Tesla Solar vs ....[third party competitors]

[dho112]

Your experience sounds like the opposite of nearly every recent posts here from California...

Almost everything I've seen lately is pushed back installs for 6+ months due to supply issues, no PTO for 6+ months, can't make any changes if you aren't cookie cutter for Tesla Solar, etc. I think Tesla also only uses string inverters now.

(Above was all reasons I didn't pick Tesla after starting my research here last year).

Either you were very lucky or they are better now, but I don't think I've read of many cases like yours within the past 6 months so it's almost surprising (unless your install was years ago).

I have no explanation. I guess I’m the flyer in the good direction. Seriously though, I placed the Solar order (9.6 Kw Panels, Powerwall+) on December 22nd, Immediately got messages from Tesla saying what to expect with stuff to read and accept, 3 days later I got a diagram of my roof from them showing how the 24 panels would be installed, I made mods to that drawing rerranging a few panels to make it look more clean and sent that off, the next day I had a revised drawing showing my changes with another set of things to sign because I made changes. Feb 12th a Tesla inspector cane to check my roof and electricals in person (super nice guy!) Tesla had sent me a heads up in email and on the app a week before.

More docs 2 days later saying permits had been sent to my city building inspector and PG&E.

A week after that another round of messages saying everything was approved and to set date for install (3 day window) I picked March 15th

A week before March 15th barrage of messages with instructions on how to prepare (Clear area near panel, prepare for power being off all day etc)

Mar 15th install team arrives right in time one crew installs powerwall while other team installs panels. Start time 9:00am finish time 12:45pm

Talk to electrician member of installer team (Everyone else left) till 1:30pm while he is testing and waiting for powerwall update and connection to complete.

1:45pm playing with the app

March 18 get messages saying PTO application being submitted, Tesla pays the $145 filing fee and I just have to e-sign docs for PG&E.

March 22nd messages that PTO Application successfully submitted.

April 5th messages from PG&E that PTO accepted and meter will now accept power from my solar.

30 seconds later checked my app and see excess solar power (A large percentage of it) going to grid. 7.7kW production, .5kW to powering house, 7.2kW going to grid.

Plug in my car 7.7kW production, 6.5kW to house, 1.2kW to grid

Rest of afternoon with big smile

I wish it could be this way for everyone! Really, my experience was stellar. And when I talked to the installers they said they all pretty much go like mine. Every now and then though they said they get a bad roof, or a whacky electrical panel that throws a wrench into it, or dekays out if their control like from the power company or the city inspectors…

 

[Ramphex]

I have no explanation. I guess I’m the flyer in the good direction. Seriously though, I placed the Solar order (9.6 Kw Panels, Powerwall+) on December 22nd, Immediately got messages from Tesla saying what to expect with stuff to read and accept, 3 days later I got a diagram of my roof from them showing how the 24 panels would be installed, I made mods to that drawing rerranging a few panels to make it look more clean and sent that off, the next day I had a revised drawing showing my changes with another set of things to sign because I made changes. Feb 12th a Tesla inspector cane to check my roof and electricals in person (super nice guy!) Tesla had sent me a heads up in email and on the app a week before.

More docs 2 days later saying permits had been sent to my city building inspector and PG&E.

A week after that another round of messages saying everything was approved and to set date for install (3 day window) I picked March 15th

A week before March 15th barrage of messages with instructions on how to prepare (Clear area near panel, prepare for power being off all day etc)

Mar 15th install team arrives right in time one crew installs powerwall while other team installs panels. Start time 9:00am finish time 12:45pm

Talk to electrician member of installer team (Everyone else left) till 1:30pm while he is testing and waiting for powerwall update and connection to complete.

1:45pm playing with the app

March 18 get messages saying PTO application being submitted, Tesla pays the $145 filing fee and I just have to e-sign docs for PG&E.

March 22nd messages that PTO Application successfully submitted.

April 5th messages from PG&E that PTO accepted and meter will now accept power from my solar.

30 seconds later checked my app and see excess solar power (A large percentage of it) going to grid. 7.7kW production, .5kW to powering house, 7.2kW going to grid.

Plug in my car 7.7kW production, 6.5kW to house, 1.2kW to grid

Rest of afternoon with big smile

I wish it could be this way for everyone! Really, my experience was stellar. And when I talked to the installers they said they all pretty much go like mine. Every now and then though they said they get a bad roof, or a whacky electrical panel that throws a wrench into it, or dekays out if their control like from the power company or the city inspectors…

Good to finally hear a positive story lol. Mine has started off on a bad foot already. 3 installs with 7 powerwalls and 10 days into it, not a call, text, or a design…

 

[dho112]

That is the problem with basing opinions on forums post. The vast majority of forum post are negative. It does not matter the product, company, etc. People that have a good experience seldom post about it.

With that said, the things you mention are real. Tesla is a low-cost volume leader because they do cookie cutter installs which work for the majority of customer whose primary goals are to cut their power bills and have backup power. If one wants to make their own decisions regarding configurations and have someone install the configuration they specify then Tesla is not a match.

I’d have to agree. My install was probably as cookie cutter as it could possibly be! All my panels fit on a single south facing slope of my roof and I have an unfinished ceiling in my garage (Where the powerwall was installed) so it was a simple matter to run conduit up and over the ceiling rafters without having to do a bunch of drywall cutting.

In fact, my system is essentially just like graphic showing power flow in the Tesla App lol! The only real difference is tge powerwall is inside the garage instead of on the outside like in the app diagram.

 

[dho112]

Good to finally hear a positive story lol. Mine has started off on a bad foot already. 3 installs with 7 powerwalls and 10 days into it, not a call, text, or a design…

7 powerwalls?! Wow! That’s a very impressive system! Maybe its taking so long because they have to first gather together all the powerwalls before they start?

 

[Ramphex]

7 powerwalls?! Wow! That’s a very impressive system! Maybe its taking so long because they have to first gather together all the powerwalls before they start?

There’s 3 installs/houses lol, one has 3 PWs, second has 2, and third also has 2.

 

[dho112]

Oh!!! lol! Sorry, I was sleep and clueless! Still, with that much business, you’d think they should be bending over backwards for you, AND with a volume discount too!

 

[BGbreeder]

Tesla just doesn't do customer service hand holding. It is low cost, SOP driven. They will only reach out when they have to. It is just the way they work. If you want warm fuzzy hand holding, or custom work, it isn't the best choice.

All the best,

BG

 

[Gem!ni]

I've decided to go with a local company for my solar install. They're quoting definitely a higher price than Tesla, but the customer service with solar I feel is so important. These panels will be on your roof for 25+ years exposed to the elements (snow, wind, hail, rain etc here in Illinois). I feel like that's worth the price.

There's a few other things I'm looking at. The SE side of my roof along with the SW facing side of my garage will encompass an 8.91 kw system. In terms of my roof it's an odd shape with various "stuffs" sticking out of the roof. Not exactly ideal for their standard sizes. I was looking at Tesla's 9.6 kw system, but I have no idea how that would fit on my roof especially on the NW side of my roof on the back. That area gets a lot of shading from trees in the back.

The final thing I was looking at was Tesla's choice for inverters. As far as I'm aware, Tesla uses a string inverter which does not deal with shading which I would be having on the NW side of my roof. Along with that, the negatives with string inverters is that if the inverter is bad, your whole system is basically down and you would have to deal with Tesla's customer service. The quote I have uses microinverters so in the situation one goes bad, the whole system isn't down. Just the microinverter that is down would have to be replaced.

Illinois has a great incentive called "Illinois Shines" that will pay SREC credit up front. Basically, the state will pay you up front for the projected 15 years of electricity your system will produce. Subtract that along with the federal incentive and my price per watt isn't bad, but definitely still higher than Tesla.

I looked at batteries like a Powerwall, but two things prevented me from getting them. Comed, our utility is pretty damn reliable. Like extremely reliable. Along with that, we have full retail net metering in the state, so basically our grid is our battery.

For reference, my house is 2,470 sq ft.

 

[Ramphex]

I've decided to go with a local company for my solar install. They're quoting definitely a higher price than Tesla, but the customer service with solar I feel is so important. These panels will be on your roof for 25+ years exposed to the elements (snow, wind, hail, rain etc here in Illinois). I feel like that's worth the price.

There's a few other things I'm looking at. The SE side of my roof along with the SW facing side of my garage will encompass an 8.91 kw system. In terms of my roof it's an odd shape with various "stuffs" sticking out of the roof. Not exactly ideal for their standard sizes. I was looking at Tesla's 9.6 kw system, but I have no idea how that would fit on my roof especially on the NW side of my roof on the back. That area gets a lot of shading from trees in the back.

The final thing I was looking at was Tesla's choice for inverters. As far as I'm aware, Tesla uses a string inverter which does not deal with shading which I would be having on the NW side of my roof. Along with that, the negatives with string inverters is that if the inverter is bad, your whole system is basically down and you would have to deal with Tesla's customer service. The quote I have uses microinverters so in the situation one goes bad, the whole system isn't down. Just the microinverter that is down would have to be replaced.

Illinois has a great incentive called "Illinois Shines" that will pay SREC credit up front. Basically, the state will pay you up front for the projected 15 years of electricity your system will produce. Subtract that along with the federal incentive and my price per watt isn't bad, but definitely still higher than Tesla.

I looked at batteries like a Powerwall, but two things prevented me from getting them. Comed, our utility is pretty damn reliable. Like extremely reliable. Along with that, we have full retail net metering in the state, so basically our grid is our battery.

For reference, my house is 2,470 sq ft.

Good choice going with someone other than Tesla.

 

[holeydonut]

It is not the color; it is the fonts and the insane number of them that drive me crazy

Thanks to Vines all my placards have the same serif font and are actually useful to someone. Plus the color looks badazz.

 

[MontyFloyd]

Thoughts on SUNRUN (vai Costco) and their offer of Hanwha Q-Cells Q.PEAK DUO ML-G10+ 410 panels?

 

[ptdusn]

Thoughts on SUNRUN (vai Costco) and their offer of Hanwha Q-Cells Q.PEAK DUO ML-G10+ 410 panels?

Nothing but good results. We went with Sunrun through Costco. Got 27 Hanwha Q-Cells 350w and 2 Powerwalls. Sunrun redid our roof as the underlayment was shot. They subsidized $4k of the 6800 and rolled the rest into our loan, (paid for panels through Goodleap). After install got a $2100 cash card from Costco. So far we have saved an average of $35-40, (electric bill plus loan payment), from what our bill used to be.
Sunrun Customer service is very good, as Costco customers we have a dedicated Customer Service number. Any more questions feel free to IM.

 

[kabin]

Thoughts on SUNRUN (vai Costco) and their offer of Hanwha Q-Cells Q.PEAK DUO ML-G10+ 410 panels?

There's a few SUNRUN anecdotals earlier in this thread.

 

[MontyFloyd]

Nothing but good results. We went with Sunrun through Costco. Got 27 Hanwha Q-Cells 350w and 2 Powerwalls. Sunrun redid our roof as the underlayment was shot. They subsidized $4k of the 6800 and rolled the rest into our loan, (paid for panels through Goodleap). After install got a $2100 cash card from Costco. So far we have saved an average of $35-40, (electric bill plus loan payment), from what our bill used to be.
Sunrun Customer service is very good, as Costco customers we have a dedicated Customer Service number. Any more questions feel free to IM.

Thanks.
The price looks high, but worth the extra?

There's a few SUNRUN anecdotals earlier in this thread.

Thanks, will look though the 9 pages then.

 

[ptdusn]

Thanks.
The price looks high, but worth the extra?

Thanks, will look though the 9 pages then.

Yes, they are priced higher, but... I feel the trade off is their Customer Service, plus the fact they install a "critter guard" to keep birds and pests out from under the panels. Whereas, Tesla does not.

 

[kabin]

Thanks.
The price looks high, but worth the extra?

Thanks, will look though the 9 pages then.

It took some time but I had good luck interviewing local installers. They tend to be smaller, family owned, offer good product, have product in stock, do their own installs, lower overhead (much better pricing), and includes critter guards. The downside is they likely won't offer Tesla PWs which wasn't an issue for me.

 

[MontyFloyd]

Nothing but good results. We went with Sunrun through Costco. Got 27 Hanwha Q-Cells 350w and 2 Powerwalls. Sunrun redid our roof as the underlayment was shot. They subsidized $4k of the 6800 and rolled the rest into our loan, (paid for panels through Goodleap). After install got a $2100 cash card from Costco. So far we have saved an average of $35-40, (electric bill plus loan payment), from what our bill used to be.
Sunrun Customer service is very good, as Costco customers we have a dedicated Customer Service number. Any more questions feel free to IM.

The "subsidized $4k of the 6800", that was for the roof replacment?

Was looking over the loan, and it turns out it is $90/mo for 18mo, then jumps to $122 for the remaining 18.5 years. Very disappointing.

Also perturbed by lack of other details. I had survey done, will see what they say.

 

[ptdusn]

The "subsidized $4k of the 6800", that was for the roof replacment?

Was looking over the loan, and it turns out it is $90/mo for 18mo, then jumps to $122 for the remaining 18.5 years. Very disappointing.

Also perturbed by lack of other details. I had survey done, will see what they say.

Loan only jumps if you don't meet "Target" amount specified. Loan payments started December of 2021 and we have to meet our "Target" by April of 2023. That's why we put $17k of the $17.5k tax credit we got onto the loan. Yes, the subsidized amount was for the roof replacement.

 

[MontyFloyd]

Loan only jumps if you don't meet "Target" amount specified. Loan payments started December of 2021 and we have to meet our "Target" by April of 2023.

The "Target" stated in contract is: "...make sufficient voluntary prepayment(s) to reduce your total loan..."
The loan "will re-amortize at the end of the 18th month", so there is an increase, and I am not sure if the % APR stays the same.

 

[Fruitcake]

Price and Powerwall. In exchange, you get horrible customer support and get to spend hours on hold trying to get support. But $5-10k in savings is a lot.

Also, where are you reading that Hanwha panels are so inferior?

Basically this, yes.