You currently have one at the top of the ridge. The person that did the current design didn't find a problem with it there. When you call Tesla if you talk to an advisor they may say they will talk to the designer or they may say they won't. One time I called I got lucky and a designer answered the call, then you would get a straight answer. Good luck. We already know the designer approved the placement of the one that's close to the ridge. The roofer would need to place the other three the same distance from the ridge and you would be good to go.
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Tesla says I can't put solar panels on my rear porch roof
- Thread starter Jeremy3292
- Start date
So I went into the attic to assess the vent pipe situation:
- Yellow pipe - does not need to be moved. Appears to be a plumbing vent from the master bath.
- Blue pipe - cannot even see from the attic. Appears to be in the soffit area. Looks to be very difficult to find and move. I will ask but this one may have to stay.
- Red pipe - looks to be easy to move but there is no real way to reroute it towards the ridge due to the HVAC ducts all being very in the way. I will ask but this one may have to stay. Pic attached.
- Green pipe - this is the passive radon pipe vent, 2" PVC. Looks easy to just cut off and route up to the ridge. Pic attached.
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Good work. Maybe he could move the red pip if he lowers some of the HVAC. When you go to Home Depot make sure to get some hanger strap so he has it on hand.
He will be a lot happier if you have them at your house the first time he gets there so he doesn't have to make two trips. It's also much cheaper if he only has to make one trip. It can always be returned if it doesn't work out. He will be happier if you provide some short drywall screws to use with the hanger tape.
Oatey 3/4 in. x 25 ft. Plastic Pipe Hanger Strap 33527 - The Home Depot
Oatey Plastic Hanger Straps are available in a variety of lengths and offer a quick and inexpensive way to hang PVC, ABS, galvanized, black iron or cast iron piping from joists or rafters. Made of durable
www.homedepot.com
He will be a lot happier if you have them at your house the first time he gets there so he doesn't have to make two trips. It's also much cheaper if he only has to make one trip. It can always be returned if it doesn't work out. He will be happier if you provide some short drywall screws to use with the hanger tape.
Check your local code about the radon vent and see if the height can be lowered if it is under a solar panel. In fact, I would check that about all of the vents.
Moving both the green and the red look pretty easy from here, but again check your local codes.
Here is the code in SC with regard to DWV vents, looks like you can cut and cover them in some cases.
Also, look at the solar roof jack. This allows you to relocate the vents to an area above the panels, without working in the attic.
Solar Roof Jack - More Power Production
Update:
My project advisor said he will submit back to design the request for panels on the rear porch roof and didn't seem to think it was an issue. So this may just be a classic case of getting the runaround until you get someone who knows your region, etc.
I am still going to try and move a pipe vent or two if possible.
Also if you want PW3 you can wait but your entire project is put on hold until it is available. Meaning they do nothing until it is available for purchase - no design, no permitting, nothing.
My project advisor said he will submit back to design the request for panels on the rear porch roof and didn't seem to think it was an issue. So this may just be a classic case of getting the runaround until you get someone who knows your region, etc.
I am still going to try and move a pipe vent or two if possible.
Also if you want PW3 you can wait but your entire project is put on hold until it is available. Meaning they do nothing until it is available for purchase - no design, no permitting, nothing.
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Tesla confirmed what you said I think, which is that I need 18" on one side but also 36" on the other side. So I will need this on the rear porch roof also (different roof plane). This is per the national fire code which many locales adopt. There is nothing on the driveway side of the house, meaning no panels.
Here are some diagrams that will help.
Maybe your local fire code is different than the South Carolina Residential code, here are some diagrams that seem to show the same fire codes as I am used to.
Yes, I think we are saying the same thing other than maybe 18" is not needed on the other side, only 36" on one side is required. I am shooting for the below layout now. The yellow area is the 36" walkways and 36" from the ridge (I think my roof may have more than 33% panel coverage with this layout). No panels on the driveway side of the house so no issues there. I think it worked out naturally to be 36" from the ridge bc that pipe vent is in the way anyways. Side roof view picture added for reference also.
Thanks for your help!
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Silicon Desert
Well-Known Member
Any time an installer of anywhere quotes building codes, I actually call the building inspector because he/she is the final word. All too often I find that installers use it as an excuse to do something differently.
charlesj
Active Member
By chance did you ask the people who moved the vent about that low edge vent if they can make heads or tails and move that as well?
That wall has the guest bathroom and laundry room, so the plumbing vent pipe is just shooting straight up to the roof from inside the wall. You can’t even see it from the attic. I’m sure there is a way to find it and move it, but it didn’t seem to be worth the effort/cost. Although my OCD hates that I am one panel away from a nice seamless rectangle lol. I could have probably easily moved the other vent pipe that is already at the roof line up 6-12” more and then shifted the entire array up 6-12” to fit the solar panels in a proper rectangle, but I was unsure if Tesla/AHJ would require the 18” or 36” from the ridge as noted in the fire codes previously. If 36” from ridge was required then it would be a no go bc you can’t have the array that close. It seems from Teslas schematics they are opting for the 36” from ridge based on my drone pics and calculations.
Agreed but I don’t think that is the actual reason. Tesla just doesn’t want to put panels on the rear porch and won’t do it no matter how much I argue or quote local code. That’s just the corporate excuse line I’m being given.
Maybe you could ask your Inspector if you could use this to move the pipe a few inches to allow for the solar panel?
You can find them here:
You can find them here:
charlesj
Active Member
That is interesting. If it fits under the rails for the panels, that could go up for him and get the panel over it.
Or it could go downwards below the panel line.
I will see what Tesla says. My advisor emailed me back this morning and the design team will review.
As an aside, does anyone see an issue with all of my panels only being on one string? I do have some shading that hits the panels in the morning from nearby trees. However, it is not consistently in one place so I'm not sure asking for "top half" and "bottom half" panels on separate strings makes a difference.
I am also still pretty confused as to how partial shading actually affects output on modern string inverters with all the marketing BS that is out there currently for micro inverters. If I have shade on 1 panel does that mess up the other 22 panels if on the same string?
As an aside, does anyone see an issue with all of my panels only being on one string? I do have some shading that hits the panels in the morning from nearby trees. However, it is not consistently in one place so I'm not sure asking for "top half" and "bottom half" panels on separate strings makes a difference.
I am also still pretty confused as to how partial shading actually affects output on modern string inverters with all the marketing BS that is out there currently for micro inverters. If I have shade on 1 panel does that mess up the other 22 panels if on the same string?
Matt-FL
Member
There are several videos that cover this, here are a few:
From semi-real world tests, it didn't seem to be a large percentage of loss. If I were to go back and do it again, I'd probably go with micro-inverters (if Tesla sold them and if they didn't increase the price by 50% by using third party installers). Less on the production gain, but more on the monitoring (each panel versus string (PW+), or total inverter and functionality loss (losing one micro-inverter versus losing a multi-string inverter).
In theory, micro inverters are only a few thousand dollars more. However, I've not found any solar installers that can come close to what Tesla charges. That means a significant price increase to get the added functionality. For me, I'm very happy with the Tesla string inverters and production rates I see. I'd love to see individual panel performance, but not a deal killer, imo.
From semi-real world tests, it didn't seem to be a large percentage of loss. If I were to go back and do it again, I'd probably go with micro-inverters (if Tesla sold them and if they didn't increase the price by 50% by using third party installers). Less on the production gain, but more on the monitoring (each panel versus string (PW+), or total inverter and functionality loss (losing one micro-inverter versus losing a multi-string inverter).
In theory, micro inverters are only a few thousand dollars more. However, I've not found any solar installers that can come close to what Tesla charges. That means a significant price increase to get the added functionality. For me, I'm very happy with the Tesla string inverters and production rates I see. I'd love to see individual panel performance, but not a deal killer, imo.
Thanks. Yeah I'm all in Tesla's low cost and my solar array is so simple I don't need/want anything special. My only issue is some shading in the morning so I was trying to understand how it actually works. I know Tesla has quality panels - half cut cells, bypass diodes, etc. but wasn't sure how that interacts with a string inverter vs. micro inverters. I'll watch those videos.
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