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Maximum height for Powerwall? Tesla wants to cancel!

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After a year of delays and 2 failed installation attempts, my third installation attempt was supposed to happen next Tuesday. They could not proceed with the 2 previous installation attempts because they found some flaws in the design plans on the day of the install.

Curious to see if they had finally fixed the design plans this time, I called the customer rep only to be told that after a review, it was decided 2 days ago that they could not proceed and that they would have to cancel my project. More than anything, I was most surprised by how nonchalantly he informed me that my project had been cancelled without my knowledge.

I inquired what was the issue and he said that since I lived in a flood zone, code says that they have the mount the electrical boxes at least 12 feet up and that they were unable to do that. I informed him that I live on the second floor and we have a raised deck where they could perhaps install the Powerwalls on. Our AC unit is currently mounted on the raised deck, for example. He didn't seem to be aware of it and said that he would get back to the design team about it.

After hanging up, I reviewed again the previous design plans and noticed that the designer specifically noted:
"Electrical Equipment to be Mount 12 Feet up from gravel installation." (see attached pic)

So surely, it should be possible to install at that height? Does anyone know what is the maximum height at which the electrical boxes/Powerwalls can be mounted?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
 

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Two possible issues I see:

The unit switch on the side of the PW probably needs to be no more than 6' 7" above the work platform in front of the unit. So it needs to be confirmed that the deck is high enough that works. If the deck is already at the 12' mark, obviously no problem.

They need to get the equipment up to the work platform. But if that's a large deck with proper stairs from grade, I'm sure that's within the scope of the usual equipment wrangling they have to do. [Versus, say, something accessible only by a spiral stairs.]

Cheers, Wayne
 
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Thanks for the replies. Do you know if there is any way that I can connected directly to the designers?

My project advisor has not been responsive at all to my emails and I don't feel confident that I can rely on him to relay my concerns/suggestions back to the design team.

I would hate for my project to be cancelled due to a misunderstanding of the plans.
 
I have not heard of anyone who has been allowed to speak directly to the designers (for Tesla energy projects). Tesla does not appear to allow that in any cases.

As a matter of fact, just recently I had a tesla electrician out at my house doing some warranty repair work. While we were chatting, He mentioned that he had powerwalls and solar on his own home, and he lived in the next city over from me (there is a point to this story).

He told me that he had been worked for Tesla for several years, and had purchased a tesla solar system (as an employee) at his new home. The roof layout was not ideal (setback rules for the city he was installing were less restrictive than tesla had designed, and he was aware of the codes as he had also been a solar panel installer for tesla in his past).

Anyway, even HE (an employee of the company, purchasing solar panels) was not allowed to talk to the designer directly to discuss. The only way he found a way around that, was that I think he checked the internal documents somewhere to "sleuth out" the name of the designer and then sent them an email from his company account. There wasnt any approved way for him to get to the designer, so I doubt you will find a way to do that directly (the point of my rambling story).
 
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Thanks for the anecdote. It did remind me that I do know from my design plans that my designer is named '*******' I see that he has a linkedin profile with a matching job description of PV Designer II at Tesla, started Jan 2020, although it would seem out of line to contact him in that fashion.

Anyway, I will keep this thread updated if I hear back from my project advisor. Hopefully he is able to pass my suggestions along.

====================
(moderator note)

Name removed from post)
 
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Project status update (just for the record and for anyone else who cares):

Well, after my project advisor assured me twice that my 12/21 install date would NOT be occurring because of the design issue, the solar and Powerwall trucks still showed up. However, it looked like none of the teams were talking to each other since apparently:
  1. My project advisor didn't know they would be coming.
  2. The solar panel team thought they would be installing panels that day.
  3. Powerwall team came knowing an install would NOT be happening but they came in to re-do a site survey to see how they would be able to mount the Powerwalls.
Right before leaving, the Powerwall team told me that they would work hard to see how they could design a system so that the Powerwalls could still be installed and that I should hear back from them soon. He mentioned maybe building an elevated platform and bringing in a scissor lift to help with the install next time.

Fast forward to a couple days ago, having not heard back from anyone, I had the audacity to reach out to my project advisor to ask for a status update. After over a year of project delays and 3 failed installation attempts, he sent me a two-sentence email saying that they could not proceed and that my project was cancelled.

If you are still reading, I have a couple questions I'm wondering about:
  1. Is there anyone else that I can talk to about this issue? My project advisor has never been on top of it and for all I know, he could've cancelled my project while the designers are still....designing.
  2. Is it possible to proceed with my project but not install the powerwalls? After all, the design and layout of the solar panels have already been completed and I signed up for their 0.99% APR loan that I would really like to still take advantage of.
  3. Is it possible to keep the project active but just delay it? The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers are currently in progress building FEMA certifiable coastal levees that should be complete by 2024, after which, I would no longer be in a flood zone.
Any advice welcome. Thanks.
 
Powerwalls do need to be accessible, so whatever location they are installed in, they need to be no more than 39.5" above the finished floor.

We have installed them in light wells, and other difficult to access locations. We have built elevated platforms to satisfy AHJ requirements.

As to the OP questions above:
1. I cannot help with that, this is one of the downsides of Tesla Energy. Maybe tweet Elon lol.

2. This is a question only your designer can help with. Good luck on this.

3. Tesla might entertain this but more likely will just tell you to re-apply in a few years. I see that the 0.99% loans went away pretty quickly, so they are probably interested in cancelling you more than another who is paying cash or a higher interest rate.
 
Have you tried the call in and get first advisor tactic? That seems to be the way most people on the forum get some response. And you would want to connect with another advisor, rather than leaving a message for yours. Explain what you want (nicely) and hope you get a good advisor. It sounds like this is the best way to get movement from Tesla, although it may mean spending a bunch of phone time talking to other advisors.

I know jjrandorin said people never talk to the designers, but there is at least one case I've read about (I thought here on TMC) where the advisor did set that up for a customer. It sounds like it's incredibly rare and more common that talking to a different advisor, who is more helpful, will get you better progress.
 
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I need to post an update:

This past weekend, my neighbor next door, who has the same house layout as mine, had Clean Solar contractors over. They were installing a Powerwall in their garage, mounted only about 3 feet above the floor.

I still want to go with Tesla since they offered the best pricing and financing terms.

Any suggestion as to what I should do? I'm thinking of the following options (other suggestions welcome):
  1. Wait to see if they are able to pass inspection and then talk to the inspector about building codes.
  2. Tell Tesla immediately and have them reconsider going through with installation.
  3. Request a quote from Clean Solar for my house and ask them about building code restrictions.

Again, any other suggestions welcome thank you.
 
Tesla will not work as hard as other smaller installations to do things out of the box, or difficult. They are looking to fill the area under the curve, so if your job is being too difficult, they can sell those Powerwalls elsewhere easily.

It sounds like the plan checker who checked your plans was different than the one that checked Tesla plans. They didn't give the same comments, so the installation has different requirements. Also your neighbors house may be at a different elevation or location due to level of danger in the floodplain.

The inspectors are also not the plan checkers and typically have different skill sets. You would have limited success talking to one about why you have a flood issue and your neighbor does not. It might negatively affect your neighbors installation.

Also, if you have 2 or more PW and your neighbor just one, there is sometimes a different review process for 20 kWh and more, vs under that limit.

Our company is dealing with this currently with County of Santa Clara. They are requiring us to put them 48" above grade, or prove that the floodwaters are lower than that with an engineer.
 
Our company is dealing with this currently with County of Santa Clara. They are requiring us to put them 48" above grade, or prove that the floodwaters are lower than that with an engineer.


4 feet above the flood layer sounds kind of... dumbs. How does SCC rationalize that?

Can you comment further on how you resolved this? I have a base flood elevation that is below the finished/lowest grade that a recent surveyor put on an elevation certificate. But for some stupid azz reason FEMA still says my house is on a flood plane even though I'm way above sea level and there are homes literally below mine when I look down the street that are outside of the stupid flood layer.

I tried to apply for a letter of map adjustment (LOMA) with FEMA, and they just said to contact my local community official for more information and closed my request. Of course Contra Costa County never responds to these requests lol. But if there's actually a local engineer that is familiar with getting LOMAs I'd like to speak with them.
 
I need to post an update:

This past weekend, my neighbor next door, who has the same house layout as mine, had Clean Solar contractors over. They were installing a Powerwall in their garage, mounted only about 3 feet above the floor.

I still want to go with Tesla since they offered the best pricing and financing terms.

Any suggestion as to what I should do? I'm thinking of the following options (other suggestions welcome):
  1. Wait to see if they are able to pass inspection and then talk to the inspector about building codes.
  2. Tell Tesla immediately and have them reconsider going through with installation.
  3. Request a quote from Clean Solar for my house and ask them about building code restrictions.

Again, any other suggestions welcome thank you.

The suggestion is to forget Tesla and go with the company your neighbor went with, if you want this. Tesla has already told you they dont want to do it and your neighbor has another company that is doing it for them. If you want the product, go with that company.

Tesla doesnt want to do the job, and trying to force a company that doesnt want to do a job to do it anyway is a recipe for disaster, even if they would do it, which they likely wont. Forget tesla and go with the other company.
 
The suggestion is to forget Tesla and go with the company your neighbor went with, if you want this. Tesla has already told you they dont want to do it and your neighbor has another company that is doing it for them. If you want the product, go with that company.

Tesla doesnt want to do the job, and trying to force a company that doesnt want to do a job to do it anyway is a recipe for disaster, even if they would do it, which they likely wont. Forget tesla and go with the other company.


Picking the other vendor assumes you could afford the project with the alternate company at the higher price point.

If money is an issue, I suggest you still find another company, but nix the Powerwalls. Given the urgency/prioritization with NEM 3.0 around the corner... you'll want to get solar in before NEM 2.0 expires.
 
4 feet above the flood layer sounds kind of... dumbs. How does SCC rationalize that?

Can you comment further on how you resolved this? I have a base flood elevation that is below the finished/lowest grade that a recent surveyor put on an elevation certificate. But for some stupid azz reason FEMA still says my house is on a flood plane even though I'm way above sea level and there are homes literally below mine when I look down the street that are outside of the stupid flood layer.

I tried to apply for a letter of map adjustment (LOMA) with FEMA, and they just said to contact my local community official for more information and closed my request. Of course Contra Costa County never responds to these requests lol. But if there's actually a local engineer that is familiar with getting LOMAs I'd like to speak with them.
Plan checkers don't often rationalize these kind of requirements. Trying to get them to is a losing battle.

I would suspect that to get this adjusted you will need an architect, or other design professional to submit official documentation to the county officials. I don't really have any connections for you in this matter, unfortunately.
 
Picking the other vendor assumes you could afford the project with the alternate company at the higher price point.

If money is an issue, I suggest you still find another company, but nix the Powerwalls. Given the urgency/prioritization with NEM 3.0 around the corner... you'll want to get solar in before NEM 2.0 expires.

Yeah, it does, thats true.

This may not be a popular opinion, but I for one am actually glad to see Tesla back away from jobs they dont want to do, or are aware they wont do well, etc, rather than just "take every job" and screw some of them up royally.

They know what their niche is ("easy" low hanging fruit type jobs, with customers that dont have many specific requirements") and as long as they are not discriminating against protected groups or something, should stick to doing those. To me, it means they now have enough work to be sustainable without grasping at the straws they dont do well.

What I mean about it possibly not being a popular opinion is, That means those jobs Tesla wont do, are going to be higher cost done by someone else, but thats inherently because there are more requirements / job isnt as easy/cookie cutter.

Doesnt help OP, and I am not trying to dump on the OP here, just saying that sometimes a more experienced / better connected etc company is needed, and especially when Tesla says "no" thats where people should start looking, rather than "how do I get Tesla to do this thing they told me they dont want to do.