How to get Tesla to start servicing my area?

[mstgkillr]

I am very interested in a Tesla solar/Powerwall install. Tesla is by far is the least expensive installer. Unfortunately, they do not service my area, because they do not have an agreement with my utility provider, Lee County Electric Cooperative (LCEC). They do however service surrounding areas, as close as 3 miles away.

Anyone have any suggestions as to how I might get Tesla to start servicing my area? Any contacts, etc. I would be fine being the beta tester for LCEC.

 

[wjgjr]

Do you know why they do not have an agreement, or what that agreement entails? Is it a technical issue (seeing FL mentioned, wind/hurricane ratings are an example) or just a bureaucratic one (Tesla has to submit technical documents and pay a fee, or similar)? That might help in terms of next steps. I ask in part because where I am, my impression is the utility and county don't really get to pick and choose companies or have explicit agreements with them. As long as the company is properly licensed, uses properly-certified products and installers, and submits appropriate plans, they will be approved. No doubt that if the product is new to the authority, it might take longer for the first reviews to make sure everything is compliant, but it should still be completed.

My only other suggestion would be to look for other neighbors who want to install solar and talk to them about the benefits of Tesla. I would think that whatever the reason they are currently not installing there, the more customers in the area who express interest, the more likely Tesla will be motivated to make things happen.

 

[jboy210]

If they don't have an agreement with the electric company perhaps the issues lies with the electric company. They may have onerous requirements and terms that Tesla does not have to agree to in the surrounding areas.

The other question is one of density. Are there a lot of potential customer for Tesla in the area?

 

[ThomasD]

A sale is a sale Why would Tesla care if only one person wants their solar 100 miles from a large population center

 

[glide]

A sale is a sale Why would Tesla care if only one person wants their solar 100 miles from a large population center

Because it costs time and money to get people out to the middle of nowhere and do the work and then provide follow up service.

 

[chrisbailey13]

Does anyone offer Solar in your area?

 

[jboy210]

A sale is a sale Why would Tesla care if only one person wants their solar 100 miles from a large population center

Time is money. This includes survey, installation, and service time.

Also, to service an area properly Tesla needs to have a supply warehouse within reasonable travel time for parts and tools to install and repair systems. The one where my roof parts came from is 15 miles from my house.

 

[roblab]

If you're a handy person, you can put your panels up yourself. I was 60 when I built my own racks and roof mounts, and my sister-in-law helped me bolt the panels on -- in her high heels -- as my wife handed them up. All it takes is a socket wrench and a normal amount of muscle, and a willingness to try something new. And if you own a Tesla, you're already in that category.

As to being out in the middle of nowhere, I live 115 miles from my Tesla Dealer / Service Center, not in the middle of "Nowhere", but in Napa Valley. Just that Tesla isn't out here yet.

I had my panels sent from Arizona and the truck dropped them in my driveway, where they sat for a month while I built my rack mounts. So it was not imperative at all that they needed to be within a dozen miles from me. The only time I needed a professional was when I hired the electrician to hook it up, and he came from sixty miles away.

There has never been any maintenance in the sixteen years I've had them working.

 

[charlesj]

Talk to all your neighbors to create a huge demand?