Powerwall Install from Semper Solaris norcal

[who177e]

Has anyone used Semper Solaris for their powerwall install?

How was their quality of the install? Was it a clean install?

I met with them last week and they are suggesting 3 PWs with the SGIP coming in cheaper than Tesla Energy for 2 PWs and not SGIP.

Any thoughts on this company from anyone who have used them?

 

[troptop]

I checked them out and invited them to do a quote for me in SoCal. I didnt go with them. I didnt like their sales and in the end I wasnt too confident that their install team would do a great job.

 

[troptop]

Go download the SGIP database, and filter it for your zip code and powerwalls. You ll get all the installers in your area and the price they are selling powerwalls at.

 

[who177e]

Go download the SGIP database, and filter it for your zip code and powerwalls. You ll get all the installers in your area and the price they are selling powerwalls at.

What website is that? I've been on the CPUCs website talking about SGIP but haven't seen anywhere where you can filter for company and powerwall and see the price other people pay.

 

[astrorob]

where is this database? all i found was a PDF of approved developers, no specific mention of what types of energy products they are installing.

 

[troptop]

where is this database? all i found was a PDF of approved developers, no specific mention of what types of energy products they are installing.

its out there on google somewhere, but attached here is my list as of March 2019. This is what I used. My list only has powerwalls. I added first column which shows cost per 1 powerwall. Just adjust the headers for filtering by using the drop down arrow. It should cover all of CA.

 

[wwhitney]

Not following this thread closely, but I believe the report discussed is available here:

SGIP | Resources
Go to section 9. Reports and Weekley Statewide reports, which is the URL:
https://www.selfgenca.com/documents/reports/statewide_projects
which redirects you to a huge spreadsheet.

Cheers, Wayne

 

[astrorob]

thanks for those spreadsheets. if i filter the latest one linked by Wayne for installations of 2 powerwall 2s in 2019, i see a lot of projects in the 20-22k range. but then there are a bunch of projects in the 13.7k-13.8k range, which all seem to have been purchased from tesla directly. since ~14K is what tesla is quoting for just the 2 powerwalls, i wonder what's going on there. is the labor submitted separately by the installer when tesla sells the powerwalls directly?

and damn, what an earthquake just now!!

 

[KSilver2000]

thanks for those spreadsheets. if i filter the latest one linked by Wayne for installations of 2 powerwall 2s in 2019, i see a lot of projects in the 20-22k range. but then there are a bunch of projects in the 13.7k-13.8k range, which all seem to have been purchased from tesla directly. since ~14K is what tesla is quoting for just the 2 powerwalls, i wonder what's going on there. is the labor submitted separately by the installer when tesla sells the powerwalls directly?

and damn, what an earthquake just now!!

Sounds like the Tesla purchases do not include labor costs, which would make it almost $20K total. No way the price of 2 PW installed is just $14K, even from Tesla. I could be wrong, but Tesla never included installation costs into their pricing on the website.

 

[astrorob]

agree - i was just surprised to see these 14k numbers in the spreadsheet - maybe it doesn't actually matter as it is an SGIP spreadsheet and the subsidy is not based on the cost of the installation. but i wonder on what basis they are only reporting the hardware cost.

another question - the company that installed my solar (on behalf of sunpower) has the following entries in the latest spreadsheet:

this looks a little to me like they can't figure out the paperwork?? all those "RRF Suspendeds" do not look good.

also clearly these guys are pitching the after-SGIP pricing as i can see their installed prices going down as the SGIP subsidy has been reduced (not shown in screenshot)

 

[cwied]

agree - i was just surprised to see these 14k numbers in the spreadsheet - maybe it doesn't actually matter as it is an SGIP spreadsheet and the subsidy is not based on the cost of the installation. but i wonder on what basis they are only reporting the hardware cost.

another question - the company that installed my solar (on behalf of sunpower) has the following entries in the latest spreadsheet:

View attachment 466462

this looks a little to me like they can't figure out the paperwork?? all those "RRF Suspendeds" do not look good.

also clearly these guys are pitching the after-SGIP pricing as i can see their installed prices going down as the SGIP subsidy has been reduced (not shown in screenshot)

I can confirm that Tesla installed my two-Powerwall system for under $14k in February last year. They were selling them super-cheap and had very low installation costs back then. My total price was $13,803.

I haven’t gotten my SGIP payment yet, though. I think the issue isn’t so much that they don’t know what to do as that they drop the ball in following up on the paperwork.

 

[astrorob]

interesting - and these were PowerWall 2? i should go back and filter the spreadsheet to see if there was a specific point in time where they kicked up the installed cost.

it's disappointing that tesla themselves are dropping the ball on the SGIP paperwork. in my mind the perception that they would get the paperwork done right would have been a reason to go with tesla over some random installer.

 

[cwied]

interesting - and these were PowerWall 2? i should go back and filter the spreadsheet to see if there was a specific point in time where they kicked up the installed cost.

it's disappointing that tesla themselves are dropping the ball on the SGIP paperwork. in my mind the perception that they would get the paperwork done right would have been a reason to go with tesla over some random installer.

Yes, Powerwall 2 at the original $5500 price point. Gateway was $700, installation $900, permit fee $150. The rest is sales tax.

In my view, Tesla’s main strength is technology, not service. They don’t seem to invest as much in getting the non-tech parts of the company running well. It may be mainly understaffing rather than lack of knowledge, but the SGIP handling could definitely be improved.

 

[jjrandorin]

interesting - and these were PowerWall 2? i should go back and filter the spreadsheet to see if there was a specific point in time where they kicked up the installed cost.

it's disappointing that tesla themselves are dropping the ball on the SGIP paperwork. in my mind the perception that they would get the paperwork done right would have been a reason to go with tesla over some random installer.

They dont have SGIP available any longer so you dont have to worry about that if you go with Tesla.

I remember powerwalls being somewhere around 5500 or something at one point but I wasnt following it then. Its 6500 now. With taxes on my 2 powerwall install its 18.3k. (2) third party installers quoted 20-21.5k for the same thing, and one mentioned SGIP lottery for my area.

to this OP I would be hesitant to apply under a "commercial" SGIP before I verified ALL consequences for saying my system was commercial. For example, would that change your electric service to a commercial pricing situation?

 

[patrick40363]

No one answered the question about semper solaris.

 

[ChunkyJ]

I recently completed an 8.9kw solar system + 2PW with Semper Solaris in socal. Beside the fact that they are super busy right now, overall, i am happy with their service. The sales person is not pushy and they were able to get the project in the time they estimated. I picked them because they are first and foremost a roofing company that also does solar so they do pay extra attention when they penetrate the roof, also that they have solid ratings on BBB. #1 issue with people install solar is roof leak and i've spoke to a few other that used Semper, they didn't have any issue with leakages at all. I looked at at least 6 different vendor before select Semper Solaris. They are not the cheapest but overall i'd give them an 8 out of 10 for the whole project. I did have to check in on them often to make sure things are moving along (paperwork with the city) and had them to come back to re-align a panel the original crew were too lazy to move a pipe for. I am still waiting for PTO but their project manager said I can leave the system on as SCE does not care if your system is on before PTO.

 

[bayareaever]

I recently completed an 8.9kw solar system + 2PW with Semper Solaris in socal. Beside the fact that they are super busy right now, overall, i am happy with their service. The sales person is not pushy and they were able to get the project in the time they estimated. I picked them because they are first and foremost a roofing company that also does solar so they do pay extra attention when they penetrate the roof, also that they have solid ratings on BBB. #1 issue with people install solar is roof leak and i've spoke to a few other that used Semper, they didn't have any issue with leakages at all. I looked at at least 6 different vendor before select Semper Solaris. They are not the cheapest but overall i'd give them an 8 out of 10 for the whole project. I did have to check in on them often to make sure things are moving along (paperwork with the city) and had them to come back to re-align a panel the original crew were too lazy to move a pipe for. I am still waiting for PTO but their project manager said I can leave the system on as SCE does not care if your system is on before PTO.

are you applying for sgip rebates for PWs through Semper?

 

[dailo]

Has anyone used Semper Solaris for their powerwall install?

How was their quality of the install? Was it a clean install?

I met with them last week and they are suggesting 3 PWs with the SGIP coming in cheaper than Tesla Energy for 2 PWs and not SGIP.

Any thoughts on this company from anyone who have used them?

Do they handle the paperwork for SGIP and which tier are they in? I am also debating if going with Tesla + ITC rebate versus another vendor and SGIP

 

[jjrandorin]

All of you thinking you are going to get SGIP need to understand that its currently out of money unless you are doing a commercial install. Dont factor in getting the SGIP into your evaluation of pricing. You should treat it like "if I manage to get it, its bonus money", not like "its a mail in rebate that I am entitled to and will get, so I can figure it into my overall project cost".

 

[who177e]

Do they handle the paperwork for SGIP and which tier are they in? I am also debating if going with Tesla + ITC rebate versus another vendor and SGIP

Yes they do handle the paperwork but they are on step 5 but its a waitlist only at this point with them.