Tesla Solar Panel Experience in Los Angeles

[M3SRdude]

Hi all,

I'm been thinking about Solar Panels and am enticed by Tesla's $2/W price but am concerned about poor service.

Anyone here with recent experience with Tesla Solar Panel install in Los Angeles, or more specifically San Fernando Valley? What kind of timeline from deposit to PTO? What are the panel, mounting specs? Do they use string inverter with power optimizers, or microinverters?

I plan to buy the panels. Others have mentioned if you buy them, you don't have to install in 4kW or 8kW sizes, but can choose any size. Is that true? I want a 6.5 or 7KW system.

How willing are they to work with you regarding layout of the panels?

I have a 23 year old concrete-tile roof, which has a leak. One roofer came out and identified a flashing that could overflow during heavy rain, which damaged and cracked the nearby underlayment. He proposed replacing just a section of the underlayment, and he said there is probably another 5-10 years of life remaining in the underlayment of another section of the roof away from where the leak is. In general, my understanding is that concrete tiles are good for 50 years but the underlayment is generally good for 25 years. I've had other solar installers come out and they all think the underlayment looks good for another 10-15 years, though I think they are biased.

So my concern is if I put solar panel on the roof as is, and it leaks, is it going to take Tesla forever to come and uninstall and reinstall the panels so that the roofer can fix it? Does Tesla offer any kind of labor warranty or leak-proof guarantee?

Thanks all!

 

[bossturbo]

Hi all,
Do they use string inverter with power optimizers, or microinverters?

I just got my quote back yesterday, I'm in Porter Ranch. They are using the Q.Cells 340 watt panels and the Delta string inverter. They don't specify the model, but for the 8.16kW system, I believe it's the M8-TL-US. I do not have any shading on my roof, so they are not using, nor as I understand it, is there any need for power optimizers.

The panels are quoted at $4,592 which seems great compared to retail price.

 

[Ampster]

Maybe the code in Porter Ranch does not require Rapid Shut Down so no optimizers.

 

[GHTech]

Hi,

Below is a review I left about the Tesla Service. It is a "cut and paste". I am in Granada Hills.

Regards,

GHTech

I am trying not to jinx it for my install. I started my process with Tesla at the end of Jun with orders for both solar roof and solar panels. My 27 year old shingle roof needed to be replaced. After I got the numbers, and quotes, I decided to go with the re-roof and solar panels. Tesla refunded the $100 for the solar roof, without me even asking. Requested a couple of changes (ended with a 8.16 kW system), and added 2 PW as well. Was not able to schedule Tesla till the re-roof was finally schedule. Re-roof was completed Aug. 14. Permit was filed with LADBS (L.A. City not County like in mnsweeps case) Jul. 20th. 1 correction was requested. Permit was issued Aug. 5th. Tesla install was scheduled for Sep. 1st. They had an opening that came available a few days before, but that would not have worked out as they asked me the evening before. Anyway, the install of the 24 panels were done by about 1.30 p.m. and the 2 PW install was done by 4 p.m. The LADBS inspection happened this morning. Now to wait for LADWP to do their thing.

I have to say, I am pretty impressed with the all the people I have worked with at Tesla. I have had 1 project advisor, 1 project coordinator, 1 site evaluator, 4 PV installers, 2 electricians, 2 guys out to get ready for the inspection, and all of them were pretty good. Had a safety person and a QA person from Tesla drop in as well. My Project Advisor has gone out of his way to help. Over this long weekend, I noticed on Sat. that the LADBS had scheduled the inspection for today. Then yesterday it was schedule for 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. I was concerned as nobody from Tesla had told me anything, and the stickers, etc . was not put. Then this morning around 7 a.m., I got a text from a guy from Tesla saying the inspection was today from 9 - 11, and he will be here by 7.30 to get everything ready. I didn't have any issue as this info was updated over a long weekend. Over the weekend, I did some off-grid testing for about 9 hours each day. As I mentioned, I hope I did not just jinx my project.

 

[SMAlset]

Concrete tiles will vary greatly in their lifetime usage. Our builder specified a better quality tile that has a 30-year life and Tesla found to be in good condition. Tesla told us that they have seen some concrete roof tiles that are thinner and more prone to breaking or are simply disintegrating with time. What they have seen with those is that the surface texture become very loose and grainy and difficult to walk on especially on a greater pitched roof. They have turned down jobs for those tiles upon inspection.

We're about halfway into the life of our roof tiles and enough to make adding solar panels now make sense to do. Always good to have your roof regularly checked for any flashing issues or broken tiles etc. There would be a cost to having them removed to do roofing repairs.

 

[bossturbo]

Maybe the code in Porter Ranch does not require Rapid Shut Down so no optimizers.

‍ Porter Ranch is City of Los Angeles, as is most of San Fernando Valley.

 

[Wannaretire]

You can buy panels as needed. Add 3 to small etc. Work with your advisor. The folks are great, once you get them. Its the coordination piece you have to do yourself. Worth it for me

 

[mnsweeps]

I am in Stevenson Ranch in Santa Clarita Valley and is an unincorporated city so everything is done at L.A county level. I applied for 8.16 kwh panels + 2 Powerwalls on 7/28. Tesla applied for permits on 8/11 and was rejected 3 times. Finally they applied a much cleaner , updated version on 9/11. I realized Tesla forgot to add Powerwalls in first permit so they cancelled it. Tesla called and apologized and said they will do an 'expediated' permit. I checked the new permit they applied on 9/11 and it says estimated start scheduled 9/18 ( in 1 week). The older cancelled permit had a 2 week timeframe so looks like there is an expedited way to apply for permit in LA county. Let's see how things go this coming week.

 

[M3SRdude]

I just got my quote back yesterday, I'm in Porter Ranch. They are using the Q.Cells 340 watt panels and the Delta string inverter. They don't specify the model, but for the 8.16kW system, I believe it's the M8-TL-US. I do not have any shading on my roof, so they are not using, nor as I understand it, is there any need for power optimizers.

The panels are quoted at $4,592 which seems great compared to retail price.

The panels are quoted at $4592? What do you mean? I thought the 8.16kW system is $16000 before the tax incentive?

 

[M3SRdude]

Hi,

Below is a review I left about the Tesla Service. It is a "cut and paste". I am in Granada Hills.

Regards,

GHTech

I am trying not to jinx it for my install. I started my process with Tesla at the end of Jun with orders for both solar roof and solar panels. My 27 year old shingle roof needed to be replaced. After I got the numbers, and quotes, I decided to go with the re-roof and solar panels. Tesla refunded the $100 for the solar roof, without me even asking. Requested a couple of changes (ended with a 8.16 kW system), and added 2 PW as well. Was not able to schedule Tesla till the re-roof was finally schedule. Re-roof was completed Aug. 14. Permit was filed with LADBS (L.A. City not County like in mnsweeps case) Jul. 20th. 1 correction was requested. Permit was issued Aug. 5th. Tesla install was scheduled for Sep. 1st. They had an opening that came available a few days before, but that would not have worked out as they asked me the evening before. Anyway, the install of the 24 panels were done by about 1.30 p.m. and the 2 PW install was done by 4 p.m. The LADBS inspection happened this morning. Now to wait for LADWP to do their thing.

I have to say, I am pretty impressed with the all the people I have worked with at Tesla. I have had 1 project advisor, 1 project coordinator, 1 site evaluator, 4 PV installers, 2 electricians, 2 guys out to get ready for the inspection, and all of them were pretty good. Had a safety person and a QA person from Tesla drop in as well. My Project Advisor has gone out of his way to help. Over this long weekend, I noticed on Sat. that the LADBS had scheduled the inspection for today. Then yesterday it was schedule for 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. I was concerned as nobody from Tesla had told me anything, and the stickers, etc . was not put. Then this morning around 7 a.m., I got a text from a guy from Tesla saying the inspection was today from 9 - 11, and he will be here by 7.30 to get everything ready. I didn't have any issue as this info was updated over a long weekend. Over the weekend, I did some off-grid testing for about 9 hours each day. As I mentioned, I hope I did not just jinx my project.

Thanks for sharing your experience. That sounds not nearly as bad as I've read elsewhere. This is exactly the kind of info I was looking for. I hope your experience is representative of others who buy in San Fernando Valley.

Can you tell me what kind of panel they used? Did they set yours up with string inverter with power optimizer?

Did they allow you to choose where to put the panels on the roof? My roof has many planes, and the south and west facing are small planes with obstacles, whereas the North and the East are larger with fewer obstacles. I would hate for them to put any panel facing north or the majority of panels facing east.

Thanks

 

[M3SRdude]

Concrete tiles will vary greatly in their lifetime usage. Our builder specified a better quality tile that has a 30-year life and Tesla found to be in good condition. Tesla told us that they have seen some concrete roof tiles that are thinner and more prone to breaking or are simply disintegrating with time. What they have seen with those is that the surface texture become very loose and grainy and difficult to walk on especially on a greater pitched roof. They have turned down jobs for those tiles upon inspection.

We're about halfway into the life of our roof tiles and enough to make adding solar panels now make sense to do. Always good to have your roof regularly checked for any flashing issues or broken tiles etc. There would be a cost to having them removed to do roofing repairs.

Did they specify in the contract how much it would cost to take down and reinstall the panels?

 

[M3SRdude]

You can buy panels as needed. Add 3 to small etc. Work with your advisor. The folks are great, once you get them. Its the coordination piece you have to do yourself. Worth it for me

That's reassuring. Thanks

 

[SMAlset]

Did they specify in the contract how much it would cost to take down and reinstall the panels?

I’m pretty sure it’s spelled out in the agreement. Seem to recall seeing an amount and language about it but since we don’t think it would affect us for years down the road didn’t focus on it.

 

[GHTech]

Thanks for sharing your experience. That sounds not nearly as bad as I've read elsewhere. This is exactly the kind of info I was looking for. I hope your experience is representative of others who buy in San Fernando Valley.

Can you tell me what kind of panel they used? Did they set yours up with string inverter with power optimizer?

Did they allow you to choose where to put the panels on the roof? My roof has many planes, and the south and west facing are small planes with obstacles, whereas the North and the East are larger with fewer obstacles. I would hate for them to put any panel facing north or the majority of panels facing east.

Thanks

Hi MS3Rdude,

They installed 24 of the Q-Cell 340 W panels. Mine were installed on the south, west and east facing planes. They used 1 SolarEdge (SE7600H-US) inverter with 24 power optimizers.

My original system that was installed 14 years ago (3.5 kW system - 20 panels) was all on the south facing as the code was different, and we had the get a waiver from the fire department. These were removed and disposed before the reroof. I was hoping the Tesla install would have most of it on the south facing. The original design that I got after paying the $100 was to have all 24 panels on the east facing, which did not make sense. I requested a redesign, and the final version they came back with was to have 7 south, 4 west and 13 east facing. During the install they realize that the overhang was bigger than calculated, and they needed to modify. The lead and I chatted, and the best they could do was 5 south, 3 west and 16 east facing. Even though I was not thrilled with it, it would work out. This way, the 2 PW will get fully charged first, and then the afternoon generated power will supply the house, and evening the PW's will take over.

Tesla has an office in Chatsworth that has 6 teams of PV installers and 6 teams of electricians. Even though Chatsworth is maybe 3 miles away, my install was handled by the Atwater Village team. They have 4 teams of PV and 4 teams of electricians there. They will cover the repairs from one of these 2 offices. I have to honestly say, I have been impressed with the responsiveness of the different people. Definitely not perfect, but I can work with these guys.

Regards,

GHTech

 

[bossturbo]

The panels are quoted at $4592? What do you mean? I thought the 8.16kW system is $16000 before the tax incentive?

@M3SRdude

I didn't realize you were talking about buying just a few panels to add to the system, I thought you meant you were going to buy ALL the panels elsewhere. I was just showing that the line item for the panels is a good price. My mistake. Here's the full details:

Solar System $16,400.00
8.16 kW DC Solar Panels $4,592.00
Inverter(s) & Balance of System $2,132.00
Mounting Hardware $984.00
Installation, Permitting, and Other Fees $8,692.00
System Price $16,400.00
Taxes $638.78
Contract Price $17,038.78

 

[M3SRdude]

Concrete tiles will vary greatly in their lifetime usage. Our builder specified a better quality tile that has a 30-year life and Tesla found to be in good condition. Tesla told us that they have seen some concrete roof tiles that are thinner and more prone to breaking or are simply disintegrating with time. What they have seen with those is that the surface texture become very loose and grainy and difficult to walk on especially on a greater pitched roof. They have turned down jobs for those tiles upon inspection.

We're about halfway into the life of our roof tiles and enough to make adding solar panels now make sense to do. Always good to have your roof regularly checked for any flashing issues or broken tiles etc. There would be a cost to having them removed to do roofing repairs.

Hi SMAIslet,

On my solar energy system purchase disclosure document, there's a line that says:

Roof Warranty
Your roof IS warranted against leaks from the system install for 1st 10 years by the Provider.

 

[SMAlset]

Hi SMAIslet,

On my solar energy system purchase disclosure document, there's a line that says:

Roof Warranty
Your roof IS warranted against leaks from the system install for 1st 10 years by the Provider.

Yes there is that roof leak protection but I was also thinking about the actual solar panels that may need maintenance over time and causing trips up to the roof and also walking on the tiles.

 

[ncbinh]

@M3SRdude

I didn't realize you were talking about buying just a few panels to add to the system, I thought you meant you were going to buy ALL the panels elsewhere. I was just showing that the line item for the panels is a good price. My mistake. Here's the full details:

Solar System $16,400.00
8.16 kW DC Solar Panels $4,592.00
Inverter(s) & Balance of System $2,132.00
Mounting Hardware $984.00
Installation, Permitting, and Other Fees $8,692.00
System Price $16,400.00
Taxes $638.78
Contract Price $17,038.78

I'm looking for Solar Panel for my house as well. I've tried to get quote from some of local companies around here and no one can beat Tesla's quote.

Did you get your solar system installed yet? How long from beginning to finishing? Do you have to pay any extra?

Thanks

 

[Navak]

I just got my quote back yesterday, I'm in Porter Ranch. They are using the Q.Cells 340 watt panels and the Delta string inverter. They don't specify the model, but for the 8.16kW system, I believe it's the M8-TL-US. I do not have any shading on my roof, so they are not using, nor as I understand it, is there any need for power optimizers.

The panels are quoted at $4,592 which seems great compared to retail price.

@bossturbo I'm also in Porter Ranch and thinking of getting the same size (8.16 kW) system. Please keep us updated with a progress and the quality of the work.

Thanks.

 

[Momvivant]

Hi all,

I'm been thinking about Solar Panels and am enticed by Tesla's $2/W price but am concerned about poor service.

Anyone here with recent experience with Tesla Solar Panel install in Los Angeles, or more specifically San Fernando Valley? What kind of timeline from deposit to PTO? What are the panel, mounting specs? Do they use string inverter with power optimizers, or microinverters?

I plan to buy the panels. Others have mentioned if you buy them, you don't have to install in 4kW or 8kW sizes, but can choose any size. Is that true? I want a 6.5 or 7KW system.

How willing are they to work with you regarding layout of the panels?

I have a 23 year old concrete-tile roof, which has a leak. One roofer came out and identified a flashing that could overflow during heavy rain, which damaged and cracked the nearby underlayment. He proposed replacing just a section of the underlayment, and he said there is probably another 5-10 years of life remaining in the underlayment of another section of the roof away from where the leak is. In general, my understanding is that concrete tiles are good for 50 years but the underlayment is generally good for 25 years. I've had other solar installers come out and they all think the underlayment looks good for another 10-15 years, though I think they are biased.

So my concern is if I put solar panel on the roof as is, and it leaks, is it going to take Tesla forever to come and uninstall and reinstall the panels so that the roofer can fix it? Does Tesla offer any kind of labor warranty or leak-proof guarantee?

Thanks all!

Not in your area but south in OC. I had the same dilemma - roof still good if dry underlayment in some areas. After reading the cost of removing the panels which run up to thousands of dollars In these threads, I decided to just replace the underlayment. The concrete tiles last longer than the underlayment so you should replace it. Most roofing companies refuse to warranty a partial roof replacement longer than a year so do ask about that. Ours did for 10 years since we reroofed 2 major sections.

It gets tricky on what Tesla will warranty...you will have an inspection by them on the condition of the roof so they might make it a condition of their install to reroof. They had me submit photos and the permit with inspections by the city. I just posted some info on my original thread asking about the underlayment. They’ll most likely warranty if they punctured something that caused a leak but they most likely wouldn’t warranty a problematic underlayment. I personally didn’t want to take the chance.

As for working with you on the placement of the panels and sizing, they were awesome. I had them consolidate 3 panels to the main two sections so I didn’t have to replace the entire roof. Yes, we’ll lose a little bit of energy production but it was low.

This process can take an extra few weeks so if want this year’s tax credit, you should start it ASAP.

I’m starting to get anxious that I don’t have an install date so will start calling my advisor daily until scheduling calls me back.