose the financing option and it sounds like once I accept the credit is pulled and the deposit is spoken for. Is there a way to see details like what kinds of panels they are going to use, inverters, etc before I commit?

Thanks!

 

[yblaser]

At some point you can request the full design package that they would send to your city for permitting, but unfortunately I do not when they would normally have that available to send to you.

I would follow up all your email requests with a phone call. Verify that they received the request and forwarded to the appropriate department otherwise it will sit in their inbox possibly indefinitely. You could ask them about the detailed design during the call as well.

 

[SaveOurPlanet]

I think Tesla is not for you if you want more control of your design or responsiveness to your inquiries, you may get lucky and they will take your design advice or they may just ignore you. Shading in the Winter is not as much an issue as low sun angle or weather pattern, for myself, what's important is what gets generated from April to September. Once you e-sign your contract you would see what inverter and panels to be used but again they could change as Tesla is good at making changes without telling you. Take my advice, go somewhere else if you want to take control, though I am somewhat happy with Tesla with my roof and PWs installation but I think they could have done better.

 

[Chud]

I just began the process for panels and pw’s too. I paid my $100 deposit on 11/25. Got the initial design a few hours later. I completed the credit check and did the e-documents for the permit paperwork. On 12/9 my project advisor called after I sent an email to another persons email address from Tesla listed on the permit paperwork sent to my city’s permitting department (because I assumed that person had the full design).
That person must have contacted my advisor and told him to call me. Prior to that I didn’t know I had an advisor or had even spoke to anyone at all. The advisor was able to send me the full plan designs and even made some changes I requested including upsizing my system.

A Tesla rep drove 2 hours to my house for the in-person site survey this past Friday (scheduled on the website a week or two ago). He looked at my power panels, went up on my roof to look around, answered a lot of the questions I had about placement of powerwalls etc. Really nice guy. Spent a few hours here and answered all the questions I had.

I received the updated design on the tesla website a couple after he left. I sent another email this morning requesting the full drawings on the updated design. Thats currently where I’m at. I’m going into this fully knowing it is a slow process. Communication will probably suck. I’ll have to be my own project manager etc. But I’m willing to do that for the low price, the technology and software Tesla offers.

 

[lensovet]

At some point you can request the full design package that they would send to your city for permitting, but unfortunately I do not when they would normally have that available to send to you.

I would follow up all your email requests with a phone call. Verify that they received the request and forwarded to the appropriate department otherwise it will sit in their inbox possibly indefinitely. You could ask them about the detailed design during the call as well.

What phone number? There is no number or project manager assigned at this stage. My only contact options are to "Request a change to your system", which is what I used. The number that sends automated text messages appears to be an automated one-way system that does not accept any replies other than STOP.

 

[lensovet]

I think Tesla is not for you if you want more control of your design or responsiveness to your inquiries, you may get lucky and they will take your design advice or they may just ignore you. Shading in the Winter is not as much an issue as low sun angle or weather pattern, for myself, what's important is what gets generated from April to September. Once you e-sign your contract you would see what inverter and panels to be used but again they could change as Tesla is good at making changes without telling you. Take my advice, go somewhere else if you want to take control, though I am somewhat happy with Tesla with my roof and PWs installation but I think they could have done better.

I mean I already have some experience with this being a Model 3 owner for the past 3 years. I don't follow how shading isn't an issue — the tree branches are already shading most of the roof where they want to place the panels and that's with no leaves on them. It's going to be even worse in the summer when the branches are covered in foliage.

I don't need so much control as I want to understand what I'm getting for the money so that I can compare to other installers. I'm willing to deal with some of the BS if that means the price is significantly lower, but I can't make that comparison if I don't even know what I'm comparing to.

 

[lensovet]

I just began the process for panels and pw’s too. I paid my $100 deposit on 11/25. Got the initial design a few hours later. I completed the credit check and did the e-documents for the permit paperwork. On 12/9 my project advisor called after I sent an email to another persons email address from Tesla listed on the permit paperwork sent to my city’s permitting department (because I assumed that person had the full design).
That person must have contacted my advisor and told him to call me. Prior to that I didn’t know I had an advisor or had even spoke to anyone at all. The advisor was able to send me the full plan designs and even made some changes I requested including upsizing my system.

A Tesla rep drove 2 hours to my house for the in-person site survey this past Friday (scheduled on the website a week or two ago). He looked at my power panels, went up on my roof to look around, answered a lot of the questions I had about placement of powerwalls etc. Really nice guy. Spent a few hours here and answered all the questions I had.

I received the updated design on the tesla website a couple after he left. I sent another email this morning requesting the full drawings on the updated design. Thats currently where I’m at. I’m going into this fully knowing it is a slow process. Communication will probably suck. I’ll have to be my own project manager etc. But I’m willing to do that for the low price, the technology and software Tesla offers.

Thanks, this is super helpful. How did you find out about the permit paperwork? How significantly would you say the design changed based on the site visit? What about the costs?

 

[Chud]

Thanks, this is super helpful. How did you find out about the permit paperwork? How significantly would you say the design changed based on the site visit? What about the costs?

After you accept the initial design, they will begin the permit process which can be different for different areas. Mine consisted of an online notary process that Tesla arranged. A day or two after that my Tesla account updated and said they’ve submitted application for the permits and also scheduled the on site survey.
As far as changes my main concern was I wanted more panels and I wanted my powerwalls moved to inside the garage not outside by the main meter/panel. The new design came back and was almost $10k more than the original design.
This was for 5.2 kw worth of additional panels and I’m currently trying to figure out if moving the pws was part of this extra cost. If so I’ll be happy with that since the on site guy said it may cost more money to move the pw’s. If it’s $10k just for the extra panels and moving the pws may cost more yet still then I’ll have a decision to make. So that’s where I’m at.

 

[lensovet]

Sent a request to make some adjustments, as the placement they proposed would mean that most of the panels would be shaded the entire day during the winter at least. Is there any way to see the "progress" of this? I don't see anywhere on the site where I can even see the message I sent, much less a response to it. Where do these show up?

For those who find this later — there is no way to see your submitted questions but the response came through in an email less than 24 hours later. So far so good and Tesla has been more responsive than anyone on SolarSage.

 

[lensovet]

A Tesla rep drove 2 hours to my house for the in-person site survey this past Friday (scheduled on the website a week or two ago). He looked at my power panels, went up on my roof to look around, answered a lot of the questions I had about placement of powerwalls etc. Really nice guy. Spent a few hours here and answered all the questions I had.

I'm curious to hear more about this. Was the on-site visit ever part of the "next steps"? All I'm seeing is that the permit has supposedly been submitted, but I don't understand how they can submit something when no on-site visit has been made yet.

 

[Eric99]

If permit has been submitted i dont think they are going to do a site visit. Many have had No site visit as part of their install.
I had my site visit and even though the inspector was super nice and cool, none of my requests were added to the plan.

 

[yblaser]

I'm curious to hear more about this. Was the on-site visit ever part of the "next steps"? All I'm seeing is that the permit has supposedly been submitted, but I don't understand how they can submit something when no on-site visit has been made yet.

+1 to what @Eric99 said. I would call and request they send you a copy of the plans to verify what and how they are installing the system.

 

[lensovet]

This is the status, which to me is confusing because it says it's been submitted yet the circle is not filled in:

 

[ascottallison]

What phone number? There is no number or project manager assigned at this stage. My only contact options are to "Request a change to your system", which is what I used. The number that sends automated text messages appears to be an automated one-way system that does not accept any replies other than STOP.

If you click on contact support option, at some point there it should show you the phone number, name and extension number of your assigned project advisor. Once you get through it doesn't actually matter who you talk to, they can help you, and apart from one rep everyone else I ever talked to was helpful.

 

[lensovet]

If you click on contact support option, at some point there it should show you the phone number, name and extension number of your assigned project advisor. Once you get through it doesn't actually matter who you talk to, they can help you, and apart from one rep everyone else I ever talked to was helpful.

There was no such thing, but as I replied in How much design detail can I expect at the initial step?, I just used the "chat" to send a question and the person who replied was my advisor.

She also informed me last week that no on-site visit was deemed necessary for my project.