TESLA SOLAR + POWERWALL 1 YEAR REVIEW

[@neverbenbetter8225]

Added perk: today the utility company sent me a “Notice of Planned Outage”. Because of my Powerwall, I could disregard the whole thing.

[@smallbusinessdreams]

Hey Dan Fellow San Diegian here we purchased our solar within a few months of purchase as well! Love your video. We just purchased a solar system and received a quote from Tesla as well. We decided to go local. Can I ask how much did you pay for your Powerwall separately not your panels from Tesla? Future Y owner here! Subscribed.

[@neverbenbetter8225]

That's awesome! Man, the Y is going to be great! I'm happy to help. The Powerwall (including tax, as it appeared on my invoice) was $6,357.25. The Gateway was $700. Installation and permitting was $2,250. The total was $9,107.25. It isn't clear that it was marked down at all because I ordered panels. I would imagine it was not.

[@smallbusinessdreams]

@@neverbenbetter8225 awesome thanks! I was quoted higher by other companies. Tesla who I was working with took too long to respond. Now that I have my solar I'll contact tesla again. I'll use your code! Thanks for the fast response. Do you have the powerwall 1 or 2?

[@neverbenbetter8225]

@@smallbusinessdreams My invoice doesn't specify 1 or 2, so I think that means 1. It is 13.5kWh.

[@pofjiosgjsoges]

@@neverbenbetter8225 Powerwall 2 is 13.5kWh, Powerwall 1 is 6.4 kWh. So it is new Powerwall 2

[@felipeninja3235]

This panel can put out close to 100 watts kzbin.infoUgkxOqI2yqX0XVrhR2BMJciTWrHJpG8FhJyg when positioned in the appropriate southernly direction, tilted to the optimal angle for your latitude/date, and connected to a higher capacity device than a 500. The built in kickstand angle is a fixed at 50 degrees. Up to 20% more power can be output by selecting the actual date and latitude optimal angle.The 500 will only input 3.5A maximum at 18 volts for 63 watts. Some of the excess power from the panel can be fed into a USB battery bank, charged directly from the panel while also charging a 500. This will allow you to harvest as much as 63 + 15 = 78 watts.If this panel is used to charge a larger device, such as the power station, then its full output potential can be realized.

[@djames7054]

I am a project advisor at Tesla and our SD warehouse is absolutely amazing. I'm so glad you had a great experience Ben! A lot of our team members strive for an excellent customer experience no matter what department we are in, we are willing to help and find that answer for you. Awesome story.

[@neverbenbetter8225]

David James I’m so glad employees at Tesla are seeing my video. You guys are the best and I want you to know about how thankful I am! The enthusiasm from viewers of this video has also been great.

[@TheNewAccount2008]

It's awesome to hear such glowing reviews. I hope that at some point Tesla can get all the services offered outside the US as well at the same quality you have in your home land.

[@TraceurDoc1]

Wish our project advisor was more accessible. I have no idea when our install will be.

[@TraceurDoc1]

@@djames7054 Midwest..Illinois

[@Thebowzer221]

So how do I have Tesla install a Powerwall to my Tesla roof solar panels?

[@jaymarkkabo2626]

Jim should never be promoted, he is doing great in his line of work. Instead, he deserves a raise.

[@JIYkp]

Good managers who can train good staff are always in short supply. Promote him and give him the ownership to raise up the entire team.

[@aaronpeterson9887]

If jim teaches others, then let jim get promoted.

[@jeffl1430]

@@PINEx2 Ah.... The Peter principal

[@ArupBhanja]

Absolutely

[@ljprep6250]

Bonuses should be paid to all good representatives of any company. It promotes good will and ensures even better performance.

[@izbirun]

Also really appreciate you telling us where we could fast forward to for different parts of your talk! Awesome!

[@neverbenbetter8225]

Thanks. I try to keep my videos under ten minutes, but if I’m going over, I figure it’s the least I can do.

[@635574]

Should have put it in the description and comment too so we can click them.

[@solarfunction1847]

This kind of Customer Service is what I was giving in Credit Management in a Telco back in the 1990's, it's about time that it's coming back.

[@Tribul936]

Video starts at 16:20. You're welcome.

[@stockinette3735]

Thank you😀

[@rafaeltota]

Thanks! 18+ minutes and the actual math could fit in a couple tweets. I love KZbin sometimes, in a very hateful way.

[@AntonyReed]

I actually really loved the story. Very happy I DIDN'T skip it! =)

[@dgjFOURlife]

@@AntonyReed yea I feel the story was valuable. I think alot of people that do these type of timestamps just be looking for likes.

[@nathanmyles1]

wut? he has made timestamps in the beginning. The video doesnt start at 16:20... its actually really interesting to watch!

[@izbirun]

Wish this was available when I was looking at solar panels. Good thing I ended up going with Tesla!

[@neverbenbetter8225]

izbirun the thing is, everyone is talking about their cars. I feel like their customer service isn’t getting the attention it deserves.

[@edinanton1974]

Thanks for such a great review video, I’m thinking about getting solar panels for my house here in Dallas Texas, your video answered a lot of the questions I had.

[@Irishandtired]

That's a really good story. I hope you gave the guys who repaired the leak a few dollars for a beer. Decent guys! We need more like that.

[@lamdao1242]

My partners and I have a small start up and our own product. When we first beta tested it with our customers, we would of course receive complaints that this didn't work as anticipated or that didn't go smoothly. Our job is to fix the problem and use it as learning to fix the system at the source as well. These days, we hardy get any complaints. When your customer makes a complaint - take it as feedback!

[@rolandleyco573]

This video sold me on a subscription to your channel. Thank you for the detailed review. I was skeptical about your other videos but you sound really genuine and you got my attention.

[@neverbenbetter8225]

I strive to be genuine. Thank you for subscribing. If you have any more questions or ideas for content, please let me know.

[@rickkay9548]

Absolutely love my Tesla solar. Can’t wait for the sw update that dumps extra power to the car once the power wall is full instead of the grid. Tesla had the best price while others gouged for the powerwalls by almost 2x. Fantastic home addition.

[@neverbenbetter8225]

Likewise! Through the spring and summer, I operate almost entirely independently from the grid. Love it!

[@natester1064]

Is this video an advertisement?

[@cannednolan8194]

When you said you never heard customer service say those words. Think it’s cause everyone at Tesla wants to improve Tesla and make it an even better company.

[@dkc48]

One of the most interesting reviews I've watched. Great storytelling! Really got me hooked!

[@neverbenbetter8225]

DKC48 Thank you so much! I was a teacher for ten years. I think storytelling is one of the most effective tools for engaging students, so why not use it for other things, like reviews?

[@johnfitbyfaithnet]

@@neverbenbetter8225 agreed!

[@mrnobody.4069]

The customer service like you putting your reaction into this video is so funny I could watch it over and over again 🤣 Tesla is amazing

[@haroldsvoyage8912]

My tesla grin is from 0:01 all the way to 18:26. Awesome clip!

[@marekspot9314]

Thanks for vid, nicely done and, as Tesla shareholder, I´m glad You´re a satisfied Tesla customer :)

[@kaleidoscopeon]

Nothing beats a great customer service.

[@Smithmael]

I so love home solar with battery backup. My personal dream future is when most (if not all) homes have their own panels with backup, and suddenly power outages just aren't a problem for residents anymore. The stress on the grid from increasing energy usage is relaxed. Carbon emissions are down. And people are driving sun-powered cars.

[@TheStellarmanCo.]

@Slippery Storm It's coming! Get ready they can't stop it

[@anotherplottwist]

I'm in San Diego myself, and was looking just last summer for a newer solar system as the old one on my house is just junk. You've helped out soo much, thank you.

[@lloydranola]

I'm literally in the middle of shopping for solar and considering the battery. Just put in my order and used your Tesla referral link. Thanks for telling the story!

[@neverbenbetter8225]

lloydman I hope you have a great experience. Whether you are just as happy as I was or even if you are not satisfied, will you let me know by responding to this message? In the time since I posted this video, it had become very popular and I want to make sure people who are influenced by it are satisfied.

[@AkhonaNgquba]

I have concluded that the USA is expensive. $40,000 is about R800,000 (South African Rands) today. My monthly electricity bill is about R800 so $40 (let's make it $50). I used between 15 and 20 kilowatts per day. At the Tesla rate I would be able to afford electricity for almost 67 years if I just paid for normal electricity. Here in SA you would get a 15KW battery bank (16 x 105ah batteries at R3,000 each) 5KW inverter (2 if you like at R15,000 each), 24x 300w solar panels at R3,000 each, parts and labour for the installation for about R150,000 ($7,500) Anyway, really good video. I was watching for the review and the price shocked me.

[@neverbenbetter8225]

That’s so cool! For what it’s worth, my energy bill for the month before the panels were turned on was over $200USD. We hadn’t even seen a summer bill, which is supposed to be more. But even if I only ever paid the winter rate, I would pay the cost of my system in only 15years. Anyway, great to hear from SA, thanks for the comment!

[@Kamikater2]

You stated that your "main goal" is power independence. You showed us your power usage/gain but it showed that after half the day the powerwall was full and that it didn't last till through all of the night. So it seems that the powerwall size is quite a bit too small for power independence, so did you just ditch that goal in the end (because more powerwalls cost quite a bit, compared to just put the power into the grid) or was your power consumption so much higher than anticipated or did Tesla missize it a bit or what is the reason for it not adding up? (great video by the way!)

[@neverbenbetter8225]

Thank you. That is an excellent question and I should have answered in the video. Tesla recommenced two Powerwalls. I hesitated to pay that much more. As a result, we get through the night when days are long in the summer, but we do take energy from the grid to get through the night in the winter. Because of how we are billed, by the end of the year, I still have a negative balance for the excess energy in the summer exceeding what we take in the winter.

[@2nd3rd1st]

I appreciate that Ben still owns a rotary phone by the way he mimes the telephone call. Not many people who can operate this old tech anymore.

[@neverbenbetter8225]

2nd3rd1st I could be miming a new tech: implanted chips in my thumb and pinky communicating wirelessly on a 5G network? The next time I make a video involving a phone call, I’ll mime dialing by spinning my finger in a circle and I’ll think of this comment.

[@2nd3rd1st]

@@neverbenbetter8225 Now THAT would be hilarious! But I saw you use a smart phone as a prop in another video, that's pretty clever too. But if you want to go really sci-fi just pretend you got a Neuralink installed in your head and just have the phone convo internally ;) Cheers!

[@TA-007]

Plus here's a helpful hint that had to learn the hard way. So if the grid goes down and you're on your batteries or battery and the battery is blinking green and no lights are on in your house. All you have to do is turn off the switch on the battery or batteries count to 20 and turn them back on. You've just rebooted your batteries like a computer.

[@635574]

Does that mean it actually works without the grid? The conventional systems are setup as slave(by synchronising the frequency from the grid) and when grid goes down they dont work, its a hack by the utility companies to keep their scam up. Also the money you get for making the electricity I heard is typically way worse than what you have to pay for the same amount.

[@TA-007]

@@635574 Yes, I turned off the main power switch in my circuit breaker box October 23rd, 2019( I have 2 powerwalls). Then had NV energy totally disconnect me from their power grid on February 4th, 2020. I'm no longer a paying customer because I'm not getting anything from them and I've stop giving away Free electricity to NV-ENERGY which they make money off of my electricity.

[@bruceburnworth8082]

I put an order in for a solar glass roof in Nevada but Tesla is not servicing the area yet. Hopefully soon!

[@thomasiberg]

That was a really informative and well done video.

[@neverbenbetter8225]

Thank you. I wasn't sure how many people would watch such a long video, so I tried to find the right balance to be informative but concise. Anyway, the feedback is helpful; I'm preparing to do a similar review for the Model S.

[@weighit]

@@neverbenbetter8225 I watched it all, well done and Thanks for taking the time to inform us.

[@neverbenbetter8225]

Stacey Frank thanks. I don’t know if you’ve read the other comments, but some people have asked some great questions about the cost effectiveness of the Powerwall. Points were raised that I haven’t considered. I will make another video this coming weekend in response. I hope you watch it if you are considering a Powerwall.

[@charlescoushaine]

Fantastic video and story! I am currently in discussions to add Tesla solar to my roof here in Florida. Tesla was cheaper by far than the competition in the area however Tesla doesn't use micro-inverters (one per panel) but use one larger one in your garage for all panels together. Has this ever been a problem for you, or do you wish you had micro-inverters?

[@billiemink77]

Thank you so much for your well spoken video I am looking into Tesla and I must say your video is by far the most intriguing as well as thoughtful and entertaining

[@neverbenbetter8225]

Thank you so much!

[@smjones4238]

TESLA Bromance ENDED! I bought my 7.8kW system from Solar City about a year and a half before Elon Musk bought SC from himself. It has performed excellently in my opinion and the presale treatment and treatment after the startup was also excellent. KILLER one day install. I have had one major problem since install, the system just quit one bright sunny day here in Colorado. I called the number on the inverter and it was answered by Tesla. I left a message with the error code and told them that I had reset the system and it came back with the same code. They called back within hours to schedule a repair. The repair person was out two days later. He fixed the problem which was the DC connection to two panels. He informed me that all of the connections were heating up and would not perform at peak on big days and that he would put in a trouble ticket to have the repair team come out and replace the rest of the DC connectors on all of the panels. He said they take the panels down and fix them and put them back up on the roof. I was impressed with the response and had to tell myself that this is a good warranty. I have since reconsidered. I waited about six weeks and then called back. I have called and I have called. I have not received a call, text or email from anyone at Tesla about this. The company which touts it's service hasn't done shit for me after that ONE great response, it just fell on it's face. I have done a lot of observing and it seems that everyone who has a Tesla vehicle and a solar system to charge it with get great service. I told myself that now that my utility has gone to smart meters and we moved to a peak system of power billing, getting a powerwall would be smart. I have to be honest, It doesn't look like Tesla is nearly the promise that I thought it was when it was Solar City. My system still works, it starts up early like always, blows my mind how it can get power so soon after the neighbors chickens are crowing. The highest outputs are 1000 to 1200watts less than they used to be on the same type of days. Hasn't hit 7kW once that I can tell in the last year. It's doing exactly what the repair guy said it would do until it was fixed. After a lifetime of servicing electronics & electrical, I know just what the problem is, high resistance connections, the bane of many service electricians. I am now retired and 70yo, not gonna go up there and fix it myself. Plus, I paid up front for a system with the best warranty. Many times I have sat through the 40 minute plus wait to relent and end up finally talking to a machine because I just CAN NOT sit and wait that long. If I did I would not want to be the one to talk to me! NO RESPONSE! 7.8kW sys. $28k in 2017, paid off in 2018, all elec house, resistance heat, now $19/mo 6-7mo out of the year used to be 8-9mo before problem, newly on peak and running about $250-350/mo in Dec-Mar. Am planning an 8kW ground mount tracking system on my other meter location at the shop. That one will be homemade with 96 cell panels and grid tie mini inverters, this one begs for a storage system! This if I survive the pandemic, but we are on 2.5 ac 45mi NE of Metro Denver & retired. I can safely work on ground mount stuff. I respect heights more now that I'm older. Michael in Colorado.

[@neverbenbetter8225]

SM Jones thank you for sharing your story. I’ve had a lot of comments asking whether or not the service is consistent across the board. I can only share my own story, but I am liking yours with the hopes that it gets more notice.

[@jesperbrouwer5098]

this customer service story is so wonderfull i'm just about to cry

[@toomanycooks4526]

Probably worth mentioning that nothing is free. Paying tesla to subcontract your roof repairs will cost you triple what it would cost to just have your roof repaired with your own contractors.

[@jesperbrouwer5098]

@@toomanycooks4526 when

[@theBabyDead]

See, that customer service is why I usually go for small companies. People who don't "go out of their department" to help you, tend to be unrespected employees who are there only to serve a specific function. People who can go out of their way to check other departments, like myself with past work, tend to be respected employees and get to work in their own ways so long as it works. The fact he could do that is a big tell about how Tesla treats its employees (of which I already heard rumors is good)

[@roberrplatt4214]

Sounds like a good experience. San Diego of course is very sunny. But we have solar in Massachusetts and it covers all our needs. We don't have AC or a dishwasher or a dryer.

[@neverbenbetter8225]

Roberr Platt even in San Diego, there isn’t enough sun during the day, and the nights are long enough, that are batter can’t get through the whole night. Summers are no problem.

[@phizicks]

that's awesome service, even though I would most likely build my own powerwall, it's good to see good service done when the people working the job have no idea who you are or that you would be doing a review on the company. I expect that to happen if it was Marques Brownlee. it's call taking ownership

[@madhunasik7241]

Great experience I have a similar story in India with Cigs panels averaging 40units from a 7kw installation. Great going

[@jinhocha01]

I contacted the Solar City about 6-7 years ago but decided not to install the panel (it was before Tesla bought out them) because we had a plan to sell the house. At that time the Solar City had a leasing plan. Now I am thinking about getting a Model S and will contact Tesla for solar panels. But I am not sure which is better: buying/leasing the solar panels or solar roof. What do you think?

[@neverbenbetter8225]

Holy cow. DO NOT LEASE! Tomorrow I am publishing an interview with a great solar consultant. It was his first piece of advice. It’s a complete rip off for the consumer.

[@johnfitbyfaithnet]

20 MINUTES! WOW! IMPRESSIVE

[@neverbenbetter8225]

papajohn fitbyfaith that’s the extra mile right there. I like it when a I get good customer service. When it’s also timely, I’m impressed.

[@ahmeddavids8634]

Is it weird I got goosebumps hearing Jim go out of his way to help? Wow.

[@neverbenbetter8225]

Ahmed Davids thanks for your comment. I don’t think it’s weird. In fact, your comment vindicates me. After I posted this video, I wondered if I was weird for making such a big deal out of something that really doesn’t look that hard. But it really is special!

[@ahmeddavids8634]

Its always good to let the world know what great examples of character there are out there. Customer service standards like this will make any business a winner. On a side note: I've been using Hostinger (web hosting company) for some weeks now and I've experienced very similar service. And I can tell from everyone I correspond with, there is a set standard in how they respond, while still sensing that 'specially for you' differentiation... Service like this, makes you want to recommend them even more, without them needing a call to action to do so.. .

[@ahmeddavids8634]

And thanks for your video. Please take care.

[@bruceburnworth8082]

Great review. Much appreciated! I’m going to share it with others.

[@Roguescienceguy]

Does your powerwall also take care of fullycharging your teslacar on a daily basis? How many panels do you have on the roof?

[@neverbenbetter8225]

I can easily answer your second question. I have 22 panels. Your first question is more interesting and I would like to respond in a video. Until the video is completed, I will provide you with a brief answer: the Model S I have has a 75kWh capactiy. By comparison, the Powerwall has a 13.5kWh capacity. So the Powerwall and the panels are not capable of charging the car fully, rather, the car could charge the house! Nonetheless, I do charge the car at home. My next video will explain this.

[@neverbenbetter8225]

Alright! Just posted a video response to this question: kzbin.info/www/bejne/eaGulKZ9rJdrbdE

[@brunovinyl]

Bert, je kan je Tesla als powerwall gebruiken ook !!

[@therepguy1]

You sir are a very good storyteller and that is a really good thing indeed!

[@neverbenbetter8225]

Thank you. Comments like these have been very encouraging to me. This is a new KZbin channel and I’ve been playing with a few things to see if I can get at the heart at what it is that people really like and what my subscribers want more of. I’m currently writing the story of how we bought and renovated our house and hoping that the way I tell THAT story will be an adequate response to these reactions.

[@men2dewy]

After two plus months of using my Powerwall at night I set it to use only during a power outage. If we get a big hurricane several years from now I don't want a Powerwall that is deteriorated from daily use. If I take from the grid during the night I use that much less solar during the day to recharge the batteries. That much more gets send to the grid spinning the meter backward. The Powerwall does work great. It runs my two ton seer 17 central AC without even breathing hard.

[@markshag5149]

great story Ben, watched the whole thing. Only point to make here: was there a fair "oranges to oranges" comparison? Do you know for example if the local used better quality panels or maybe they offered micro inverters at each panel which are more efficient and longer lasting, permitting the use of fewer panels (in shaded areas).

[@ZaideZaide770]

great video....this should be part of every companies customer service training....spot on!

[@tomcruise11880]

Very nice video! Thanks for sharing the extract of user’s feedback, which provides more info. about clean energy. But I’d like to know more details about how to lower the mortgage by this product. It’s very inspiring, from a Tesla solar roofer’s view. And thanks to all the Tesla supporters!

[@neverbenbetter8225]

It’s just a refinance. The mortgage isn’t lower because of this product, it’s lower because rates are better. When we did a refinance however, the value of the house had dramatically increased because of the panels, amid other new features. We were able to use extra money from the loan to absorb the solar loan. Our panels aren’t paid off, (their cost is now just part of the mortgage) but because of the better rate, we are paying less than we were when we were paying for just our house before the refinance. (It’s located in San Diego, so the price of the panels is not very significant compared to the price of the home.)

[@tomcruise11880]

@@neverbenbetter8225 Lower rate means good, value increased means double good. Good shot, bro!

[@DigitalCitizen1]

Do you have to have a tesla vehicle to benefit from the power wall?

[@neverbenbetter8225]

Yes. We have a Model S, but we don’t charge it on the Powerwall. We charge the car during the day with solar and the Powerwall is more effective in the evening when energy rates are higher.

[@wolfgangloll2747]

I wish we were living in a region where solar energy pays off. At the moment, an appropriate system would have to function for 18 years without any repairs to be worthwhile. And a battery would amortize in 12 years (2 years after its expected lifetime)

[@lunchrevisited]

Really great summary and amazing results - thanks for sharing.

[@ltcwinger3123]

Glad you had good customer service. I waited over two months and still didn't have a Tesla Solar design. Just like you we had a non-standard situation where we haven't physically moved into the home and had to rely on our realtor to do things at the home for us. Tesla kept sending me cookie cutter answers to all my questions such as what pictures do you need (don't want to waste my realtor's time). Once I eventually got a hold of a person on the phone I was often bounced from department to department. Ended up canceling my order and went with a local company that had a 25 year production, parts, and labor warranty. Only cost 3k over what Tesla's website was predicting. Customer service at purchase should have been the best at any phase, but it was very subpar. Also check out the invertors Tesla uses....they aren't individually installed per panel...if 1 panel or invertor goes out that whole section stops working. Potentially the entire system, 50% or 33%...depending on how Tesla set it up.

[@neverbenbetter8225]

Thanks for taking the time to write out your story. Unfortunately, my story is a little dated. This really happened, but THREE years ago, Tesla had a much smaller solar division and was just starting out. As Tesla grows, it doesn’t surprise me that the customer service would worsen. It sticks to hear that you received cookie cutter answers. That definitely didn’t use to be the case.

[@ltcwinger3123]

@@neverbenbetter8225 I'm a Tesla fan and I was shocked on the service in their solar division. Did you buy before they bought out Solar City? The company I ended up going with is owned by someone who use to be a regional manager with Solar City and Tesla. Wonder if their strong swimmers left the company for one reason or another.

[@youmayaimme]

love your story telling. its hilarious and informative

[@neverbenbetter8225]

Cheng Zhao thank you! I tried.

[@TheDeano4000]

Amazing. Will be using this service when available.

[@relaxunwind810]

Great! I had heard negative reviews all around on the internet. Customer service still good recently? I have a1400 sq. ft. house. What size is your house? Do you only have 1 powerwall? Where do you live? Los Angeles here...

[@neverbenbetter8225]

I live in San Diego. My home is 1600 sq ft. We have 1 Powerwall. This was my experience when I worked with them. Solarcity was a new acquisition. I believe Jim was Solarcity first. I have had amazing experiences with Tesla, but I don’t know if it is characteristic of the company or the region. I bought a Model S in NYC and had a wonderful customer experience. I then did this in San Diego and also experienced excellent roadside assistance in San Diego.

[@neverbenbetter8225]

I gotta say, when you talk to the designer who will do your system, pay attention to how they work with you. Are they hearing you and designing according to your requests or does it feel like they have a checklist to go through? Erin was the name of the woman I worked with at Tesla. She was excellent. I worked with her before any contract was signed, so the designer is like a litmus test.

[@relaxunwind810]

@@neverbenbetter8225 Thanks so much for your details! That is our goal. I don't want to save 60 or 70 percent etc....I want 100 %! You seem to make more kwh per year then they suggested to bring your bill down to nothing. That is great! Are you still at basically no power bill?

[@neverbenbetter8225]

Relaxunwind if I could attach images, I would show you a screenshot from my app that says I’m “100% self-powered” today. In general, I’m 100% self powered in the summer and in the winter I compensate with the excess energy credit from the energy company

[@malcolmrose3361]

@@relaxunwind810 With regard to system performance for the last year versus the estimate - while some of it may be down to a Tesla "under promise - over deliver" estimate, it may simply be that their estimates are based on historic average weather conditions for the planned location. If the weather in San Diego has been better than the norm over the last year that could be the reason for the over-production versus the estimate - you'd need a few more years data before you could comment with certainty.

[@richardalexander5758]

Fantastic, and thanks for the referral code.

[@pilot1226]

I’m thinking about the Tesla panels myself. But I need a new roof and want to upgrade my electric panel. Do they do it or do I have to have it all done first before I contact Tesla?

[@joesmackunstable]

i hope to get the same experience. you set the expectation pretty high. tyvm for the info

[@neverbenbetter8225]

All I can say is that this was my actual experience and as I continue to interact with Tesla (I don’t need much help with the panels anymore, but I have had to get help with my car) they continue to impress. One person in Colorado commented that they were NOT impressed with the service. Maybe it isn’t consistent across the board. If you ordered a product, I Hope you have a great experience too.

[@joesmackunstable]

NeverBenBetter i have had a great experience owning the car for almost 2 years. best purchase decision ever.

[@phollero]

Great accounting of the experience. Thanks for sharing it is encouraging.

[@paulchoate1]

So instead of investing $20K in the stock market for 15 years I should get Tesla solar panels and power wall? Which will be a better FINANCIAL decsion (not environmetal)? It seems to me I'd be better off financially by investing the money. Thoughts?

[@neverbenbetter8225]

I am putting together a video about this very question. First, make sure you understand the benefit of the panels and wall where YOU live. Energy is expensive in California, but cheap in Texas (so I hear). Secondly, FINANCE the solar array (my original loan was 5%) then INVEST your cash. If you can make an investment that earns you more annually than your solar loan costs, to me, that’s what I meant when I said “free”.

[@paulchoate1]

@@neverbenbetter8225 thank you!

[@maykelsach795]

How many powerwalls you jave installed? And how much kwh your home use during the day?

[@neverbenbetter8225]

1 Powerwall. Our electricity usage can vary, but our solar array covers our needs. I purchased more than enough so that we have the flexibility to add appliances and in expectation of system decay.

[@dv8silencer]

Love your report on Tesla's customer support.

[@sunilwood]

Where did you initially finance the tesla solar?

[@MichaelLangell]

Looks like you got lucky, my dad signed his contract over a year ago and the system has been installed for months but has never worked once. Tesla customer service around here sucks compared to your experience. I’m glad it worked out for you 😂.

[@neverbenbetter8225]

That sounds awful. I am so sorry!

[@ChrisWasherPhotos]

Just saying, I have had the opposite reaction trying to deal with Tesla Solar. In Florida, a far piece from southern California, I can't get a project started because of very choppy communications. I get two or three texts from different numbers on the same day telling me to update my request on-line, but the online site does not agree with what the tests are saying. I have been able to e-mail one adviser, but either my design is finished and is ready for me to approve, or I have to take down trees and start all over again and wait for a new design which could take 6 weeks. All this while I am supposed to get HOA approval without a final design. Very frustrating.

[@PAKARErst]

You are brilliant my friend. Beautiful video, brilliant information and tips. Great storytelling.

[@neverbenbetter8225]

Patrick Kobina Arthur I’m flattered. Thank you so much!

[@TraceurDoc1]

Nice video! It was so nice, it pushed us to make the plunge. Unfortunately we are not influencers and our mileage varied. Definitely getting the runaround, and having poor communication. No idea when we are getting the install...next week? Next year? No telling. Perhaps it’s our particular project manager 🤷‍♂️

[@neverbenbetter8225]

I wasn't an "influencer" when I started. This is the only popular video I have, in fact! I'm sorry you are having a bad experience. For what it's worth, installation was not very fast for me either. Tesla said permitting and dealing with the city takes time. I believed them, but it could be an easy scapegoat. I'm posting a video this weekend analyzing the ROI of my system. I am still satisfied. I don't know if it's too late for you to back out now or if you would even want to, but if you stay with it, I hope you are at least very happy with the product.

[@oceanbreeze2663]

Good story telling. You should write a book about it

[@neverbenbetter8225]

Deep Blue thank you!

[@f3nixfire]

Great video! It's my dream to own a house someday with a Tesla solar roof and power walls! I want to be completely self sufficient!

[@chidude]

And hopefully a Tesla vehicle in the garage!

[@f3nixfire]

@@chidude oh definitely!

[@Human-of-the-earth]

I love this guys energy im on edge

[@tvbridge]

Tesla sounds like such a great company. I did one that's even better....I built my own system. I have only 2Kw of solar panels but I have purpose built the equivalent of three Tesla Powerwalls........on my Motorhome! It gives me year round power even in the UK climate. The whole system cost around £7000 or around $10,000. Gotta' love solar!

[@BillSands2112]

This was awesome to listen to. thanks for sharing

[@4literv6]

Very comprehensive and easy to understand video! 👌

[@F1Barry]

We have a Tesla Powerwall 2 for 2 years now and haven't paid an electricity bill since we have had it. Credits exceed the minimal grid usage and network charges.

[@GI-AUS]

This is a very local American experience. Australia, England, Netherlands, Sweden, Germany (countries I have lived/worked in) would all provide customer service like this. Also countries with great social health care systems.

[@TRYtoHELPyou]

have you ever had a service set up in the app yet could not edit it because the spinny thing just keeps going? I like tesla's mission but man, some people who work with it and some of their systems are still far from customer friendly. tks for sharing the info here bout your system, not bad.

[@neverbenbetter8225]

I have, actually, but it was for my car. I was blown away again: kzbin.info/www/bejne/p3ywYZamo6mkndE I gotta day though, I feel like this can’t be their typical experience. I do believe I’ve been luckier or maybe I try to see the good?

[@atibalaroche2846]

You earned a sub!! Thanks for the in-depth break down!!

[@neverbenbetter8225]

Thanks. The feedback on this one has been tremendous. I think I know what to aim for and what my subscribers want to see!

[@jgren4048]

NeverBenBetter it’s what everyone with a brain wants to see. Not just those who subscribe to your channel, I don’t personally although I may. Will have to see what other content you have first. But this was a good real review on your experience. I hope that on my side of this great big USA the experience would be the same. Positive! However this is a year test, not a 5 year test. That will be interesting to see. Anyway I’m glad for you

[@ryancheesman400]

What rate plan did they put you on? They seem to Rob it to screw you and to make solar not worth it. I heard they are getting rid of net metering and doing full TOU. I have EV-TOU5 for charging during super off peak and was considering a small array and a battery to be mostly used for rate arbitrage but not sure if that's actually feasible.

[@wingwangclan7202]

I am confused for the need for the powerwall(outside of when the power goes out). Instead of putting the energy into your powerwall why not let it go back to the grid making you money at peak daytime hours hours then at night you use that energy credit to buy grid energy back for use in your house at off peak prices? Am I missing something?

[@kaleidoscopeon]

Wing Wang Clan it’s for back up during blackouts.

[@michaelwise6970]

Just imagine if every new house that's build from now on had a solar roof installed..

[@allaboutroofing2]

No thanks. Too expensive with excessive return on investment in most places. Electricity is really cheap a lot of places, for example mine is about $100 a month for a 3200 sq foot home. A Tesla roof would cost about $70K for my home. Assuming rates increase at 5% per year, that's still a 33 year return on investment. Add to that the fact that it would be financed in the loan, so your paying interest over 15 or 30 years on that additional 50-70K, it would be more like $100-$140k over 30 years. Also, if you invest 70K on a Tesla roof and sell your home a few years later, you will only increase the resale value by about 30% or so of what you paid for the upgrade based upon my research. That's all around a horrible deal unless you live in your home for a very long time and have very high power rates where you live.

[@Matzes]

@@allaboutroofing2 its cost effective for new constructions

[@allaboutroofing2]

@@Matzes no it's really not. A builder can put on a regular roof for around $150 a square with material and labor...that's about 1/15 of the cost of a Tesla roof. Paying interest on a solar roof, over say 15 or 30 years is exceptionally stupid as well.

[@Matzes]

@@allaboutroofing2 where do you live? In germany it would be 100% cost effectice when building a new house. No doubt about it.

[@allaboutroofing2]

@@Matzes how so? Do you not have laminate shingle roofs there? Is a Tesla roof a lot cheaper? The economics don't work where I live in the middle of the US.

[@jhopiv]

You should send this video to Jim and he should get a raise!!! Bravo Tesla!!!

[@neverbenbetter8225]

I did. He was very appreciative. He was also very humble

[@Roadstercycle]

Hi, can you use your Tesla system when the grid is down? It seems to have been an issue in the past because of the islanding issues/laws. Very curious if this got remedied. Thank you.

[@neverbenbetter8225]

I can, but I learned from other comments that not everyone can. If you call Tesla to place an order, they should be familiar with your local laws.

[@malcolmrose3361]

At 15.00 minutes into your video you show your usage graph - what the hell are you running that consumes what looks like 1 - 1.65Kw constantly between midnight and 7am? Is it some sort of trickle feed into your car?

[@ralphhardie7492]

Awesome story... Thanks

[@caddit1924]

You are a good story teller.

[@dporrasxtremeLS3]

Your review was of the very best, and interesting! I had to watch it to the end and read all the comments! Checked your Y/T site and liked that enough to Subscribe. Awesome speaker! Thank you.

[@neverbenbetter8225]

Thank you so much for the feedback. It’s really encouraging to hear that people are subscribing for reasons aside from just the hot topic (Tesla) The teacher in me really enjoys making things interesting for people who otherwise might not have been interested.

[@rkgsd]

Are the panels make by Tesla or do they subcontract to a Tesla-authorized solar company?

[@neverbenbetter8225]

They were made by Solarcity and Tesla bought Solarcity before my install so I guess they are “made by Tesla” now.

[@neverbenbetter8225]

My gateway came in a box with the Solarcity logo on it. By now, I would imagine the brand is 100% switched to Tesla.

[@DennisTuckersAwesome]

I just did a quote and it said they recommend 2 Powerwalls. I live in AZ if that matters. I'm trying to wrap my head around this. I read some guy just got the one and was able to configure 1 powerwall to run just his refrigerator and his AC. Is 2 powerwalls overdoing it? They are like $7K a piece.

[@neverbenbetter8225]

What are your goals? How big is your house? Are you charging a car? Do you have an electric or gas dryer? These are all things to consider. Tesla recommended I get two Powerwalls also. I didn’t and I don’t regret it. I use my Powerwall for backup and it can keep my house going for about 10 hours.

[@bryanpeng9007]

How is the panels and wall battery free? Don't think there's any rebate programs out there that credits back 100%. We here at NY only get's about 70% credit total for only the panels and the inverter and power wall is extra and only gets FED tax credit off 50% or less. Am i right about that?

[@neverbenbetter8225]

It’s not because of the rebate. It’s because of the refinance and in the video I tried to explain that it makes it FEEL free. It’s not free. Because I refinanced with a lower rate, I was able to roll the cost of the panels into the loan. (Cash out refinance.) Even though the loan amount is higher, because of the lower interest I make a smaller monthly payment. Therefore, it feels like the panels were free. In actuality, if I had not rolled the cost of the panels into the loan, my mortgage would probably be about $150 less per month.

[@bryanpeng9007]

@@neverbenbetter8225 Not sure if financing the system or battery is worth it. It'll take longer to get it paid off. Most companies don't tell you there's line charge from electric company. Sad CONED here in NYC don't offer buyback of electricity. So for us to install extra panels was not worth it. Only if we went to battery 4 years ago. And the batter itself was $30K+ and installation was about $10-20k depending on the companies. But i'm so glad we did it and now we're saving the world with less carbon footprint.

[@justinjones4069]

Thank you 😊

[@theBabyDead]

hm, in my country you wouldn't need a battery because you "sell" your produced power back automatically when you're not using it. So this means if you produced 50kwh, the energy company still owes you 50kwh, so you'll get those back during the evening. This is basically how they do it here instead of batteries. If you outproduce what they give you back, they pay you like 30% of the price back or so (30% of what you pay them per kwh)

[@JamesTechJackin]

This video was great bruh. Def earned a sub

[@mhatfie]

I was initially turned off by the intro with the pleas to watch the entire video. Prepared to click the thumb down icon, I waited and watched the video (the whole thing). Long comment, short, I was entertained and got value from this video. You sir, provided excellent content and there is no reason to ask viewers to watch the entire video, it will happen naturally. Well Done.

[@neverbenbetter8225]

Mark Hatfield I really appreciate the feedback. It helps a lot when viewers are constructive.

[@carloscruz7317]

what was the out of pocket cost? what is the life expectancy to the panels and wall pack? what is the cost with no government subsidies?

[@neverbenbetter8225]

Thanks for the question. During the year that this video has been up, the question has been asked a lot so I made this response. It should answer everything: kzbin.info/www/bejne/nouuq6aVg7NsnKs

[@gerrycrisostomo6571]

God Bless Tesla, it's employees and founders. The whole world is thanking you for not just providing technologically superior, excellent and dependable products but also because you are helping the environment and you are you are encouraging other companies to do the same for the benefit of humanity in the near future.

[@neverbenbetter8225]

I feel strongly about this. When consumers choose Tesla: there is no question that they are broadcasting their interest in clean energy solutions. It actually doesn’t even matter the cost or the ROI, other companies will learn what direction they need to go in to win back market share and the world will benefit as more players enter the game and the technology just keeps improving.

[@cucabueno]

i have shopped (a couple of months ago) around comparing Tesla and other companies and Tesla's warranty didn't sound great. Did things recently change?

[@JonathanAvilaMusic]

man, great story telling! amazing review

[@phillipwatson810]

How long will the power wall ( battery’s ) run your AC after the sun goes down? I have a 4.62 system in AZ and was told battery’s would only run it for about 30 minutes. Thanks

[@neverbenbetter8225]

It's a 13.5kWh battery so it will power AC for 13.5/4.62 = almost 3 hours.

[@bjornfleuren]

I feel so good about my solar order today

[@dobrzpe]

amazing review! thanks for sharing.

[@rohankrishna95]

That is not how it went for me - I purchased a used Tesla Model S with 30k ish miles, it was delivered with a dead screen. Given run-around for five days with Uber credit. I want solar panels but afraid to deal with Tesla again.

[@allfiredupltd9108]

What are you running at 4 am in the morning to drain your batteries

[@neverbenbetter8225]

Just regular utilities: lights, fridge, WiFi is always plugged in. There is never a time when the house is using no power. I go more in depth here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/eaGulKZ9rJdrbdE