-
Want to remove ads? Register an account and login to see fewer ads, and become a Supporting Member to remove almost all ads.
Post Your Tesla Solar Layout
- Thread starter pdx_m3s
- Start date
ChicagoSox
Member
willow_hiller
Well-Known Member
Double checking the production with PVWatts... You're in PA, right?
- 7 panels facing North should produce about 2,028 kWh per year.
- 8 panels facing South should produce about 3,354 kWh per year.
- 5 panels facing East should produce about 1,792 kWh per year.
- 4 panels facing West should produce about 1,451 kWh per year.
If not, it looks like Tesla just made a typo on your estimate.
willow_hiller
Well-Known Member
Yep. I went with the PVWatts default of 20 degrees, but a steeper roof would aid Southern facing panels (I believe a tilt equal to your latitude is ideal), and would hinder non-Southerly facing panels.
Thanks, willow_hiller. Tesla didn't give me any explanation why numbers are so low. I've asked them to give me production numbers for each panel. Hope they really can work with their customer on system design...
You've got a pretty good roof for solar. My only thought is that it looks like you could fit another row of panels on the south-facing roof plane, but given your location, it won't make a huge difference. Having panels facing S, E, and W will produce a nice smooth generation curve, which is ideal with Powerwalls.
What exactly are your thoughts behind these statements? I feel like weather, and particularly lack of clouds is what will affect the smoothness of the generation curve, not having panels in different orientations.
And either way, smooth or not I’m not sure it really makes much of a difference to the powerwalls. Frankly, if the solar is powering the house and charging the powerwalls then even if the generation curve is smooth the varied power demands of the house is going to make the power that’s actually getting to the powerwalls fluctuate.
You're right it probably doesn't make a big difference, so long as one stays under the 5kW per PW limit. For the same panel count, having panels S/E/W will produce a broader, flatter curve, as opposed to all facing the same direction, which will produce a narrower, steeper curve.
I put in my order on Saturday for a 8.16kW system with two powerwalls and received by design today. They had to drop 2 panes do to the layout of my roof.
Question for the group, do they send a separate document to sign that you approve the design and components? It seems when I signed for the design document, it was for acknowledgement that I received it, not an approval of the actual design.
Question for the group, do they send a separate document to sign that you approve the design and components? It seems when I signed for the design document, it was for acknowledgement that I received it, not an approval of the actual design.
Hello everyone, hope everyone is fine with what’s going on right now. New member and to solar(owned Model 3 since July 2018). Placed my order 8/12/20, tried to add more panels, adviser told me not enough room. Got approval from my HOA, any input on how long to get permit from LADWP? Thanks!
Attachments
willow_hiller
Well-Known Member
The next step in your process will be signing the purchase agreement. That's the point at which you're making an obligation. But if you want to revise the design, I would contact them as soon as you're able. Otherwise they'll draft the purchase agreement given your current layout, and any changes that affect price will mean they'll need to draft another purchase agreement.
That being said, they were always very flexible for me throughout the process. I had signed all my paperwork and applied for the Mosaic loan, and they were happy to let me put a down payment down at the last minute which changed a lot of things.
If you have a project advisor, I would talk to them about the layout. If you don't have an advisor, the best number I've found to reach them directly is 877-571-7652.
Thank you willow hiller! I appreciate the quick response, the layout is what I kind of expected based on the roof angles, and size of the available area to install solar panels.
One step closer to install. It really seems like Tesla, having central operations, is just learning as they go when it comes to navigating the local requirements to install and PTO. My permit has been ready for over a month at my city's permit office, but in order to schedule install, Tesla needs to have it in hand, so it's being mailed. This could have been done over a month ago.
Our City required ours to be mailed to Tesla and stipulated it had to be in their possession before work could start. Don’t know if covid and Building Department employees working from home played into it but seemed like a real possibility. Permit had to be a hard copy and not electronic. So sounds consistent to me.
Prior to covid our electrician who did our main panel upgrade was able to go into the office and pick it up, but he needed it on the job site in order to start. When Tesla applied for our PV + PW permit we were in shutdown mode already. No office access, city workers starting to WFH and phones hadn’t been set up so only emails and their website site said things were backed up so expect delays. Top that off with only commercial and low-income housing projects were being allowed to proceed. No residential electrical work unless it was a repair to an existing system. Then the City furloughed some workers. I’m very glad we are almost done. The wait has been a long one. Good luck on your end but sounds like install will be scheduled soon depending on how many are before you. Don’t overlook that aspect.
Send them your photo along with your suggestions. You would be sacrificing 6 panels on what I assume is a western (southwestern?) exposure for either none there or reduced down to 4. How late in the afternoon was this photo taken and is this more or less consistent during the year?
Last edited:
Similar threads
- Question
