Hi all, newbie here.
We had SolarCity (now Tesla Energy) install rooftop systems on 2 prior homes in the past 15 years so I'm familiar with the basics of solar PV systems. Our current home has a 12+ year old ground-mounted system the previous owner installed with a different company. I can't recall how many panels it is, but something like 30+ panels (maybe even 48?) and I think rated around 9 KwH.
We live in a rural area where there's no natural gas service and we use electricity for most appliances (there is a propane tank to power the emergency generator since we have frequent outages). We have no need for a PowerWall given the giant generator. We still pay a few thousand dollars per year during the True-Up period even though we're in CA and they get a lot of sun (south-facing). Since the system is so old, it all is connected to one inverter and is far less efficient (e.g., shade from one nearby large oak trees on a few of the panels apparently reduces production on all the subsequent panels down the line). It's also mounted over a giant concrete foundation on a sloped hill next to our home, so it will look terrible if we tear out the old system and just leave the concrete foundation there.
A neighbor mentioned he's putting in a new Tesla energy solar rooftop system and they are far cheaper than the 4 other companies he got bids from. But I only see roof-top mounted systems. We did put in a new roof after we moved in, so it's feasible, but we have a ton of oak trees closer to the house that we do not want to prune mercilessly to get unobstructed sun to the panels.
I don't see a way to get Tesla to do an onsite inspection. The website seems to imply they only look at aerial photos and then write up your order. Yet I want to talk to someone about our options: 1) keep both systems (will they play nicely together?) 2) tear out the ground-mounted system and install a Tesla roof-mounted system (but then we are left with the giant eyesore of a concrete foundation with nothing on it) or 3) find a company that will install a new ground-mounted system. Are there other options?
Thanks in advance.
We had SolarCity (now Tesla Energy) install rooftop systems on 2 prior homes in the past 15 years so I'm familiar with the basics of solar PV systems. Our current home has a 12+ year old ground-mounted system the previous owner installed with a different company. I can't recall how many panels it is, but something like 30+ panels (maybe even 48?) and I think rated around 9 KwH.
We live in a rural area where there's no natural gas service and we use electricity for most appliances (there is a propane tank to power the emergency generator since we have frequent outages). We have no need for a PowerWall given the giant generator. We still pay a few thousand dollars per year during the True-Up period even though we're in CA and they get a lot of sun (south-facing). Since the system is so old, it all is connected to one inverter and is far less efficient (e.g., shade from one nearby large oak trees on a few of the panels apparently reduces production on all the subsequent panels down the line). It's also mounted over a giant concrete foundation on a sloped hill next to our home, so it will look terrible if we tear out the old system and just leave the concrete foundation there.
A neighbor mentioned he's putting in a new Tesla energy solar rooftop system and they are far cheaper than the 4 other companies he got bids from. But I only see roof-top mounted systems. We did put in a new roof after we moved in, so it's feasible, but we have a ton of oak trees closer to the house that we do not want to prune mercilessly to get unobstructed sun to the panels.
I don't see a way to get Tesla to do an onsite inspection. The website seems to imply they only look at aerial photos and then write up your order. Yet I want to talk to someone about our options: 1) keep both systems (will they play nicely together?) 2) tear out the ground-mounted system and install a Tesla roof-mounted system (but then we are left with the giant eyesore of a concrete foundation with nothing on it) or 3) find a company that will install a new ground-mounted system. Are there other options?
Thanks in advance.