Tesla PW + Solar for new construction - CO.

[Pismo]

Hey all,
Looking for some information or direction.

In short: We are planning to build in the next 12 months, a scrap and rebuild on our current lot we jsut purchased, since we are moving to Denver very soon.

We would like to coordinate this PW + Solar (panels or roof) install with the builder.

• Has anyone begun this process?
• Since we are building from scratch, it makes sense to order a Solar Roof V3 - though would it be available then?
• How would Tesla estimate - would it be based on sqft?
• If you have had Tesla work with a builder/contractor - any advice? I assume utility company is also involved?

Thanks again, and happy to directed to a specific set of information.

 

[Ampster]

The advantage you will have is that you can get the infrastructure in place while the walls are open. I have not heard how well Tesla coordinates with other trades in that situation so that responsibility may fall to you or your builder. If done correctly there may be some savings. There is also an opportunity in the design phase to orient the home so that you have lots of south facing roof space. Designing plumbing and mechanical penetrations to vent on the north side if possible could give you more south facing surface area. Providing so 240 volt junction boxes in the garage for potential EV charging is less expensive if done during in the construction phase. I am a fan of planning for the future and that may mean designing a system that could provide for you future needs.

 

[Pismo]

Thanks!
Hoping to do that, and after further research, I wasn't sure if anyone had dealth with a Tesla certified installer?
Any additional info for forward planning would be appreciated.

 

[Ampster]

Thanks!
...........I wasn't sure if anyone had dealth with a Tesla certified installer?
........

I had two experiences with Tesla installers. One did a Sunpower system for me and a couple of Tesla Powerwalls for a friend. In that case they were great. In the other case, I had a deposit with another PowerWall installer and the communication was horrible. I cancelled the contract with that one. Your mileage may vary.

 

[JayClark]

Hey all,
Looking for some information or direction.
...
We would like to coordinate this PW + Solar (panels or roof) install with the builder.

Would be great to have you update on how this goes for you.

My system was on a new house, but installed a year or so after the house was built (4PWs and Solar Panels). Based on my experience I have serious doubts that you can count on Tesla coordinating in any meaningful way as far as hitting construction schedules. If you have steps in your build schedule that depends on Tesla reliably communicating, coordinating, and hitting a specific date, then I'd be fairly concerned. It sure would be nice to have the extremely involved & messy "infrastructure" the utilities require hidden in the build of the home - so I totally get the reason to make the effort.

I love my system now that it's done, and functional, after quite a few installation & support snafus, but I had to do tons, and tons, of coordination between Tesla, city inspectors, various steps & coordination with utilities, etc that kept falling apart due to poor, incorrect, or even no communication on Tesla's part.

Tesla schedules installs based on their own timelines, irrespective of the homeowners needs. And if the home owner has to put a "hold" on a date, it often seems like you end up getting back in the Tesla "installation queue" behind all the other installations. Tesla was the weak link by far in terms of communication and coordination. I can't imagine if you had other trades and schedules to coordinate with, along with dealing with Tesla.

Once the Tesla team was on site, they were fast, courteous, and did a great job, but all the coordination and communications prior to the actual onsite installation, and after installation in terms of getting to PTO was a nightmare - and never was I able to dictate to Tesla a date, I just had to take what they would give me, or wait even longer. It was worth the hassle, but not sure how that would work with a new build.

So... I guess that's my long winded way of saying I believe for a new build you probably will do better with a non-Tesla certified solar provider that can also do PWs - at least based on my experience and the many stories & experiences of others that I've read on these forums.

 

[MorrisonHiker]

Hey all,
Looking for some information or direction.

In short: We are planning to build in the next 12 months, a scrap and rebuild on our current lot we jsut purchased, since we are moving to Denver very soon.

We would like to coordinate this PW + Solar (panels or roof) install with the builder.

• Has anyone begun this process?
• Since we are building from scratch, it makes sense to order a Solar Roof V3 - though would it be available then?
• How would Tesla estimate - would it be based on sqft?
• If you have had Tesla work with a builder/contractor - any advice? I assume utility company is also involved?

Thanks again, and happy to directed to a specific set of information.

Note that Xcel Energy limits how much solar you are allowed to install. Unfortunately, you aren't allowed to install just any size solar system that you want.

We installed a 16.5 kW system knowing it wouldn't cover our usage 100%...and that was only after proving our previous year's usage and proving that we had bought another electric vehicle which wasn't represented in our previous years' usage.

According to Xcel, it looks like you'd probably have to start with something small:

If you and your builder can convince them otherwise (if you will have multiple electric vehicles, etc.), you might be able to upsize the system: Xcel Energy - Frequently Asked Questions - On-Site Solar Programs

After a year with our 16.5 kW system, we still had sufficient grid usage to prove we "needed" a larger solar system. We added another 3.9 kW to our existing solar system last month but it still won't be able to offset our entire usage. Theoretically we could expand it again next year but we're running out of roof space and will probably look into community solar next.

As for Tesla, they were great when doing our installs but I think it could be difficult to arrange their install around your new house construction timeline. I'll check with one of our contacts there and see what he says.

 

[miimura]

I used a 3rd party installer for my solar during construction. It was really nice having the parts mounted to the roof before the roofing material was installed. All the wires are inside the walls too. Very nice.

I doubt you will be able to arrange this kind of thing with Tesla. If you want Powerwalls, I would find an independent installer that is already installing Powerwalls and arrange the whole system with them.

 

[charlesj]

I contacted a certified Tesla installer for 2 Powerwalls. When the estimate came back, it looked very high and contacted Tesla.
Yep, the estimate was 50+% over Tesla. So, now waiting for the install.

 

[gh_in_or]

We are building a home in rural southern Oregon and just completed installation of an 8.25KW solar system with dual Powerwalls for backup (against ice storms in the winter and fire season in the summer). The installation was done by True South Solar in Ashland; down here, working directly with Tesla directly was not an option. It was done remarkably efficiently, with a race in December to get the roof on, get permanent power and meter from Pacific Power, get the solar array and powerwalls installed, and then get the (new) meter swapped out for a net meter once the solar was operating, and get final county inspection, all before Dec. 31.

In our case, it was critical that we planned for solar and backup from the beginning. The electric meter and solar panels and Powerwall are located on the "barn" (which also has a living area), with power provided from the barn to the main house through underground conduits. We have 600 amp service, and we were told that the powerwalls can back up no more than a 200 amp panel. So, we had to plan for separate sub panels for both the barn and the main house to handle the critical loads for back up, plus adequate conduit space to run parallel electrical feeds between the buildings. Took us a while to get clarity on the different factors (surge, continuous) that affect back up capacity.

There's a lengthy sequence of inspections involved as the electrical service and solar installation proceed (the utility, the county, etc.) and there needed to be coordination among the utility, county, general contractor, electrical subcontractor, and solar contractor. In our case, everyone was really responsive, but I can imagine that might not be the norm.