I am thinking about going solar...

[pkalhan]

I just had a Tesla rep come over mu house (I live in Pittsburgh) as I am thinking of getting solar panels but am going to wait to talk to a local installer as well to see what they have to say. The Tesla rep gave us two proposals...one is a PPA and the other is to purchase outright. Purchasing outright is the one I am leaning towards. The system would be 10.37kW costing $31k with the federal tax credit ($9,457) it would be a net expense of $21,549.

One question I had which I asked the rep (I think he was wrong with his response) was, wouldn't I also need to have paid $9,457 in taxes to get this full tax credit just like the Model 3? He said, he was not sure how the tax credit works on the car, but I can also "carry over" the tax credit so I can get the entire credit. Basically get part of the credit one year and the rest the year after. Does this sound right?

 

[suwaneedad]

"Also use Form 5695 to take any residential energy efficient property credit carryforward from 2016 or to carry the unused portion of the credit to 2018." See Purpose of Form halfway down the left column on the first page: https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/i5695.pdf

That said, particularly with the current state of affairs in Washington, you're taking some level of risk in assuming that because the credit could be carried forward from 2017 to 2018, that the law will remain stable in this regard and enable you to carry forward an unused portion of a 2019 credit to your 2020 return. I would take this risk, personally, but to each his own.

 

[pkalhan]

thanks for the response @suwaneedad, much appreciated. Yeah I think we are going to do it...not sure yet with who though but Tesla's system and proposal seems to be pretty good. We will be taking a loan and paying it off in about 10 years (hoping for less though). I am just a little nervous on the look of the panels. I know that sounds stupid but we have a clean look to our house right now. From the pics I have seen, their panels look nice. I guess I am also a little nervous because I have read reviews in the past about bad install jobs from Salacity and just don't want a headache myself.

 

[suwaneedad]

thanks for the response @suwaneedad, much appreciated. Yeah I think we are going to do it...not sure yet with who though but Tesla's system and proposal seems to be pretty good. We will be taking a loan and paying it off in about 10 years (hoping for less though). I am just a little nervous on the look of the panels. I know that sounds stupid but we have a clean look to our house right now. From the pics I have seen, their panels look nice. I guess I am also a little nervous because I have read reviews in the past about bad install jobs from Salacity and just don't want a headache myself.

I have no experience with rooftop solar (yet). I'm sure you'll get feedback from forum users with Tesla panel / installer experience although most of that will come from CA owners and that may not be representative of what your experience may be like.

I have my deposit in for Solar Roof here in Atlanta. My roof is 13yrs old and is builder-grade, so it is essentially a race to see if Tesla can actually bring the roof product to market down here (and at an OK price and install quality/duration) before the builder shingles give up. I'm not at all confident Tesla will be here in time. I'm not a fan of the look of conventional solar panels personally, and my roof is very much exposed to neighbors' eyes (as my south face is the side of my home and we are on a corner lot) so I really in good conscience can't install conventional panels...hell the HOA would probably shoot down the request anyway. That's why solar roof is so appealing to me. I'm very happy to overpay for these things to be part of the early adoption wave. C'mon Tesla bring me my roof.

Good luck with your project if you do pull the trigger. I didn't realize Pittsburgh has powerful enough sun for a long enough portion of the year to make solar worthwhile.

 

[Rockster]

Get multiple quotes. I was able to get my rooftop solar for $2/watt, which was way better than Tesla’s $3.15 or so.

 

[pkalhan]

Yeah, I just went on energy sage. Lets see what comes out of it. I have a feeling that I will get a lower rate than Tesla's.

 

[VT_EE]

thanks for the response @suwaneedad, much appreciated. Yeah I think we are going to do it...not sure yet with who though but Tesla's system and proposal seems to be pretty good. We will be taking a loan and paying it off in about 10 years (hoping for less though). I am just a little nervous on the look of the panels. I know that sounds stupid but we have a clean look to our house right now. From the pics I have seen, their panels look nice. I guess I am also a little nervous because I have read reviews in the past about bad install jobs from Salacity and just don't want a headache myself.

Make sure you see the panel layout and where any conduit will be run. I warned everything symmetrical an specified no conduit on the roof. I wanted it in the attic.

 

[dhrivnak]

I just had a Tesla rep come over mu house (I live in Pittsburgh) as I am thinking of getting solar panels but am going to wait to talk to a local installer as well to see what they have to say. The Tesla rep gave us two proposals...one is a PPA and the other is to purchase outright. Purchasing outright is the one I am leaning towards. The system would be 10.37kW costing $31k with the federal tax credit ($9,457) it would be a net expense of $21,549.

One question I had which I asked the rep (I think he was wrong with his response) was, wouldn't I also need to have paid $9,457 in taxes to get this full tax credit just like the Model 3? He said, he was not sure how the tax credit works on the car, but I can also "carry over" the tax credit so I can get the entire credit. Basically get part of the credit one year and the rest the year after. Does this sound right?

First good for you going to the next step. Look at the Driving on Sunshine thread for dozens of homes that have gone solar. Or I have a book, that details 15 families across the country that have kicked fossil fuels. https://www.amazon.com/Driving-Net-Stories-Carbon-Future/dp/0692143831

As to the tax credit you can carry it forward so if you only have a $5000 tax burden you can claim it over two years. But yes you have to pay taxes to get it back.

 

[pkalhan]

I got an email from the rep this morning (I emailed him last night to see what wattage the panels would be) and he said typically they would use 305w panels but would need to wait for the engineers to come back with the design to know for sure. Is 305 a fair amount of wattage? I have heard some people who go through Tesla get 325. Sorry for all the questions, this is new to me and just want to get the opinions of people who have gone through this already for guidance, thanks!

 

[VT_EE]

I got an email from the rep this morning (I emailed him last night to see what wattage the panels would be) and he said typically they would use 305w panels but would need to wait for the engineers to come back with the design to know for sure. Is 305 a fair amount of wattage? I have heard some people who go through Tesla get 325. Sorry for all the questions, this is new to me and just want to get the opinions of people who have gone through this already for guidance, thanks!

There are a variety of panel sizes so it really depends on the geometry of the your roof in deciding which ones to use. I have 96 cell SunPower panels which are rated at 327W each. Sunpower also offers the same cell in panels that are bigger and smaller. I'm sure Tesla is no different. What you really care about are panel efficiency, overall power output, and aesthetic look.

 

[RFernatt]

Lots of variables when it comes to panels. Always remember that those watt ratings you see are for ideal conditions. The panel's output changes with higher temperatures and degradation over time. So, for roof mounted panels you want something that handles those aspects well at a reasonable cost. Tesla doesn't do business in my state, but I did use Panasonic panels. The better panels typically have a better warranty. For example, a 25 year warranty where the panels produce 90% of their rated output at the end of that time (low degradation) and have a low drop off in power output (temperature coefficient) as temperature rises. Also, there is panel output tolerance due to manufacturing variability. I liked that the Panasonic panels are +10%/-0% so they will always produce the stated power in standard conditions and can produce more under ideal conditions. I've seen many of my panels produce the 10% excess in ideal conditions (a 315W panel putting out 345W). It doesn't happen often, but I do see the panels making more than their rating from time to time.

Anyway, bottom line every 10Kw system is not the same when it comes to power production over the life of the system, so get multiple quotes and ask lots of questions.

If you want independent help, you can browse www.solarunitedneighbors.org/pennsylvania. They are a non-profit working to spread solar adoption through education and advocacy in multiple states. They also organize local buying "co-ops" to gather together groups of homeowners for installer bidding and help throughout the process as an independent third party, but homeowners make the decisions. Or, you can do it yourself and they offer guidance and assistance to members. Just a thought if you're looking for more independent assistance.

 

[EVCollies]

Get multiple quotes. I was able to get my rooftop solar for $2/watt, which was way better than Tesla’s $3.15 or so.

I would second this suggestion, my quotes varied from $45K to $25K. My best quote was a local one man shop who did an excellent job.

 

[NoSoup4U!]

We had our solar roof just done, it went live yesterday!
We wanted a clean look without seeing all the silver conductors which makes some panels very busy.
We got 4 quotes but ended up with an installer in the neighborhood who had great references. We actually talked to two neighbors who had used him.
It’s very important to have first class installers, so ask for references. There are many installers who cut corners, I’ve been told. This industry is still young. We went with Solaria 355 Watt panels, 48 of them. They’re made in Canada and got great reviews. Good Luck!

 

[bjciag]

I just had a Tesla rep come over mu house (I live in Pittsburgh) as I am thinking of getting solar panels but am going to wait to talk to a local installer as well to see what they have to say. The Tesla rep gave us two proposals...one is a PPA and the other is to purchase outright. Purchasing outright is the one I am leaning towards. The system would be 10.37kW costing $31k with the federal tax credit ($9,457) it would be a net expense of $21,549.

One question I had which I asked the rep (I think he was wrong with his response) was, wouldn't I also need to have paid $9,457 in taxes to get this full tax credit just like the Model 3? He said, he was not sure how the tax credit works on the car, but I can also "carry over" the tax credit so I can get the entire credit. Basically get part of the credit one year and the rest the year after. Does this sound right?

Hey Pkalhan,

I wonder if you could send me a screenshot of your Tesla Proposal. I have them quoting me for the same size system @ 35k. Maybe I can show my energy advisor and get a better deal.

 

[Az_Rael]

). I am just a little nervous on the look of the panels. I know that sounds stupid but we have a clean look to our house right now. From the pics I have seen, their panels look nice. I guess I am also a little nervous because I have read reviews in the past about bad install jobs from Salacity and just don't want a headache myself.

Get black on black panels. No white lines. Tesla and others carry them. I don’t recommmend Tesla as an installer, but because of the fiasco I had with them, I do have a nice set of photos of my roof with white lined panels and my roof without.

 

[wbhokie]

The look of solar panels are a big drawback to many homeowners, but as the photos above show, it can vary based on the panels you buy. Some are blue, some are black. Some have lines, some don't. But those things also don't matter if you don't see them either. I decided not to put any panels on the front side of my home based purely on how the geography of my neighborhood is. But no one can see any of the side/rear sections of my roof, so the look of the panels there didn't matter.

Bummer that you live in PA when it comes to your HOA and solar. I was going to say your HOA can't stop you from putting in solar but then I saw where you lived. They're still a bit behind when it comes to their access laws.

I just had my system installed with Tesla over the past week. My experience was nothing but positive personally. My IA was great, they price matched competitively, were always on time, had a quick turnaround, and now that I'm in the inspection stage, I've been getting constant communications from Tesla Energy setting everything up.

 

[pkalhan]

Hi @wbhokie I don't have an HOA.

 

[AudubonB]

There are a variety of panel sizes so it really depends on the geometry of the your roof in deciding which ones to use. I have 96 cell SunPower panels which are rated at 327W each. Sunpower also offers the same cell in panels that are bigger and smaller. I'm sure Tesla is no different. What you really care about are panel efficiency, overall power output, and aesthetic look.

Crikeys. That is a lot of toasters. Is this for a commercial set-up?

On edit: or do you mean each of your panels are 96-cell ones? Must be that....sorry!

 

[VT_EE]

Crikeys. That is a lot of toasters. Is this for a commercial set-up?

On edit: or do you mean each of your panels are 96-cell ones? Must be that....sorry!

You got it!

 

[wws]

Over the long term, purchase is a much better option than a PPA. Especially if you can take advantage of the 30% Federal tax credit. Even though a PPA may look attractive at first because you don't have to front a bunch of cash, they tend to write 'escalators' into the contract so that over time you are paying them more and more. Thus negating the savings solar was supposed to provide in the first place.