Tesla Solar and Powerwalls: 100% Whole Home Backup!

[@SmartHomeSolver]

Here's my referral link for a discount on Tesla Solar: ts.la/reed50987 Or get more quotes here: energysage.com/p/smarthomesolver-ap Do you guys have any questions about my experience with solar, Powerwalls, or Tesla?

[@ItotheCtotheE]

You answered pretty much everything in video except for what your monthly bill was before.

[@SmartHomeSolver]

@@ItotheCtotheE my monthly bill in this house was around $200 to $300 but we hardly run our air conditioning in the summer during peak pricing hours. So if we ran our air conditioning more it would be $400+ per month. That's why I didn't talk about it because it's a difficult comparison for the comfort/savings we will have.

[@egesanli619]

why did you choose solar panels over solar roof?

[@SmartHomeSolver]

@@egesanli619 mainly price. A 12 kW system is around $25,000 and a solar roof for me would be $133,000 and all of that is before powerwalls. I love how the solar roof looks but it's too expensive for me.

[@cloudstrife316]

@@SmartHomeSolver Is the 25K before or after tax incentives? (edit. I saw your answer in the end of the video. After incentives)

[@TheHookUp]

My install experience was just as bad as yours. In fact, they were just here yesterday replacing my inverter because the solar installers "pressed too hard on the harness and broke the circuit board". About 5-10 times I've gotten messages that say "something is wrong with your system, go to the app and schedule a service", but the app has no service available. Also, my project manager has completely ghosted me and hasn't completed the paperwork to get us grid-tied.

[@SmartHomeSolver]

Oh wow that’s crazy! I thought I just had a bad project manager but I’m glad to hear I’m not the only one that had to deal with all that. That sucks though and it’s not fun to deal with. Hopefully you can get everything all wrapped up. I feel like it’s just luck of the draw when calling and getting someone on the phone that can actually help.

[@Pyth0nym]

Hope you also make a video about your solar!

[@Anx256]

Wow, I watch your channel as well, if you would have made a video it probably would have steered me away from Tesla. There really weren’t any videos that I could find that weren’t either before Tesla (when SolarCity), or doing the solar roof, which is a totally different product path. Ironically my install wasn’t terrible, but it wasn’t great either. Their project managers are really not that useful - really they should have a page you can go to that just shows each step and what percentage is complete and when it was last updated. Several times it was waiting for me to do something I was completely unaware of unless I called in.

[@evlnte]

Same same. We had months of arguments just on the design phase because they wanted to place panels in shaded areas. When the installers showed up, they did everything to place panels as high up as possible to catch more sun...so it seems the Tesla installers are more customer-focused and pretty sensible. They assessed our actual roof conditions and told the Engineer to change his drawings to match the final install. They also screwed up our roof tiles too, but came out and fixed it within a week. So I was pissed, but not for very long. This installation has all ideal conditions, so he is going to get great production numbers year round. Our roof has too many angles and the production just is not at all what we expected. I would have been less disappointed if it had been explained beforehand so as to let us make the choice to spend more for more panels or a second inverter. We can get 54 Kwh with 30 of the same panels in peak conditions, but in winter we can barely get 34Kwh a day; not enough to cover our use. We went thru 3 project managers and each was progressively worse. The permit process was terrible and coordination was grueling with Tesla. The amazing part was that our permit to produce happened in 3 days! Even though I had read about some of these nightmares beforehand, we still went with Tesla due to price. They were $10k-18k less than everyone else.

[@user-ln7of9gs4s]

@@evlnte the best option was to source the largest system possible, if using the solar roof. Once it’s there, they will not add more solar tiles. Winter production is 1/2 to 1/3rd some times of summer production.

[@Anx256]

Here’s my Tesla warning - I got my system installed last year October, almost the same size, 12.5kW and 3 power walls. First one of the power walls blew up last December- yeah, really exciting times. The system was made operational February (had to do a ton of stuff to safely ship the powerwall, etc). Then in August the inverter stopped working, and the system hasn’t worked since. I’ve had to hound Tesla every week, until I finally got a manager who would actually follow up on things and call me back. Either way, the system still doesn’t work, they keep pointing fingers but the net result is I spend $50k to have a system that doesn’t work. I wouldn’t consider Tesla ever again for solar, find a reputable local installer who actually cares if you encounter problems. The measure of the system isn’t how much value it is when it works, it’s how well they address things when it doesn’t.

[@wobushixc]

Curious what Tesla said the issue is?

[@Anx256]

Which time? 🤣 This latest issue with the inverter was that the SolarEdge inverter reported a ZCap voltage issue. I was traveling at the time, so all I could do was schedule a Tesla tech to come look at it - soonest time was 6 weeks! Day comes, I wait around and no one shows up, I call Tesla and then they tell me he’s sick so they need to reschedule- another 6 weeks! Are you kidding me? Out of desperation I call SolarEdge support (which was great), in about 5 minutes they say the inverter needs to be replaced, but I can’t do it, Tesla needs to as they’re the installer. Another call to Tesla, holding for an hour until finally someone says they will do it, but it will take 1-2 weeks. So this first 8 weeks of delay could have really been saved if they even had the most basic of automated error checking software - no tech needed to come out. But the disaster was just beginning, so they won’t schedule until the replacement inverter arrives, so another 2 weeks, then it shows up - scheduling again, this time 6 weeks again. They show up, take my old inverter, bring out the ‘new’ inverter which has pieces broken off and would fail even the most basic visual inspection, and surprise! It looks like it got damaged somehow, I now need another one! Now I need to call Tesla literally every day to hound them to actually communicate with SolarEdge, no one at Tesla ever returns my calls, etc. Finally after maybe 4 months of this I get a manager who actually seems to care and follows up with me once a week. Sure, she’s basically just telling me nothing is happening, but if you don’t follow up actively, they will just completely ignore you. Still not resolved, no visibility into what’s wrong, my system has now been non-operational probably 6 months out of the 13 months I’ve had it. Oh, and here’s the bonus, the power walls don’t work without solar! If I had installed them alone they would, but because they’re part of the solar, they only charge using solar. At first they said it was because they can’t charge using the grid - but then once they self-discharged to zero and I hammered support about deep discharging Lith-Ion batteries, did one of them finally tell me that it actually can charge from the grid, but Tesla won’t enable that unless you install them separately from solar. What a joke.

[@wobushixc]

@@Anx256 sorry to hear your experience. Hope the faulty solar inverter is eventually replaced and your system can operate again.

[@Anx2k]

@@wobushixc Thanks, I do as well. :) The worse part of it is that all of these components deteriorate over time (the panels, the batteries, etc), so I'm losing out on it's peak performance. Granted we're only talking about percentage points here, but still now the percentage I'm getting is 0%. I would wholeheartedly recommend getting solar if you're looking, and my experience with SolarEdge has been positive as well, it's Tesla that I would avoid doing business with ever again.

[@fancyIOP]

People love Elon so much they won’t even consider what you wrote. It’s all about father Elon to them.

[@Teddy_M85]

I agree. Teslas customer service needs a complete rework. Luckily my system went up relatively pain free. But I had to stay on top of them and not believe everything they said. For example, they didn't want me to get a system as big as mine but they ultimately allowed it. I had argued I will be purchasing their own vehicle and will need the extra power. Also, the layout had to be changed multiple times because they didn't understand what I wanted over the phone. I ultimately had to draw the layout for them 🤦‍♂️. A project manager that actually cares and goes onsite would make things a lot smoother. I gave them a pass because we were in the middle of covid. I haven't had any issues since the system went live, knock on wood, and it's been a money printing machine, for over a year, so I'm happy! Fingers crossed it stays that way for another 25+yrs. 🙏

[@dataguy2020]

I have heard rumors. I am not sure if they are true but changes may be coming. I just went through an issue & dang I had one local supervisor lie to me and ghost me and then the other local manager willing to work with me.

[@8050144]

3 power walls?! Good heavens. You're set for the apocalypse 👍🏻😁

[@SmartHomeSolver]

Basically every summer in Arizona is near apocalyptic. 😅

[@8050144]

@@SmartHomeSolver Been to Arizona once. That one trip confirms your response.

[@shanew7361]

@@8050144 Yea me too, haven't been back lol to hot.

[@danbogart]

Unfortunately out here in Maricopa, Electrical District 3 caps the solar installations to 10kw. I asked about installing batteries and the solar company rep said the batteries count toward the cap as well. In addition they limit the number of installations per month, so you end up on a wait list. I called ED3 to ask them why the limitations are in place and if anything is being done to potentially raise the caps and they never returned my calls. It’s pretty absurd that the sunniest state in the country hasn’t embraced solar energy more…..

[@commonsenseandreason2492]

Utility companies are in death spiral. They'll tax the sunlight before it's all over.

[@thelittlejewelcompany2030]

Great video! I had an extremely similar experience with Tesla. I had two power walls and 20 400w panels installed. I had lots of trouble getting communication from Tesla on several issues. it took me 10 weeks from start to finish to get my system installed and producing energy from the sun. I also agree that even though the process can be challenging, it was totally worth it. I'm now completely energy independent and don't have to rely on the my utility company. I wish I would've seen your video prior to my installation, I would've used your referral code.

[@dankelley9361]

Sounds like Tesla better become a lot more customer focused before home owners get your poor service. For 48K you better be in that home for close to 20 years for what you spent as what you pay. A lot of electrical power companies are thinking or trying to charge a monthly fee to solar panel home owners! Crazy!

[@That-Guy_]

They are hit and miss with service. My install was smooth and quick. they just need to make sure it's like that for everyone.

[@GeorgeSmartHome]

Thanks for the video. In Belgium they will soon look at your peak consumption, and charge you if you are using a lot of power during those peaks, no matter the time. This makes batteries very important, mine should be installed this year! Interesting to hear your experiences. I will be getting a bit smaller system to yours (24 panels at 455w) and 10kW of batteries for now (albeit Belgium, no need for AC but far less sun).

[@swaggytoast5242]

europoor

[@ianpatrick23]

This is such a great summary of the good and bad of the Tesla solar panels and power walls. Thank you so much for helping us make our decision on Tesla solar!

[@johnseah957]

FYI, the power walls that Tesla is installing now, the Powerwall Plus, outputs a max of 7 kW per Powerwall, and can go up to 9 kW per Powerwall if it detects that the grid is down (i.e. power outage). Supposedly, all existing power walls can be upgraded to Powerwall Plus with a firmware update.

[@newt6639]

I may start a KZbin channel just alone to share my experience with my Tesla Solar panels. Although I didn't get the powerwalls the experience you shared was similar in terms of lack of communication and leaving my home full of broken roof tiles a night before a huge storm. The installers didn't even tell me they broke the tiles. They were not even planning to come back to my home for weeks until I raised hell with the mystery advisor. Not a fan of their model, but I have no regrets in getting solar.

[@gamerzieg3211]

Tesla doesn't make their own panels they use Panasonic Panels.

[@newt6639]

@@gamerzieg3211 Very true

[@BILLSIRLOIN]

Thanks for your video. Tesla is installing our system in 2 weeks and we’re in Arizona too. We already have 2 Powerwalls installed that we’ve been using for about 6 months. So far the solar process has been very smooth and no issues yet!

[@ARLGD]

Wow, the Segway Portable PowerStation Cube Series sounds like a game-changer for outdoor enthusiasts like us! The massive capacity, fast recharge time, and waterproof technology make it perfect for camping trips. Plus, the smart app control is a handy feature. Can't wait to try it out! Great recommendation!

[@marcelinopastrana6750]

Great video. I had few hiccups with my solar installers too, very similar issues you described. There were some delays during the installation phase (four months), minor problems with the roof (got fix within two days), ghosting, poor communication (which improved 100% towards the end of the install) and a lot of confusion during the battery installation phase (wrong batteries ordered, creating a large portion of the 4-month delay). I was their first customer with the enphase set up. The solar installer company brought an enphase engineer to inspect my battery system. At the end of the day, the contractor fixed each one of the issues, and more. Full disclosure, the solar installer company paid for my solar loan...until the system became 100% operational. It looks that these issues are very common. I have a 10.x kW solar system with enphase batteries (10-T energy capacity: 10 kWh) for partial home back up. The total cost, after the 30% tax credit, was about $29K. Our next project is to upgrade the battery system from a partial -to- full home back up. Again, great video. It is good to know that I was not the only one with these issues during the whole solar process.

[@georgedavismd]

Great video. I’m in the process here North of Houston. My reasoning was the recent freeze where we lost power for 11 to 12 hours. I started researching it and My timeline is a bit longer than yours. I think mine will be installed this week. The solar panels have already been install just waiting on the power walls.

[@SmartHomeSolver]

That’s great you’re getting a system installed too! Yeah the power outage in Texas was scary and made me want to get powerwalls even more. Hope your setup goes smoothly!

[@That-Guy_]

I made a comment on your rafting video that should be helpful.

[@georgedavismd]

Update still not installed it’s January 4th

[@lesseknj]

I’m in the Houston area as well and considering the 24kw system and 3 powerwalls. Has your systems been activated yet? If so, how is everything going with it? Worth it?

[@denniskluytmans]

Awesome! I have 11 panels (3kwp system) but the sun here in the Netherlands is scarce. So I get a whopping 10w/h during the winter

[@SignedForFun]

Lucky you, your solar system has home assistant integration. I had to code mine from scratch for MPP solar hybrid, d1 mini hooked to RS232 port. It was utterly rewarding though, when i started pulling data from inverter.

[@Paul-cj1wb]

Power walls are great. However, there are systems out there that are far cheaper. For example, you can buy a 30kw battery system for $9,000 ($1,500 for each 5.1kw battery modules/pack x6 = 30.6 kw). So for $18,000, you could get a massive 60,000kw battery system (yes, it's overkill but listing it to make a point if you're going to spend all that money) from which you could just about fully charge your electric car with long range (or fully charge a standard range from 0 to 100%), or an average home for a full 2 days, including using air conditioning (30kw per day average). Or you can spend anywhere in between, like $12,000 for a 40kw system. And I'm talking about long cycle life LFP battery systems that last for 20 or 30 years or more. So I'm wondering why you didn't consider those as opposed to going through the installation hell with the Tesla installers and support and spending at least twice the money?

[@scotttucker2557]

You should also look at spaan power controller box for your powerwall back up I guarantee you will love it

[@letsgoiowa]

Man I can't wait for the day when it makes sense for me to start mounting solar panels on my house here in Iowa. Granted, my electrical bill including heating and cooling is only $84/month so it's not that bad to begin with. Hmm...maybe even a small solar setup could actually make our bill tiny or even go negative...

[@lexxielex]

We plan on getting some panels on our next house here in MN. The winter might not be as beneficial but maybe starting off small like you said to get an idea.

[@gutwallst6645]

You will NEVER get your money back, even with Federal subsidies

[@standm6130]

@@gutwallst6645 THIS.. Not just in Iowa - even in expensive places like CT. People read up!!!!!

[@Matzes]

@@lexxielex if you do Decide to build solar, it is MUCH more cost effective to go as big as your roof let's you.

[@calivalley9056]

I have 17.5 MWH yearly producing system, paid back in three years but I live in the Central Valley of California, electricity is very expensive here and it gets very hot so A/C is a must. I also have two EV’s that increases the pay back significantly, this is rarely covered or understood. I was driving a 12 MPG truck to work everyday, switched to an EV commuter and it costs me nothing because I plug in at home. The key is making sure all you energy pulling devices are energy efficient, cheaper to upgrade those than to pay for more panels.

[@KJSvitko]

Most Tesla solar roofs rely on local companies to do your install. As solar roofs become more common the installers will get better at the install and resolution process. It is new for everyone including the utility, code inspector and person doing permits.

[@faengelm]

Thanks for the great review. It would be interesting to know what your bills were before installation and what they estimate the payback period to be. How long do they guarantee it will work and what is the expected efficiency decline over 5/10/15/20 years?

[@wraithmojo]

Hello Reed and all other readers! I signed a contract with Tesla for the mid-sized system in July 2020. It took 4 MONTHS just for the design team to get the proper design on my roof. First, they designed for my neighbors roof despite sending a Google earth pic with correct roof circled in red...not too difficult to follow a simple map...but the design team is clearly run by 8 year old children. Then, I had to explain they were incorrect about required setbacks for my jurisdiction...requiring many calls to zoning and the fire marshall to prove they were wrong. Next, the scheduling dept...oh my...what a mess. The communication is terrible and even between scheduling and installation departments they don't know if they are coming or going. It took MONTHS of staying on top on them to get things moving and finally installed in March of 2021...9 months after signing contracts. I didn't opt for a power wall at the time but am considering adding 2 once they get their act together. The solar division of Tesla is just abysmal... you WILL eventually get a good product for the best pricing around (I was quoted as much as double by 4 other installers), but just be sure you're ready to do the majority of logistics...because they won't without constant hounding. Happy now...yes indeed...but a massive headache between design, scheduling, and installation departments. I actually had to complain to Elon on Twitter and involve my rep from Tesla auto purchase as Tesla energy rep was a joke...transferred to 3 different reps...all of whom were incompetent. Very unfortunate.

[@MiltonFrola]

Awesome, congratulations. Sincere and good "envy" here (about how much you produce). I had installed 43 panels, and 2 power walls + last year in the Chicago area with a total of 14.23 Kwh system. In summertime by August when I started to use it produced a max of 11kwh at its peak, but by 11 a.m the 2 powerwalls+ were fully charged, it produced enough energy to handle the whole house and export the leftover to the grid. By now it sucks (welcome ot the Midwest) at cloudy days it will produce maybe 3 kW and sunny winters days max of 10 kW the whole day. My dealing with tesla was smooth than yours, they from start to finish was maybe 3 months. Conclusion in the summertime I love it, wintertime made no difference with the exception that if we have a power outage we have battery back up for a while.

[@SmartHomeSolver]

Thanks Milton! Oh wow a 14.23 kW system that's great! That's interesting how much it goes down in the winter but yeah at least you have good backup. I'm glad to hear you had a better experience with Tesla. Apparently there had been similar issues that happened to my solar panels and it could be related to chip issues with the pandemic. So maybe it's more of a rare thing.

[@lexxielex]

That’s interesting to here as I’m in MN and was wondering how it works in the winters.

[@topperdude2007]

Same here - another Minnesotan. We had a local solar panel company give us a bid back in the day. Due to the open exposure and no trees around, we were could get 11kw on one roof and another 8kw on the other facet. But even after tax break and local utility rates, payback was around 18 years and we weren't sure we would stay here that long out moved back home west. Also this was all before Tesla made solar more popular.

[@mmccarthy19631]

I live outside Tampa, Florida and we just got Tesla 9.78kw solar panels with two power walls installed. Luckily from me everything was a breeze from ordering to final install and approval by FPL. I have about an 1800 ft² home and it's just my wife and myself and I think the solar panels are sufficient but I wish I'd gotten a third power wall I think. Although I've yet to have the system during the summer.

[@jonkrispeterson6678]

I am in Venice and have the same size Tesla system. Our house is about 2100 ft. Absolutely love it. Bill has been $28 (FPL minimum) every month since turned on last April. Didn’t miss a beat during IAN. Lights didn’t even blink. AC ran all during the 5 day outage.

[@pedromunoz4468]

This is awsome, I oder my solar system 7 months ago, still nothing, but I'm sure it will be worth the wait

[@blakeanderson1214]

So your electric bill was only 4.00 but you bought a 80-90k system. Divide that number by 360 months and that is a monthly bill of 254.00

[@Idiotsincarshere]

I just cancelled my order because Tesla's customer service is so bad! My rep never returns texts/calls/vmails. The design team takes weeks on redesign. The inspection team was here and there was no follow up. I then posted in a Tesla solar and power wall FB group asking about their experiences and most warned about all the issues. I'm glad I cancelled and I'm going with a local guy with excellent customer service who actually finalized the plans on... Get this... A Sunday!

[@suckit5233]

If you don’t mind me asking since you didn’t go with Tesla which company and equipment did you use?!

[@Idiotsincarshere]

@@suckit5233 I went with a local, small installer and I chose higher quality LG QAK panels. Zero bills since then, $350 credit. Very happy!

[@alvinhoang1800]

Great Detail video: I am glad you got your issues resolved with Tesla, I have a friend still battle with Tesla on their solar system.... it's a nightmare, he wish he never entered a contract with Tesla. BTW: You solar system is 12.240kW System (340w x 36), what is your design layout annual kWh? and what is the actual annual kWh that the panels produced?

[@TheConstantinosK]

Oh come on mate! You just make me jealous as hell !!! I only can dream about having that Powerwalls there.If i ever get one of those i think i can put it at good use here in Greece...I live at the sunniest country in Europe and until recently we didnt have netmetering available.....Plus the prices here for simple solar systems are out of this world!But so the prices for electricity also,so i am saving and i hope i will be able to set a solar system to the next 2 or 3 years.And we have a smaller house also,my Shelly3em shows ,with all 4 A/Cs on plus all lights ,washer,dryer,etc,not above 5Kw ....Anyway nice video as always ,grats for TESLA mate.

[@SmartHomeSolver]

Thanks! I wish it wasn't so expensive and hopefully it can become more affordable. Yeah I've been saving for a solar panel system for a long time and I hope you get yours sooner than later!

[@timvonr2802]

Isn’t It better to go BYD or some other Batterie in Europe? Powerwalls and autobidder and stuff doesn’t really work here (yet)

[@MC-bm3cy]

Love seeing panels from the street!

[@xxZerosumxx]

What no one talks about is the loan payment. It basically replaces your electric bill and more.

[@stvle930]

I got the Tesla roof with 3 powerwalls. Install was same experience as yours with my advisor ghosting me. So strange that they can't even acknowledge emails or voicemails. Getting ready to get PTO here.

[@TheKingsComingAlefTav]

How long will those battery packs last? Before they have to be replaced?

[@That-Guy_]

The panels have a 25yr warranty and the powerwalls have a 10yr warranty. Panels should last about 35yrs and the powerwalls should be 15-20yrs from what I hear.

[@smee8721]

Think they’d place the line from the panels to the battery’s in the roof so they are hidden. Or at worst follow a tile line and colour code the same

[@mm8436]

I got solar last year. I wanted to get Tesla too but heard so much installation horror story like yours. I decided to go a different route.

[@SmartHomeSolver]

I don’t blame you for going a different route! I’m definitely loving Tesla now that it’s up and running but man… it was a struggle during installation.

[@mattbrew11]

Very smart decision

[@That-Guy_]

They are very hit or miss with service. My install was great, they just need to make sure all go that way.

[@bts1428]

Township permit approved. I'm just waiting for the utility approval to install. Looks like there are some changes installing the powerwalls in the garage. I'm not sure if its per state but one of the requirement before they can schedule is to have a heat detector that is interconnected to the current smoke alarms he in NJ. I have a few Nest Smoke alarms and no compatible heat detector :-( I'm replacing them all with Kidde smart smoke detector and their HD135 heat detector is compatible (Hardwired only).

[@markmcadie354]

Here in Australia I have 10kw of Solar and two Powerwall 2 batteries. I belong to my electricity suppliers Virtual Power Plant, a special Solar plan that gives a higher feed in Tariff and as a result we are about $50 in credit every month. I also have a Tesla Model 3 which we manage to keep charged with solar output, so we have only supercharged on long trips. As a result by my calculations the entire cost will be paid back in about 7 years….

[@timroche1634]

I had a similar experience with Sigora Solar here in Northern Virginia. They said it would be a few months; installation didn’t start for almost 10 months. Installers drive from far away, were in a hurry to leave, left some connections open and a penetration unsealed. Lots of radio silence from Sigora throughout. 11 months later, the panels and my one PowerWall battery are working well but the Tesla app gives false readings - possibly due to an improper connection? But the good news is, my electric bill has been under $10 for the past few months, my house is a lot cooler on hot days now that I have “free” electricity, and I have battery backup for the essentials (but not ac with only one PowerWall). I told them months ago that I would pay the other half of the bill when all the apps work and I haven’t heard from them since.

[@thomasjacques5286]

Getting ready to add two PW2's to our existing Enphase PV system with 31 IQ8A micro inverters. Our system is OVERSIZED as well to accommodate winter, system degradation and our Tesla MY. We are on a NEM 1.0 so my utility banks ANY excess power for use as needed later in the year, any excess at the end of that year is gifted to my utility. So if that continues I'll probably install a mini split heat pump in my garage. Keeping my Model Y and PWs happy. But we are using a highly respected local installer. Tesla CS sucks and I didn't want to have to deal with them. Our local installer has great customer service and they monitor my system 24/7, and they have parts in stock.

[@lizbiancoismydesignsherpa]

Thanks for the info! We’re in planning stages

[@KJSvitko]

EV adoption is accelerating every year. Exponential not linear. The only limiting factor is batteries. The number of electric vehicles and types of vehicles and trucks is growing. Many people are holding off buying a new car or scooter until the electric vehicle they want becomes available. Soon most people will have one or two electric vehicles that also need to be charged at home over night.

[@akaDAD]

Been following you a long time because I also have a lot of smart home devices. Was happy to see this video only an hour after getting a quote for going solar with Tesla

[@freeignition]

Thank you! I also live AZ in the east valley and your setup really gave me good insight because I want a very similar setup. My goals are to offset my electricity bill and have whole home back up. I was playing with some configs for my new home I'm moving into on the tesla solar site so everything is just a guess until I get an electric bill after moving in for a month or so. My current house's annual usage is 19,000kwh . I was going to try for 2 powerwalls but you convinced me 12kw panels and 3 batteries is the way to go with 2 AC units.

[@WestCoastShredders]

Hey man I work for an installer in az that offers power walls if you’d like to have it but get everything done wayyyyyyyu quicker than Tesla and then not get ghosted for months. Dm me

[@ACoustaDC]

Reed, If I had known about it a year ago when I had my roof done, I would have gone with the telsa roof. Also, I am in Phoenix. Have you ever used the sense energy monitor? I have one and because of the time of use thing... have my water heater on a timer. Also, use a smart thermosat. The payoff is good.

[@timvonr2802]

12kW is enough power for whole independence? As German I’m so jealous. Because of sun time even double the size would be enough, especially winter times (December / January / February) an with an electric car…

[@briturner11]

I had a similar situation getting the Tesla solar installed. still dealing with it to this day. To anyone considering Tesla's system I would recommend going with a different provider. the products are sexy. But the installation process is a real nightmare. never interacted with a company this bad before. Let them iron the kinks out of them system for a few years.

[@cestlavieeee]

I have those panels and live in arizona. Instead of brushing the dust, I just water them down with a hose. Easier than grabbing a ladder and having dust all in your breathing.

[@pouyanbahrami1212]

awesome video as always, you have a serious talent for this stuff

[@SmartHomeSolver]

Thanks, I appreciate that!

[@mbh8819]

Nice and helpful. I'm in Las Vegas . We have the same system with 3 batteries packs. My wife can't understand why I want to keep them at 100% . I can't convince her and Tesal is no help.

[@Zimpaz]

Wow that’s some solar array!! Here’s me in the rainy UK with only 4kw of solar panels!

[@209Fightclub]

That’s some crazy output!

[@i-see-desertbaldo2369]

Living in the Big AZ can be a challenge, I do enjoy all of your videos and look forward to each new episode especially when it relates to our area. Thanks.

[@SmartHomeSolver]

I appreciate it! Only the strongest can survive here in AZ.

[@pf4773]

Hi, thanks for your review. I have a small home of around 1500 sq ft in southern cal and just got my Tesla Solar panels installed. My system is, after the fed rebate, about $6600.00. I have 13-14 panels and no powerwalls. I decided against them because power here is with Edison is dependable and the Powerwall cost here is $12,000 per powerwall. I asked for 110% kwh production. Arizona sounds ideal for solar!!! Here we get some overcast days and some rain, but very little. Unfortunately when I recently installed an HVAC system it was using gas, so my gas bill continues to be high during the winter months. I wish you well with your system!

[@dan92677]

Thank you! I appreciated your entire story very much. I am looking into solar right now. Valuable information!!!.

[@abu5esyndicate]

one of the lucky ones.... my install passed county inspection mid may 2021 and have been trying to get them to figure out the interconectivity application has been a complete nightmare... ive spent more time trying to bet my pto than your entire install took from order to completion.

[@CannabisTechLife]

Cleaning the panels. Hmmmm. Sounds like someone needs to make a smart home solution for this ;)

[@TheLadyTWells]

Nice setup with the solar panels. The peak times for the Power are stupid and a pain. Don't miss that.

[@raspberry7783]

I had an excellent experience with the install but I'm in Australia. Can you walk thru how you setup the powerwall in home assistant

[@Sunfrogg]

Can I get you screaming, "GOAT! GOAT! GOAT!" as an NFT? :D That's the best dash cam I've ever seen!

[@alejandrobarrientos2664]

Now that you've gone through almost a full Arizona summer, how has your 12.4 kW system performed?

[@stevebolaris1076]

although I had already did the initial buy on my Tesla panel and power wall install, I learned a bit more from viewing this. the CA home where my system is to be installed gets plenty of sun and power outages have been an issue; damaged our refrigerator and one time we were out for days not hours. like you, we have two A/C units. Tesla says our 9 kWh system would power our home for 7 days - I highly doubt that! Since the house is around 36 years old, I am thinking that the upcoming Tesla design inspection will require a new power panel as well as possibly a new attic subpanel. The design inspection is in two weeks so the suspense will continue until then. Also I was advised that Tesla will NOT install a Tesla car charger - it must be added later. They also will not install a back up generator connection either.

[@nij2k]

Wow this is awesome, you've got everything 😁we don't get much sun where I am in the UK so don't think it will help me much 😁

[@SmartHomeSolver]

Thanks! Haha you can take some of our sun!

[@jshutterbug]

Can the Powerwall provide power to the house if it's connected to the grid? If everything is on (grid, solar, Powerwall), does the Powerwall increase a home's amperage? I have 100A main panel and building granny unit in the backyard (ADU) but cost prohibitive to upgrade main panel to 200A due to underground powerlines. The idea is to add 3 Powerwalls connected to both homes (both with solar) in hopes of minimizing the chances of tripping breakers if too much power is used at once. Or do I only connect the Powerwall to the ADU (with solar) and essentially run it "off grid" so it doesn't need to pull from the grid.

[@Phan-Xu]

5 months of waiting? Good things comes to those Who wait!

[@jroysdon]

Why did they install a new panel vs. just using the TEG as your main breaker box? It's my understanding that if you are 100% backup you can go this route. We only have partial backup, so have the same setup as you with a separate main break box from the TEG.

[@Michael-ub7ko]

Hello everyone. It sounds like installers are not fully trained and may require more training and attention to details. The conduit running across the does not look very nice I would have done a bit of attic work to bring closer to the point of connection.

[@mikepfeifer1753]

Helpful - please do a 1 year update when the time comes.

[@gargamelandrudmila8078]

$48k for 12KW solar and 15KW Tesla storage. You could have purchased a Tesla model 3 but you would not be energy independent and also reduce you carbon footprint. I think you made the right choice. I think you also increased the value of your property by @$10-20k. When and if you sell you should break even on this investment. Very wise move net-net. More people need to think about the total value and having solar-battery combo adds to the resale value of ones property.

[@bakedzizi]

Can you link the brush you used to clean the panels

[@saulsandoval1]

the solar vendors here in Las Vegas says that is not required to get PW since we do not suffer any major outages, but I've been thinking to use those as an easy way to get out of the grid (as much as possible of course), what would you recommend, we've thinking to get an 8kW installation with 2 PW, probably get more up to 12kW, but I'm not sure.

[@gregvalunas6342]

Excellent info! Thank you for all the pricing info also. I noticed your washer/dryer appear to be the same as ours. Have you done a video in having the LG ThinQ app talk to Alexa so she can announce when each machine has finished a cycle? I know the ThinQ app will notify my phone but still, voice would be nice too! Thanks again!

[@SmartHomeSolver]

Thanks! I actually have the washer and dryer integrated with Home Assistant and that’s how I am able to have Alexa announce the washer/dryer is finished. There’s a new feature Amazon just introduced that companies can start implementing to announce when things are finished. So hopefully something like that is available soon without needing Home Assistant!

[@howtoinvest4yourself241]

@@SmartHomeSolver sounds like your not a big fan of home assistant? If the programming becoming to cumbersome. I am building a smart home. I was thinking that home assistant was the key to making everything work together. But it seems I’m probably dreaming to big in hopes that everything with work with only one central management system. I really don’t want to have too many cloud based systems. I wanted everything to be controlled locally. …. Side note I was going with Samsung Wash/Dryer/fridge. Lutron everything Lights/sensors. eufy doorbell/cameras(maybe lorex); smart blinds? I don’t know the vendor.(looking at select blinds) Thoughts?

[@calivalley9056]

What is yearly projected MWH production? Also, do you have variable speed high efficiency A/C system? Don’t forget If you have an EV your payback on the system is faster as you are no longer spending on gas.

[@Nick19837]

You mentioned not using powerwalls at night to avoid degrading the powerwalls - is this really an issue? I didn't realize they degrade to that extend just from making regular use of them.

[@JoseCruz-nt1mu]

Are you going to get SPAN the electric box?

[@miami3863]

I have a Model Y expected to be delivered next month but I cannot bring myself to dish out cash for their solar. I like the integration into the home/app but there’s way too many competitors out there. There’s no shortage of people on Reddit that have been ghosted for over a year by Telsa project managers. PM’s have quit with no word to customers. Tesla not communicating with the local power company, so everything is installed but no approval to turn on panels. I’m sure that’s the minority of their customers but I can’t risk that. Tesla’s car and solar customer service both have major issues and that should be unacceptable for a trillion dollar company.

[@hmurchison8123]

Model your home's energy. The idea of getting solar is that you're swapping much of the finance costs with reduction in electric bills. If you can get a 70% offset with solar and you've got appliances the will need upgrades like a water heater you close that gap with energy efficient appliances. I regret not going Heat Pump water heater a couple of years back because my electricity for hot water would have dropped to 150 a year vs 500. After time it pays for itself.

[@PranavRajagopal]

Tesla hasn't really brought solar to NC. Seems like it's mostly available in the West Coast. Great video!

[@SmartHomeSolver]

Thanks! Hopefully they expand to your area soon. They’re definitely growing.

[@mattbrew11]

We install tesla batteries there regularly, especially in the Duke energy network. but enphase micro inverters work much better than tesla inverters.

[@josephmerritt1411]

Concerning the Span Power Panel, how susceptible is this panel to cyber hacking? Are there established industry standards around this product? Lastly, if they go out of business for whatever reason is there a Plan B?

[@christinearmington]

$48k with the 3 Powerwalls ?! They’ve gone up. What brand of solar panels?

[@Toastgamin...]

How much is your monthly payment for the Tesla system and how much is your monthly bill during summer months

[@dataguy2020]

Tesla has had a huge issue with communications. I just had an issue and communication was below poor. I see that has been an on going issue with Energy customer service for the past year. On the topic of your video, what integration did you use? Do I have to have a powerwall to use the integration?

[@BinuRao]

Just watched your video…I had my system installed in Oct’21….still waiting on Tesla to replace my inverters. After hours of chasing someone down on the phone, they scheduled someone to come out Jan 14th…only to no call no show. “We sent you an email and text” BS….i got nothing. Now rescheduled for Feb… Coolant leaks, pumps making strange noises, switched from new backup switch to TEG since PG&E was only doing 10 backup switch installs per day…for all of CA. Nightmare continues. Oh, and the “project advisor”….never ever heard from the guy.

[@VenomGT87]

Since my roof is not ideally for solar (most is east-west facing and I am in MD…low sun angle) I went with a 16kwh system and 54kwh backup (4x Powerwall) and I have mine stacked, I went that way because I wanted it to have the smallest footprint possible in my basement and I was originally planing to install a back up generator instead. The odd thing is that the way mine is set up I don’t have additional panels. I have the main control box fed by the solar and grid which powers my entire breaker box. I had a very similar ordering/install timeline. Only down side was that Tesla took 2 months to submit the paperwork to commission the system.

[@josephmerritt1411]

I am getting ready to start new home construction in MD and I am looking at Tesla Roof in lieu of using solar panels. Did you consider that option?

[@VenomGT87]

@@josephmerritt1411 yes, did not make sense as a replacement, as a new install cut it close, the look may not be worth the cost.

[@josephmerritt1411]

@@VenomGT87 I am talking with American Home Contractors. They claim they are the only Tesla-certified installer in the state. We haven't gotten to the quote stage yet. Build location is Silver Spring. Please share who you used for the installation. Thanks.

[@VenomGT87]

@@josephmerritt1411 I went through Tesla’s own website. I got about 30 quotes not a single one came close to Tesla’s subcontractors through Tesla’s site.

[@fernandopenah]

Man, the amount of boxes on that wall is ridiculous. Don’t get me wrong, pretty sweet system but there’s gotta be a better way.

[@johnnytran125]

So how much total cost for your whole house system? Im thinking get one soon?

[@hamsterbrigade]

I thought with the pipe they weren't doing any roof penetrations other than the mounts but they do penetrate the roof, which makes me wonder why they didn't just run it through the attic from the getgo.

[@MAYNARD4507]

Why the excessive amount of conduit across the roof???? No way to penetrate an eave and run wire inside the attic?

[@Soitbegins_]

Thanks for documenting and sharing.

[@Brad.W]

Solar panels must have doubled in price since you posted this video just priced my own system it's a 14.5 KW shut up with two power walls and it was almost $80K before the 26% incentive.

[@DannerBanks]

Do you think power walls are good in Utah, salt lake specifically? If you don't feel comfortable answering the question, is there some calculator or resource your recommend that would help me make the decision?

[@mattbrew11]

Which utility do you use? I own a company that installs there

[@DannerBanks]

@@mattbrew11 rocky mountain power and I have energy saver solar panels

[@mattbrew11]

@@DannerBanks theres little financial incentive to installing batteries there as you trade credit 1:1. If you have natural gas or propane, id use a generator for backup power personally especially considering the weather you are likely experiencing during a blackout

[@wellsboyrocks]

THANK YOU for making this video. I really appreciate all the info

[@63r36]

Why do you use the dryer in the summer? Can't you just hang your clothes in the garden? At 35° which you definitely have in the summer they will dry almost immediately.

[@BroManDudeGuyPhD]

Man, getting almost sent to collections for a $48k botched install... AND ghosted by the rep? Bad on Tesla, but man that setup looks nice!

[@hectorgomez1285]

You'd think the contractor would've at least painted the conduit so it wasn't such an eye sore.

[@krissy980]

When we got solar put into our home we got paid by AGL (our energy provider(yes I'm Australian, get over it)) it wasn't a ton ~40¢ per month ~28¢ USD

[@lewiskelly14]

I can't believe you talked about running off the batteries but at no point did you mention how long you can run off of them for

[@amjds1341]

What kind of roof tiles were those? Looked like concrete slabs to be ? Ones which you were showing missed by tesla

[@o.c.g.m9426]

Where do these batteries come from again ?? Like how do they get the metal for all these batteries ???

[@casualonemmo-player2167]

Eh... so... imagine you plan to use various equipment on 24/7... (tv..fridge.. ac... etc) and that draws a combined continueasly 3kwh... how many hours does a single tesla 5kwh powerwall last... in case a "shtf" situation (no grid power) should accur?