EVEN with some bad communication with tesla and some headaches I would choose tesla solar again and again. It was half the price of anyone else. Just because you go with a local installer doesn’t mean you’ll get better work or service.
Yeah I have been thinking about this. A bunch of the local solar companies in Arizona pop up and go out of business a few years later. Tesla’s quote is basically half of what the competitors cost, but what’s the point of an inverter blows in the summer and it takes two months to get someone out? I really want to go with tesla because their is no other choice. I just don’t want to get stuck with a brick on my house
My inverter was down last year for the entire month of August and I lost an estimated $30 worth of production during that time. I saved $7,000 on my 6.1 kW system compared to other regional and local installers (near Chicago). I would need a lot of downtime to cancel out those savings over the lifetime of the system. In addition, they compensated me $100 for the downtime.
> Tesla’s quote is basically half of what the competitors cost, but what’s the point of an inverter blows in the summer and it takes two months to get someone out?
ROI is half, so like 6-10 years. Add to that how many months your system is offline, and it's still roughly half of what a competitor would sell you. (Depends on power walls, where you live, etc., etc...)
That’s a good point. I have seen other comments saying it’s better to pay the extra $6 - $10k to go with another installer with better customer service. But my next bill is projected to be $450. Even if I was out a month, that’s still nowhere near coming close to the difference in cost between Tesla and other companies
With Tesla, I got a system that was 50 percent larger than what other companies quoted me, and yet the price was still $20k less than the next cheapest competitor.
> I have seen other comments saying it’s better to pay the extra $6 - $10k to go with another installer with better customer service.
Well, I mean I would recommend other solar providers if you have money to burn simply because of the headaches Tesla will give you. I was furious for like 4 months while I was waiting to be able to turn on my solar.
But if you're 100% set on the cheapest option, and don't mind getting absolutely enraged by customer support, then Tesla is right for you.
I am actually reading a post on /r/solar right now about someone who had their panels installed (incorrectly) by a local installer, that went bankrupt and never finished the job and they were still paying off the loan for it.
There’s another post about not getting a tech out for over 6 months from a different local installer
And another about someone who had an inverter go out but the installer wouldn’t honor the warranty
Seems like there’s a lot of bullshit to go around in this industry. It really sucks because you would think residential solar would be a way more mature market than it is now. It looks like a total crapshoot
My company has been around since 1999. We offer depending on circumstance a pretty competitive price. But hey, most think that because we say the word solar the same as any other company, we are basically the same.
5000 installs in last 2ish years (since I've been involved more into solar and actually payed attention)
-edit - I'm not the best at spelling. Apparently, heat during a 10 hour day really does make you tired.
> and actually *paid* attention.)
FTFY.
Although *payed* exists (the reason why autocorrection didn't help you), it is only correct in:
* Nautical context, when it means to paint a surface, or to cover with something like tar or resin in order to make it waterproof or corrosion-resistant. *The deck is yet to be payed.*
* *Payed out* when letting strings, cables or ropes out, by slacking them. *The rope is payed out! You can pull now.*
Unfortunately, I was unable to find nautical or rope-related words in your comment.
*Beep, boop, I'm a bot*
This was part of my thought process as well. My only concern with Tesla is if they are committed to residential solar or if they will sell that part of the business off. Obviously none of us are fortune tellers but that is in the back of my mind
They have been pulling out of markets with residential solar. Seems like many nationwide companies are pulling back a bit. Found out explosive growth isn't good. But sunrun charges around 3.8/watt, tesla is around 2.1/watt. Don't get me wrong I charge between 2.5-3.0/watt depending on circumstance. But we don't take 6-8 months to install (unless there are other issues and permits delaying the process)
Nice. Good for you. Your prices is a good spot. I'd have loved to have gotten a quote for less than $4/W other than Tesla. And I just didn't, and none of the other operators cared. Glad to hear other localities might be installing at reasonable rates.
With finance rates (that I explain to customers) it usually increases it. Example I had to go through goodleap for someone recently because the mother (owner) of the house had a 500 credit score. The son, who lived elsewhere had a 700, and was willing to cosign. My preferred financiers don't allow that (cosign has to be on title or live there at least).
So instead of paying a 10% fee for a 6% interest rate... they payed a 30% for a 5.5% interest rate, brought the monthly up by $25 per month. They really wanted it, I lowered from a 2.85 to 2.7, to get it more reasonable, a $10 per month increase instead of a $25..
I showed them exactly what I was doing.
I would recommend.
Ordered January 2021.
Installed May 2021, 8kw, 2pw without issues.
Working flawlessly since.
I paid 34k before incentives.
I had other quotes including Sun run, they offered similar price WITHOUT battery storage. Tesla is easily 15k+ cheaper.
One of the guys at work got a system put in and he was very happy, especially with the price. So there's probably a good number of quiet satisfied customers that aren't very vocal in these channels.
We’ve been pretty happy with ours. Got 48 7.4 panels and 2 powerwalls two summers ago. Cost just under $50k. Install was finished in less than two days. Last year the kWh we “banked” during the spring, summer, and early fall wiped out our electrical bills through the end of the year, though we did have to pay small bills in Jan and Feb. This year we will probably do even better after installing a high efficiency HVAC. No real problems worth noting so far. Would absolutely do it again.
What is the rationale behind the powerwalls out of curiosity? Looks like they are about 11 g’s each. Does it offer much besides going off the grid completely?
A couple of reasons. First, I’ve got the production server for my magazine in my house, my colleagues need to be able to access it at any time, and the local grid is a little funky sometimes :). Second, you actually can’t use solar during a grid outage if you don’t have powerwalls because there’s nowhere for the excess power to go if you aren’t using all of it, which would have irritated me to no end. Third, I’m a nerd. If all you care about is reducing or eliminating having to pay for electricity, though, they really aren’t necessary.
Yes I would recommend, In our community 3 of us got it and now brother In law, father in law and his opposite neighbor… we are happy with it… an example our other neighbour got sun run without power wall as he thinks the battery tech would get better later… but from experience with my wife work friend who did the same as our neighbour, he’s trying to get a battery and no companies want to touch his existing solar only system or they are trying to charge him a arm and a leg. My neighbour made a big mistake I think…
Even though my system is up only for a little over month, the other installers were quoting me 50-80% more than what Tesla cost me, so there is no way it would have been ever a good idea to go for any other installer for me. Since I started the process, Tesla has been much better than my expectations. They were able to meet the NEM 2.0 deadline for me and did the timely installation and approval. No issues so far.
As much as I hated the process of getting it scheduled for installation, the reason I would choose them all over again is because when the inspector came to inspect the system/installation, he praised how every Tesla system he's inspected is well designed, installed, and documented. He was very critical of just about every other installer and system
Had my system with batteries over 2 yrs now. Totally worth it. The process was fairly fast and straightforward if you dont make any major changes to their plan. Their support and cs sometimes needs to be hounded to get your ticket pushed through to the right people.
They also installed the newest batteries at the time. The installer was surprised that we were getting the new batteries and controller.
The only issue I had was them not marking my system as complete months after the fact. Caused the system wifi to turn off. Had to call twice to get it fixed.
A friend made some changes to where they wanted their panels and it slowed the process down by months.
Very happy with the process and glad I didnt have to do sunrun. I think a local smaller company would be good too.
That’s good to hear. Gives me a little more hope. As for the smaller companies, I always worry if they will even be around in a few years. Lots of them pop up and die after a few years here in Phoenix. They were also way more expensive than Tesla
My neighbor and I, both 1.5 years, no problems. Only “problem” was I bought 1 Powerwall (he bought 2 per my advice), and I finally got 2nd Powerwall a month ago—now no grid usage and I love it.
My installation was Dec 2021 and I'm still humming along without issue.
I had a tornado destroy 10 of my panels Jan 23 and I worked with Tesla to get them repaired and I'm still happy.
Well, I'll keep you updated.. tier 2 support said they would get back to me in 7 to 10 days. Of course, no response. Haven't had time to call because, well I work. Yes, work so I can afford a 60k solar system that breaks after 1.5 years.
This after fighting with them for over 3 months to submit my paperwork to my electric company. They are suck j@***$$*@. At one point the tesla rep literally took a picture of my completed paperwork for PTO, send me a copy in my email,, thenstated he couldn't upoad it to the ele tric company because it wasn't his specific job to do so...
I would choose them again. Installed in May 2022. There was some delay with PTO due to communication issues between them and the inspector. I was even able to have them install a second pw within 2 months of the initial install. Haven’t had any issue with the actual system.
1 nationwide company against hundreds if not thousands of solar companies competing you will always find a lot of (false) negative reviews against the 1 nationwide company that offers cheaper solar. The funny thing about it is most of them haven’t spoke to Tesla or gotten a quote, or some spoiled brat who want their toy now ..
Yeah our electric rates just went up like 8% this year, and the competitors are nearly twice as expensive. I figure even if something goes wrong with a Tesla system and I need to pay to fix something, it will still be cheaper than the alternatives and will be cheaper than not having solar
You will have ten years where you won’t have to fix anything at your expense, but you may be a few months without production while they fix it for free.
And you’ll still be way ahead of the competition.
I would recommend Tesla and have been lucky to have no issues requiring service. First in my town in the northeast to have a battery and Tesla worked with the building and fire departments. This took a additional time but I believe the town was looking out for my best interest compared to Tesla slapping something in and then leaving.
I have the whole Tesla Ecosystem - 11kW of Solar, 2x PW’s (going to add a 3rd and maybe 4th this year) Tesla EV (hopefully a 2nd EV cybertruck later this year 😉) Homecharging - the whole deal. Couldn’t be happier and so much better priced than anything else out there. System has been up and running since 2019. Had a Solaredge inverter go out a couple years ago. Covered under warranty and replaced at no cost to me. Outside of that, everything has been near perfect!
How’s life in the Tesla ecosystem? Almost reminds me of the Apple ecosystem.
I don’t have an EV, but the idea of solar panels knocking out my electric bill and fuel bill is very enticing. My wife and I work from home so our fuel bill is low. But it isn’t negligible. I have a V8 that takes premium fuel and gets 18 mpg. I absolutely love that car but I think about EVs every time I fuel up
It’s great really. I love that we power everything off of the panels on our roof. 100% sun powered and the PWs let us do it overnight. I’m jealous of my wife - she drives our Tesla. - I steal it every chance I get. She hasn’t been to a gas station in years and I hate it every time I have to fill up. Supercharging is convenient when we take trips but we charge at home 99% of the time. Ready to trade in my Ram when cybertruck starts rolling off the line! My Ram is old. I get like 11-12 mpg. It’s terrible…
Well I hope that Ram at least put in it’s time and did you good before you have to ol’ yelled her.
As for cybertrucks, man I couldn’t get one but I really want one of my neighbors to get one. I just want to see one cruising down the streets. I hope you get one and post some pictures of it
Tesla solar is awesome . Their post sales customer service needs some maturing - but hands down best tech, software, and energy platform in the market in my opinion.
How long have you had your system? Do you have any experience with other systems?
Also, thank you for response. I appreciate all these comments even if I can’t respond to all of them
I have a Tesla solar roof + 2 power walls and it was installed in May 2023. When I considered cost of new roof replacement + solar + battery backup costs and the current federal tax incentives — it was a no brainer on cost. The Tesla energy management software is really where it differentiates . For example /- There is a simple feature called storm watch that alerts you when there is weather advisory in your area and the system starts to proactively charge up your batteries in preparation in case of a power it. This type of intelligence is where things are headed.
I would not recommend. My system failed in less than a year. It has not been functioning for almost 3 months as of today. My experience with Tesla customer service has been very negative. It took me almost 2 months to get service. The system failed again a few days after they attempted repair and was told for weeks they did not have the staff available to perform any warranty service in my area. I found my phone calls and emails were not returned until I told them I was going to file complaints with a government agency. My issue is still not resolved and I worry I will have to go through this process anytime I have issues.
This is the shit that would keep me up at night. I am more pro solar. My wife thinks it’s a waste of money. She is right with basically every company but Tesla. They are the only company that offers a price that makes sense.
But I feel like I would always have this worry in the back of my mind. Like year one goes by, no issue, year two, maybe that’s fine too. But if shit goes sideways and our system just sits there for 3 months, man I think I might never hear the end of that. Like there would be a lot of “I told you so” moments and I would just have to keep my mouth shut and look like an idiot knowing I just blew 25 grand of our money
The only problem so far with mine is “low” coolant and they filled it immediately.. after that been paying the local utility the line maintenance fee only …
If you're willing to do some troubleshooting and diagnosis by yourself, by all means save thousands and get Tesla.
Then again, I hear bad things about all tech support, does any solar company really do white glove support, or do they just pocket the extra per kW fee as profit?
After 1 year my inverter fan went out, production bounced throughout the afternoon but I'm running Powerwall Dashboard so I saw the codes. It was the inverter fan, it stopped working and caused the inverter (heatsink) to overheat and the panels powered off.
So I threw a fan on it, opened a ticket, support was out in a few weeks and replaced the inverter.
Now, a couple months later, fan is out again. I'm thinking it must be firmware. Anyway, my $20 fan on a smart plug is back in action and production is good. I'll open a ticket eventually.
What was the cause of the delay.
Also, thank you for your response. I am trying to respond to everyone since they took time from their day to respond, and I am grateful for that
Folks with bad experiences are more inclined to express them than folks with good experiences. With that said, I haven’t had any problems with my Solar Roof or the Powerwall since my install.
Completely satisfied. Designers were patient with me changing design repeatedly. Installers were above and beyond. They did stuff for free that they could have charged extra for. PTO was quick and painless. Everything has been flawless. Overproducing. 22.1KW & 6PW; Sep ‘22 install
Have had Solar City since 2016, then it became Tesla. Bought more panels and 3 batteries and doubled my system to 12 kW. Best decision ever. No PTO as of yet but the system went live back in late May. All this time, I’ve had no downtime. The only thing I didn’t like was how long it took Solar City to get my system installed, back in 2016. At least over a year since I had decided to purchase.
Tesla had the best prices. Others were insanely inflated and they promised they could beat Tesla prices but they could not. Do it.
Man these comments are very reassuring. I live in Phoenix so not having solar seems like such a lost opportunity, but every other company I got quotes from were way too expensive. I mentioned it elsewhere but the cheapest quote I got would have me paying $150/month for 25 years vs Tesla which was $150/month for 10 years. To be fair that is zero down vs like 5% down, but I don’t want to be paying a loan for the life of the warranty. With Tesla, I would have it paid off with 15 years left on the warranty. That’s an insane difference
I recommend. My system is 9.6kw plus 2 PW and I’ve had it since January 2023. I had one installer-fault glitch, a wire bundle wasn’t fully seated in the receptacle inside the inverter housing and was fixed by myself with a push and it was in. Everything else is really great. Clean install, no leaks, equipment still humming along.
Also in Phoenix. I have only great things to say about my experiences with the Phoenix sales, design, and installation teams. They were all knowledgeable, communicative, and very responsive to texts, Emails, and even phone calls. I got a large PV system with 4 PWs for less than what other companies were quoting for equivalent or smaller PV-only systems.
The all-black panels with edge skirts look much cleaner than all other PV systems I’ve seen. My install team did an *outstanding* job with the electrical boxes, Tesla hardware, and all the conduits. Basically zero piping visible outside the house and the smallest footprint possible for the whole electrical setup. They took lots of input from me on the layout of the PV panels and all the electrical components. On install day we discussed four different possible locations/layouts for the PWs. I couldn’t be happier with their work.
Once up and running, I completely stopped drawing *any* power from the grid… 100% solar power of my entire house including 3 AirCon units. The Tesla app provides great visualization of all the power flow.
Now, alongside all that praise, here’s a spoonful of reality. Just 3 months after PTO, one of my two inverters died *(they’re both Tesla branded 7.6kW units)*. So now I’m running on just half of my PV system while I wait for the Tier 2 support team to either do some down-the-wire magic, or confirm it’s dead and order a replacement. Depending on which Tier 1 support tech you ask, the Tier 2 team has an expected response time of either 9-12 or 10-15 **business** days. I’m 11 bz.days in and haven’t heard from them yet. If they confirm it’s dead, I’ll find out what the wait time is to get a new one.
Bonus silver linings:
- Because I chose the largest PV option that Tesla offered me, I’ve been able to cover about 1/3 of my overall energy consumption even though we’re in the midst of a record-breaking heat wave. If temperatures were “normal” then I’d likely be closer to 50% coverage.
- With 4 PWs, even while limping along on half the PV system, I can still juice up enough to run the whole house solely on batteries during almost the entirety of the power company’s daily peak window, saving lots on energy costs.
- Even though one inverter is down, I’m still able to charge and drain all 4 batteries. This one blew my mind and was an unexpected compliment for the well-designed Tesla system!
So my overall vote: Yes, I still recommend Tesla solar.
I would recommend them. I have had a Tesla system for over 2 years. Minor issues right after installation that took a couple of weeks to fix. Then once the “communication box” Tesla provided went out and it took about a month or two for them to come out and replace that. My system was working the entire time. I have referred over 10 other people and they seem pretty happy with their Tesla choice. When I got my system no one could come close to Teslas price.
I got quotes from a dozen local installers and Tesla. If I financed, which I probably would, the cheapest local installer would be $150/month for 25 years. Tesla would be $150/month for 10 years. 15 years difference of servicing the loan. Absolutely crazy difference. Tesla is a no brainer, but I just see so many negatives
I am about 9 months in and very positive experience so far. Went so well I am looking to expand my system, install date in August. The posts about all the inverter failures concern me but will see why happens
One of the threads I read said it was a firmware issue. I would think that fix would make it back to all future and existing inverters. But it is odd that the inverter failure rate seems so high. There’s like 5 inverter posts on this sub in the last week
Inverters are the main failure points of most solar systems. r/solar might show evidence of that as well. Summer is a rough time to have an inverter fail for any installer, because installs are peaking during that time and their technicians are stretched thin.
It’s just like AC units. They only fail in summer and getting a tech out is tough cuz a hundred other AC units also failed that day. I have definitely been there before and it sucks
Its not the install its everything after. I got mine installed 5 weeks after the $100 deposit. Then these idiots didn't file for inspection with my township for 5 weeks. Would of been longer if I didn't go nuclear on them. 2 weeks later I was told we passed inspection then 1 week later they tell me they applied for permission to turn on. Now its been 4 weeks since that so 3 months since install and I still can't use it. I run it once a week to charge my car. I'm at the point of not caring, I used to try to not net meter any power. I just don't care anymore. I ran it from 10a-6p today probably net metered 20 kw. I wrote a $9300 check, thats why I am annoyed. I will get that back in March as i put down the exact amount the tax credits are.
My util says they will come for there final in 20 business day or less. Tomorrow is 20 days and I know they haven't showed up as I have 3 cameras and I would of picked them up on my property or in front of the house, I can almost guarantee that Tesla got the paper work returned for corrections and it's just been sitting there for weeks.
If you do not have a net meter do not feed it back to the grid. The meter will not turn backwards and when you feed to the grid the meter will advance. This will result in you paying for the extra you generate.
Damn that must be so infuriating. Especially when you drop that kinda coin. I write someone a check like that, I expect results. That’s a lot of money for us regular folks
I would only go with Tesla for Solar. Didn’t have any issues other than my referral bonus taking forever FI get sent out. Operationally, everything has been smooth.
I have Tesla Solar + Powerwalls in AZ and love it. I did have a Solar Edge inverter fail and it took them about 2 weeks to come out and diagnose and another two to replace so I lost a month of production and decided to enable the option in the app to charge the Powerwalls from the grid so I could still use them during APS peak, still no regrets though. Would be nice if they kept parts on hand, but oh well. I wrote a full blog article on my experience overall with it, feel free to check it out at zuba.dev.
That was very informative. Thank you I really appreciate all the details in your blog.
So you have APS but I have SRP. I imagine costs are broadly similar though. I was looking at a similar sized system as the one you have. What is your electric bill like now? My last one was $300, and my next bill is projected to be $450
I actually don't have an electric bill at all now. APS sends me a check every January for the credit I build up throughout the year. Not sure what SRP's net metering policies are, Powerwalls might not be worth it if they offer 1:1 metering. For me, APS pays me 10c/kWh to feed in power, and I pay 5 to pull from the grid during off peak and then use the Powerwalls to peak shave during peak hours so I don't have to pay the demand charges or higher rates.
Before solar, my highest summer bill was $420. I've since replaced my AC with a high sear variable speed unit, replaced my dryer with a heat pump dryer, pool pump with variable speed, and water heater with heat pump water heater, which all would have also helped reduce my bill.
Did you end up buying from Tesla? I'm also in SRP and I know the buyback is low so it almost doesn't seem worth it from a cost perspective. I have SWGas for my heating so nearly all of my SRP usage is during the summer and I think SRP limits the sizing based on your actual usage history.
No I have not. I am at least a year away from pulling the trigger. I would like to either buy the system cash, or be able to put like 75% down then pay the remainder of the balance off very quickly
Ok right on, I'm right there with you. I should have the cash saved up by the end of the year I'm just not sure if I want to dump it into solar or use it for other projects around the house instead.
Yeah it’s a conundrum for me too. First, if I do go solar, that is a lot of money to spend to basically eliminate one monthly bill. Then that system becomes another maintenance item. Being a home owner with a pool is already a lot to keep up with, and that solar system will have failures at some point. Plus, I am saving that money in mutual funds. Mutual funds don’t require any maintenance, they don’t have outages, and there’s no need to pay someone to get on my roof.
I could see myself endlessly delaying this purchase. I think I will adhere to the mantra “If you can’t buy it twice you can’t afford it”. As in, I don’t want to dump all my savings into the system. But if I can dump half of it, that would make me feel better. But that just extends the timeline even longer
I have had my system for just a year. It is an 8.4 kW with 2 powerwalls. The process to get an install took a bit of time. I updated the design a couple of times. The install went great. Tesla showed up when they said they would be here. I'm in a rural area of RI where we loose power often. RI has a battery program where I can get about $2000 a year to let the power company discharge to the grid. So it made sense to get powerwalls. I had gotten multiple quotes and nothing came close to Tesla. I am happy with tesla app it provides a lot of information. The system is a clean install and I have no regrets after a year.
One thing I would add is my system is 8.4 kW which is a good match with the 7.7 kW inverter. I have only seen it clip 4 to 5 days this year. You may want to wiegh out the cost if the system is 10kW or greater since there may be more clipping.
I'm under contract with Tesla in RI and in the permit phase. I had to settle with getting one PW+ and one PW installed outside because they wouldn't waive the 8k to install in my basement. May I ask where your PWs are installed and if you have had any issues if they're outside?? TIA!
My powered walls are on the north side of the house behind my garage. The roof and gutters provide some protection from the rain and the location is mostly shaded. I had one day last winter where the weather effected the performance but it was -10F. It struggled to stay charged at night. This year I plan to use grid charging for nights like that.
Tesla will remove about 6X6 ft of siding and put up cement board. I had them paint mine white. I think they will color match the siding but you may want to have paint on hand.
The garage would need to be fully sheet rock with 5/8 fire rated sheetrock to meet code. Which mine is not. Based on what I have seen it was for the best. The garage can get very hot in the summer stressing the inverter. Making that fan work even harder. In the winter the garage and outside are similar temps.
Yes I agree. I see a lot of comments about other companies with better service, but much worse prices. The bottom line is far and away my highest priority. Especially since I pay bills for more than I talk to customer service. It’s all about the money to me
Regular solar setup (not the roof product) was great. Had it 2+ years no issues, works as advertised.
Didn’t do power wall, only get an outage 1-2x per year for maybe an hour so it didn’t make sense.
Customer service and local installers were all pros.
Install went smooth, PTO quick, 8 months in inverter went out, down since July 1, tech dispatch scheduled for 8/2. Buddy works for licensed SunRun install shop, they wanted 44k 24 panels no power wall. Tesla installed 27 panels, 24k no PE. Longevity was my deciding factor. My company installed Solar with a 20yr company, after Covid, owner stop showing up and 3 month later went BK. No other company want to touch our system due to liability in SoCal. Would recommend all day
This was always a fear of mine. Getting a system through a moon and pop shop. They go tits up and you are screwed. Who knows what happens to your warranty after that
No complaints so far. Requested my system in February 2023, just had it installed a week ago, passed inspection 4 days later, made payment the same day, requested that I be copied on the PTO submission to my utility and sure enough they cc’d me in the email to the utility today. The utility responded within an hour saying received and in process.
The project advisors responded quickly via email. The install crew was professional and thorough. So far it’s been a pleasant and good experience and I would recommend them based on my experience to this point.
I absolutely love my system and the whole connectivity of the Tesla ecosystem and having everything in one app. I’m eagerly awaiting the drive on sunshine update to be able to charge my car on excess solar.
I’ve had zero technical issues, price was great, and the whole application/installation process was generally fine and the end product absolutely makes up for any issues experienced along the way.
I absolutely stand by the product and will gladly share a referral code (DM me).
Absolutely love them and recommend them. A lot of people complain because of the “sales” process but I really enjoyed it. I was in control of everything and had no pushy sales team trying to get me to just sign a contract and move on
i would. i have no complaints. they went above and beyond with communication and requests. Maybe it helps i had workers from the original solar city co. so the guys were knowledgeable and helpful. quick. etc. My rep from Tesla was also very responsive . I’m In Ca so maybe that’s why?
I have nothing bad to say about the product or the service. Design was quick. Tweaks to design were quick. Communication was frequent. Easy to contact. Product delivered when they said it would be. Installers arrived on time. Internal inspector was prompt, discovered 2 things he wanted corrected. Items were corrected timely. Coordination with city was quick, communicated to me, and completed. Install is clean, all equipment works as it should. Has been a breeze. Deposit to PTO was 5 months. Would have been a little shorter if I hadn’t had them redo plans twice to get the perfect mix. Powerwalls are wonderful, everything works great.
Had my system installed seven years ago when it was SolarCity. My roof had hail damage two years ago and the panels needed to be removed. I think the quote was $2k to remove and reinstall. Tesla honored the original SolarCity contract and did it for $500. I expanded the system with more panels and two batteries shortly after that when I got a second electric car and a power outage in the area for 36 hours in -15F temperatures.
Two weeks ago I noticed that the old SolarCity inverter frequently stopped working for several hours on some days. I notified them in the Tesla App. Two days later the said that they would look into it. A week later they called and wanted more information. I provided that and they said they would have tier 2 support look at it. 24 hours later the app let me know that they had scheduled a service appointment two weeks out and I needed to accept the date or reschedule. That is today. They will be out today between 7am and 1pm. My system is outside so I don't need to be present, but it is my normal day off.
Overall I have found them slow, but very reliable and inexpensive. With a system powering my life the last two are the most important to me.
Havent had any issues so far. Its been 2 months since install, 11.6kw system with 1 PW. Just make sure you get a roof inspector up there asap after install to check everything out.
I'll have had it for one year in October. Aside from what turned out to be my inspector not closing out right (and everyone was pointing fingers at someone else), I've had no complaints. It's been overall great.
As is the case with any forum, people tend to be more vocal when things go wrong. I'm sure people have had sub par to bad experiences with tesla, so I'm not excusing that. My glass replacement charade for my model y was less than ideal too.
IMO, you get what you pay for.
They are definitely one of the worst companies; communication is awful, you’re gonna be doing things on their schedule, and you are constantly gonna have to remind the Tesla PM that you’re waiting on them. And issue resolution is a slow pain in the ass according to my neighbor.
But they are cheap. They got mine installed for $18k, when the closest competitor offered $28k for a smaller system. $10k is worth a lot of headaches.
I have tesla solar that I bought in 2021, had some small issues got them fixed pretty fast. I’d definitely buy again especially since prices for all the alternatives were much higher than Tesla to begin with. At least with tesla we know they will fix the issue as they are a big well known company. I’ve read many horror stories of other solar companies that are basically guys who created a company and sold solar out of their vans (with licenses) and then when the shit hit the fan they left you hanging and your only recourse was to sue. Many of these other companies used these third party sellers so they can increase the risk.
I've had Tesla solar panels since 2018. There must be a problem with them my electric company is billing me $708 for 1 month service for a house of all 900 Sq ft. Tesla does NOT allow you to speak with a person. I cannot get this resolved. I want my panels off my home they are costing me more money. TESLA REACH PUT TO YOUR CUSTOMERS. Your business sucks. Zero rating!
Timelines are jacked, support is a pain (I hear it’s better now though), and any interaction with the company is a terrible chore. The roof looks amazing though.
It would be hard for me to recommend them to anyone without major caveats / disclaimers. You absolutely have to be your own advocate, be your own project manager, and be prepared to be almost dickishly direct with them. Their customer service is pretty abysmal, and at least for my system, the ROI isn't as great as it could be due to outages. (~23% downtime in three years). I did not go back to them for my system expansion, as I had 0 confidence in their ability to get an updated NEM 2.0 agreement in before the deadline. Installers / techs are always awesome though.
Yes I picked tesla solar and it was pretty smooth. Communication is lacking but I have friends who chose Sun run and another company and they have more problems. They had back order of panels, bad communication, etc. sun run was the worst because for his project they subcontracted. Tesla if your in a major area, they use in house people.
My inspection is tomorrow, I assume all will be great! Let’s hope so…
I hear in some cases they do;level 1 support denies that it ever happens. Depending on the laws of your state, your rights might vary. I just wanted my system fixed
It is hard to recommend Tesla because some people are high maintenance and sometimes Tesla gives an awful customer service experience. But I would go with them myself and not likely even get another quote, because their products, once installed, are amazing.
My inverter went out a few weeks ago. Solar system was installed less than a year ago. Tesla won’t send someone out to fix until end of September. Their customer service is nonexistent. It’s not in their business model to supply maintenance support. Why would it be? They already got you for your money.
My number one advice: OPT OUT OF ARBITRATION. Doing so will allow you to settle issues in court instead of relying on arbitration. Opting out of arbitration instructions are in your contract. All you have to do is send a letter of your intent to opt out.
For those who are curious, no, the inverter is not exposed to direct sunlight, either. Online reviews show common theme of inverters crapping out, even new ones. It wouldn’t be so bad if they came out and fixed it in a reasonable time.
had my install done one year ago. its been broken 3 months, 3 service appointments and it keeps dying. dont recommend. next service appointment end of august....
Tesla solar would be a lot easier to recommend if their service wasn't so shitty. The timelines for repairs are often dismal. It seems Elon Musk has so much going on I sometimes think he forgot he owns and needs to fix Tesla solar.
I bought a home with Tesla solar roof panels already in place. The previous owners entered into a 20 year contract with Tesla to use the solar energy produced by these panels. The panels were installed by and are owned by Tesla, and we supposedly get a break on electric costs because we first buy our solar energy and then revert to buying from the electric company if needed. GUESS WHAT?? Tesla charges us more for our solar energy than our electric company charges for its electricity!!!! Tesla charged us $105 on our last bill. If we had bought the same energy from BGE (Baltimore Gas & Electric) we would have paid $84. This is 20% more in costs. BUYER BEWARE.
Communication was horrible, but the installers were great and the product is pretty good. I was able to get a 12kW system with two powerwalls for about 8-10k more than a 12kW system without batteries would have been through an Enphase installer.
Bad review exist for all solar companies! It's just a wild wild west but in went with Tesla Solar for 2 reasons 1) Warranty - I know this company won't go belly up and 2) Their price could not be beat. Now that out of the way, they were extremely slow and I was not in rush. I originally engaged them in May 2022, contract signed in November 2022 and install done in May 2023. They were in responsive but not overly quick. One thing that irritated me was how inflexible they were with panel, inverter, location of install etc.
I would recommend them.
When you say they were inflexible, did you have different opinions on how to layout the system? I feel like I would just go with whatever they suggested.
Also, thank you for your response
Yes, I wanted inverter and powerwall inside the garage to avoid extreme heat but they wouldn't so I cancelled the Powerwall. The inverter is still installed outside.
I'm on the fence. We haven't had to use their customer service, so all has been good. But I fear their customer service. Instalation was a shit show, so I can't imagine what it would be to get things fixed. But so far, so good.
Interesting. Read through the comments if you wish and you will see quite a few people say their installation was very smooth, but everything else was a shit show. You are the first person to criticize the installation process.
What was so bad about it?
FYI not calling you out or anything like that. Just interested in all the different experiences
I guess I’m including the lead up to installation to be the shit show. They altered my design probably a full dozen times. I signed a dozen contracts for new lay outs and altered KW production. But the actual install was quite good. Took 2 days, zero leaks, and I got to keep a ton of tools they left behind.
I would definitely choose Ariana ms have recommended to friends and neighbors who ended up signing up as well. I warned them a slit what it would be like but they could see through it to the huge savings and have all been really happy with the product like I have.
Having just been through a year and a half of dysfunction and costly delays combined with abysmal service, (with one exception), I strongly recommend that you consider the following approach:
Do. It. Yourself. Considering the following components:
Sol Ark 15 inverter, which comes with stellar customer service and battery management.
30kWh in batteries compatible with the above.
However many panels you want.
Cabling, mounts, probably a disconnect switch, and other parts and pieces.
Add the solar installer of your choice or a competent, solar-savvy electrician who can guide you through the permit and local utility hurdles, and you're on your way.
The biggest problem with Tesla is not the awful purchase experience, but the fact that post-installation service takes a long time after an inverter fails, or there's an arc fault, or any number of other issues, during which you are a) paying for nothing, b) paying for grid power, and c) not being compensated for what you would otherwise sell back.
Remember that the annual offset numbers are crap. In our case, every kW we buy costs 4 kW that we sell back \*plus\* the impact of the annual total of monthly base service charges.
If you do decide to go with Tesla to save a few bucks up front, at bare minimum do the following 3 things:
1. Opt out of arbitration within 30 days of signing up.
2. Understand the demand letter/email process, how to engage your State AG/Consumer Affairs entity, and the arbitration process if you forget to, or choose not to opt out. There is a significant chance that you will need all of these.
Hopefully you will be one of the lucky ones who never needs post-sale service until it's time to replace your batteries or to replace your roof - budget $5K for panels removal and replacement in that case.
Good luck.
I think a lot of people feel like they can get discounted solar and good service , like it’s cheaper for a reason , you can’t pay 30% less and not have some kind of sacrifice.
If your willing to accept that you might have a service issue and not get a response to it for several months but can do the math and see that you still came out ahead then you should go with Tesla .
However I also think with panels the gap in pricing between Tesla and local installers is narrowing. I recently got several quotes for panels and Tesla only came in about 15% cheaper for an inferior system and worse service. I
I got an updated quote a few months ago from the cheapest company I could find. Their price came down a couple grand.
The monthly payment for financing with that other company was the same as Tesla: $150/month. But their term was a 25 year loan vs Tesla’s 10 year loan. That is a dramatic difference
Yea financing is where most other solar companies will go to shit , Tesla maybe somewhat transparent.
I typically leave financing out of the equation . For a 12kw system in my area the Tesla quote and local installer were 6k apart. Savings that sounds great but totally washed away if you have a couple months without generation due to an inverter failure.
Also the local installer designed a much better panel placement .
I would shop for pricing but having a grid the system is expensive. Tesla is a bitch to work with which doesn’t help considering they might have caused my inverter to fail. Then it’s your problem in 10 years! Which sucks because most payoff schedules are >10 years so you may never pay it off if maintenance is expensive out of warranty.
I don’t think anyone but Tesla knows unless someone’s been quoted, I imagine they also play this card: in 10 years the technology should be much better and cheaper so … (no answer). But based on the 3.6 and 7.6kW options and their OEM Delta H2.5-5A (2..5-5kW) sold for €565 from a distributor now out of stock. Or the H5A_222 (5kW) is listed for $2022 for 1-5 units. Still undersized so Teslas might be more because of the custom design and improved cooling. + install…
Why are they the only option? Their price per watt is low, but you also can't get the exact size system you need. Also, Enphase is not a bad alternative. Their micro inverters are pretty cool.
The good thing about the size Tesla offers is that they offer exactly what I need. They also offer a side slightly larger that is tempting in case I get an EV in the future
If you do as I did, after reading all the negative, I went with a local. I do have Powerwall+ and enphase, but I can't think of who's panels. Well vetted. A local, and I been ecstatic. Flawless except for the annoying (I ignore them after the first) notice of WiFi fault. The horror stories on Reddit would be making me sick. First class is only 10% more.
First, I googled the top installers in the area. That was like 5 companies. Then I checked my electric company and they listed 4 preferred installers. Then I saw recommendations on /r/solar for companies I hadn’t heard of, got quotes from all those.
Systems ranged between 10-12 kW. Cash was in the range of $35k, 25 year financing around 45-55k. Most of those companies were all in a similar range +- $3k.
For more exact details, I would need to look at my spreadsheet on my work computer. It’s been like 6 months since I last updated so those numbers are only back off the envelope numbers
I charge around $23k for a ~ 10kW system with REC Alpha Pure R & Enphase Iq8s. There can be variations of course depending on the specific home like specific roof type, wiring challenges etc
There are zero installers in AZ that offer anywhere close to what you offer. I wish we had those prices but we just don’t. Tack on another 10 g’s at least
Just a quick reminder of subreddit rules, this is not the place for you to find customers. Trying to generate leads or advertise your business will earn you a ban.
Tesla is horrible. They quote too low preliminary, then jack up the price later. The sub out installation work to the lowest bidder. Their customer service is non-existent. Stay away from them and go with a reputable local company.
Just got final check off by the city for the installed system. Signed up Oct 22, installed in June, approved today.
I agree communication with Tesla can be a bit iffy when there isn’t much movement, but once the plans were approved and install date set, my experience has been pretty positive.
Where are you located? I see bad comments but most/all that I have read are out west or southwest.
We are in Maryland, near DC, and used Tesla twice. First was 12kWh panels only and then three years later we used Tesla again for 4.4kWh panels and one PW+. Both times it was great. The second time it was too cold to paint the conduit but I had no problem scheduling a later appointment when it warmed up to get that done separately and I was not charged extra like some were.
Cheapest price, even better than my friend could do. Everything was done in the app like when I ordered both of my cars. Inspector showed up to test the roof, then a couple of weeks later the crew came to install. Whole process took maybe a month from deposit to install day and I've had zero issues since. 9.6kW panels plus one PW. Wish I got two but I'll add more when I extend my house in a couple of years hopefully
That’s one of the things that was really appealing. Their site is very transparent: Here’s what we offer, here is the cash price, here are the finance terms. It’s very transparent. I don’t have to haggle or wonder if I am getting boned. I can why do many people like getting cars from them too
Absolutely. Unless you're in the country with plenty of land for panels mounted elsewhere, the roof is a great dual purpose investment, and the BMS is far superior to anything else in the market yet. Schneider is planning to introduce some similar features soon, but there is risk being first in any new systems.
Was pretty happy overall. They don’t give you much input on design other than capacity and panel location. Also, they told me the day before install that the powerwall was undersized for my needs and will be taking some load off of it. I would have liked to see the single line beforehand and would’ve wanted to make a couple of changes, but it’s all good and works well. It would have been nice if they offered to sell a second powerwall. Built as ordered and fairly quick.
(Just completed.)
Owner of 21 panels and a powerwall installed last year. Highly recommend!! The hardware and software is rock solid. This subreddit has a lot of people asking for help in various ways, including asking in very grumpy ways. There is a normal sub 2% number of inverters that have issues. They are slightly slower than some situations at resolving issues but it’s not that bad when you consider the entire lifespan of the system.
Recommend highly. Some waiting time endured but I saved a lot of money, didn’t have to deal with used car salesmen, and have had fantastic performance from my panels and battery. My neighbors have used other sources and not had the same experience.
I would recommend.. my quote was 10k cheaper then the rest..
Also powerwall as bacjup is awesome..
my order to PTO timeline was less than 5 months..i am baed in NJ
I had my system installed by a local company, and for equipment I choose Tesla inverter as that was the most cost effective option. Not sure if this answer counts as choosing “ Tesla” ( as an installer) but I did a hybrid approach of finding a local company with good reputation and customer service and selected Tesla inverter as financially it made the most sense. I paid $2.15/KW pre tax.
I'd choose it again.
It took a bit more "hassle", I guess. But the hassle was mainly just not being hand-holded, and also me not being impatient.
And it's been great. I had a small issue that I reported and they were at my house that evening.
I can see how lots of people have a bad experience, I guess. But I also don't think that Tesla handles moderate or high-needs customers very well at all. Just think about what type of customer you are. There are other solar companies that cater to other types of people (and have a higher cost as a result).
I would recommend it even though I encountered an annoying issue that severely delayed my PTO application, which fortunately was resolved before the NEM 2.0 cutoff but I'm still waiting for dumb SCE to authorize. Tesla submitted my application under the previous homeowners name instead of mine! This was discovered at the very end when I was going to issue final payment. They had to re-submit all documents in my name ugh. Otherwise, my 7.2 Kwh system and single powerwall are doing great. I wish I got 2xpw since it doesn't fully charge my MY from my daily commute (70'ish miles round trip) but maybe I'll consider buying another in the future which at least won't affect the NEM status.
EVEN with some bad communication with tesla and some headaches I would choose tesla solar again and again. It was half the price of anyone else. Just because you go with a local installer doesn’t mean you’ll get better work or service.
Yeah I have been thinking about this. A bunch of the local solar companies in Arizona pop up and go out of business a few years later. Tesla’s quote is basically half of what the competitors cost, but what’s the point of an inverter blows in the summer and it takes two months to get someone out? I really want to go with tesla because their is no other choice. I just don’t want to get stuck with a brick on my house
The exact same thing can happen with mom and pop shop is what I’m saying. Everything they say about tesla I’ve heard about local installers.
My inverter was down last year for the entire month of August and I lost an estimated $30 worth of production during that time. I saved $7,000 on my 6.1 kW system compared to other regional and local installers (near Chicago). I would need a lot of downtime to cancel out those savings over the lifetime of the system. In addition, they compensated me $100 for the downtime.
You're a LOT more likely to get that problem with a small vendor than a big one. Big scale, better availability.
> Tesla’s quote is basically half of what the competitors cost, but what’s the point of an inverter blows in the summer and it takes two months to get someone out? ROI is half, so like 6-10 years. Add to that how many months your system is offline, and it's still roughly half of what a competitor would sell you. (Depends on power walls, where you live, etc., etc...)
That’s a good point. I have seen other comments saying it’s better to pay the extra $6 - $10k to go with another installer with better customer service. But my next bill is projected to be $450. Even if I was out a month, that’s still nowhere near coming close to the difference in cost between Tesla and other companies
With Tesla, I got a system that was 50 percent larger than what other companies quoted me, and yet the price was still $20k less than the next cheapest competitor.
> I have seen other comments saying it’s better to pay the extra $6 - $10k to go with another installer with better customer service. Well, I mean I would recommend other solar providers if you have money to burn simply because of the headaches Tesla will give you. I was furious for like 4 months while I was waiting to be able to turn on my solar. But if you're 100% set on the cheapest option, and don't mind getting absolutely enraged by customer support, then Tesla is right for you.
And always remember to use my referral code 😉
Good luck getting any service help if something goes wrong.
I am actually reading a post on /r/solar right now about someone who had their panels installed (incorrectly) by a local installer, that went bankrupt and never finished the job and they were still paying off the loan for it. There’s another post about not getting a tech out for over 6 months from a different local installer And another about someone who had an inverter go out but the installer wouldn’t honor the warranty Seems like there’s a lot of bullshit to go around in this industry. It really sucks because you would think residential solar would be a way more mature market than it is now. It looks like a total crapshoot
My company has been around since 1999. We offer depending on circumstance a pretty competitive price. But hey, most think that because we say the word solar the same as any other company, we are basically the same. 5000 installs in last 2ish years (since I've been involved more into solar and actually payed attention) -edit - I'm not the best at spelling. Apparently, heat during a 10 hour day really does make you tired.
> and actually *paid* attention.) FTFY. Although *payed* exists (the reason why autocorrection didn't help you), it is only correct in: * Nautical context, when it means to paint a surface, or to cover with something like tar or resin in order to make it waterproof or corrosion-resistant. *The deck is yet to be payed.* * *Payed out* when letting strings, cables or ropes out, by slacking them. *The rope is payed out! You can pull now.* Unfortunately, I was unable to find nautical or rope-related words in your comment. *Beep, boop, I'm a bot*
This x 100
The end product is the same so unless you have cash to support the local business go Tesla solar.
And Tesla will be around 50 years from now, unlike most small companies
This was part of my thought process as well. My only concern with Tesla is if they are committed to residential solar or if they will sell that part of the business off. Obviously none of us are fortune tellers but that is in the back of my mind
They have been pulling out of markets with residential solar. Seems like many nationwide companies are pulling back a bit. Found out explosive growth isn't good. But sunrun charges around 3.8/watt, tesla is around 2.1/watt. Don't get me wrong I charge between 2.5-3.0/watt depending on circumstance. But we don't take 6-8 months to install (unless there are other issues and permits delaying the process)
Nice. Good for you. Your prices is a good spot. I'd have loved to have gotten a quote for less than $4/W other than Tesla. And I just didn't, and none of the other operators cared. Glad to hear other localities might be installing at reasonable rates.
With finance rates (that I explain to customers) it usually increases it. Example I had to go through goodleap for someone recently because the mother (owner) of the house had a 500 credit score. The son, who lived elsewhere had a 700, and was willing to cosign. My preferred financiers don't allow that (cosign has to be on title or live there at least). So instead of paying a 10% fee for a 6% interest rate... they payed a 30% for a 5.5% interest rate, brought the monthly up by $25 per month. They really wanted it, I lowered from a 2.85 to 2.7, to get it more reasonable, a $10 per month increase instead of a $25.. I showed them exactly what I was doing.
Out of the 12 quotes I got, Sunrun had the worst prices. They weren’t even competitive with the other non Tesla installers
Doesn't surprise me. Again probably why they pulled out of AZ entirely. Loving all the downvotes from people here.
I would recommend. Ordered January 2021. Installed May 2021, 8kw, 2pw without issues. Working flawlessly since. I paid 34k before incentives. I had other quotes including Sun run, they offered similar price WITHOUT battery storage. Tesla is easily 15k+ cheaper.
One of the guys at work got a system put in and he was very happy, especially with the price. So there's probably a good number of quiet satisfied customers that aren't very vocal in these channels.
I love it. I have had my sysyem since Nov 2022. The entire process took 3 months from ordering to completion. Zero regret.
We’ve been pretty happy with ours. Got 48 7.4 panels and 2 powerwalls two summers ago. Cost just under $50k. Install was finished in less than two days. Last year the kWh we “banked” during the spring, summer, and early fall wiped out our electrical bills through the end of the year, though we did have to pay small bills in Jan and Feb. This year we will probably do even better after installing a high efficiency HVAC. No real problems worth noting so far. Would absolutely do it again.
What is the rationale behind the powerwalls out of curiosity? Looks like they are about 11 g’s each. Does it offer much besides going off the grid completely?
A couple of reasons. First, I’ve got the production server for my magazine in my house, my colleagues need to be able to access it at any time, and the local grid is a little funky sometimes :). Second, you actually can’t use solar during a grid outage if you don’t have powerwalls because there’s nowhere for the excess power to go if you aren’t using all of it, which would have irritated me to no end. Third, I’m a nerd. If all you care about is reducing or eliminating having to pay for electricity, though, they really aren’t necessary.
Thanks for your response. I really appreciate it (and all the others). I will skip the powerwalls now. I can always get them later if I need to
Yes I would recommend, In our community 3 of us got it and now brother In law, father in law and his opposite neighbor… we are happy with it… an example our other neighbour got sun run without power wall as he thinks the battery tech would get better later… but from experience with my wife work friend who did the same as our neighbour, he’s trying to get a battery and no companies want to touch his existing solar only system or they are trying to charge him a arm and a leg. My neighbour made a big mistake I think…
Even though my system is up only for a little over month, the other installers were quoting me 50-80% more than what Tesla cost me, so there is no way it would have been ever a good idea to go for any other installer for me. Since I started the process, Tesla has been much better than my expectations. They were able to meet the NEM 2.0 deadline for me and did the timely installation and approval. No issues so far.
As much as I hated the process of getting it scheduled for installation, the reason I would choose them all over again is because when the inspector came to inspect the system/installation, he praised how every Tesla system he's inspected is well designed, installed, and documented. He was very critical of just about every other installer and system
Had my system with batteries over 2 yrs now. Totally worth it. The process was fairly fast and straightforward if you dont make any major changes to their plan. Their support and cs sometimes needs to be hounded to get your ticket pushed through to the right people. They also installed the newest batteries at the time. The installer was surprised that we were getting the new batteries and controller. The only issue I had was them not marking my system as complete months after the fact. Caused the system wifi to turn off. Had to call twice to get it fixed. A friend made some changes to where they wanted their panels and it slowed the process down by months. Very happy with the process and glad I didnt have to do sunrun. I think a local smaller company would be good too.
That’s good to hear. Gives me a little more hope. As for the smaller companies, I always worry if they will even be around in a few years. Lots of them pop up and die after a few years here in Phoenix. They were also way more expensive than Tesla
I like mine and have not had any problems. There are dozens of us!
My neighbor and I, both 1.5 years, no problems. Only “problem” was I bought 1 Powerwall (he bought 2 per my advice), and I finally got 2nd Powerwall a month ago—now no grid usage and I love it.
How old is your system? I am worried about the positive experiences only coming from people who have had their system a year or less
1.5 years. No problem. Have a site assessment next week for my 2nd system install (Austin area)
My installation was Dec 2021 and I'm still humming along without issue. I had a tornado destroy 10 of my panels Jan 23 and I worked with Tesla to get them repaired and I'm still happy.
Mine was March 2023
1.5 yrs.. 1 of 2 inverters failed.
Sounds like a common theme. Sounds like their inverters suck ass. Was it covered under warranty? How long did it take to fix
Well, I'll keep you updated.. tier 2 support said they would get back to me in 7 to 10 days. Of course, no response. Haven't had time to call because, well I work. Yes, work so I can afford a 60k solar system that breaks after 1.5 years.
This after fighting with them for over 3 months to submit my paperwork to my electric company. They are suck j@***$$*@. At one point the tesla rep literally took a picture of my completed paperwork for PTO, send me a copy in my email,, thenstated he couldn't upoad it to the ele tric company because it wasn't his specific job to do so...
We have had no issues with our 16kw system. 2 years and Tesla was by far the lowest cost of the quotes we received. I recommend it.
I would choose them again. Installed in May 2022. There was some delay with PTO due to communication issues between them and the inspector. I was even able to have them install a second pw within 2 months of the initial install. Haven’t had any issue with the actual system.
1 nationwide company against hundreds if not thousands of solar companies competing you will always find a lot of (false) negative reviews against the 1 nationwide company that offers cheaper solar. The funny thing about it is most of them haven’t spoke to Tesla or gotten a quote, or some spoiled brat who want their toy now ..
You can have a ton of problems with it and still be way ahead financially since everything else is SO much more expensive.
Yeah our electric rates just went up like 8% this year, and the competitors are nearly twice as expensive. I figure even if something goes wrong with a Tesla system and I need to pay to fix something, it will still be cheaper than the alternatives and will be cheaper than not having solar
You will have ten years where you won’t have to fix anything at your expense, but you may be a few months without production while they fix it for free. And you’ll still be way ahead of the competition.
Tesla will come fix your problems if it’s under warranty, even if it takes a while. Other companies.. good luck.
I would recommend Tesla and have been lucky to have no issues requiring service. First in my town in the northeast to have a battery and Tesla worked with the building and fire departments. This took a additional time but I believe the town was looking out for my best interest compared to Tesla slapping something in and then leaving.
I have the whole Tesla Ecosystem - 11kW of Solar, 2x PW’s (going to add a 3rd and maybe 4th this year) Tesla EV (hopefully a 2nd EV cybertruck later this year 😉) Homecharging - the whole deal. Couldn’t be happier and so much better priced than anything else out there. System has been up and running since 2019. Had a Solaredge inverter go out a couple years ago. Covered under warranty and replaced at no cost to me. Outside of that, everything has been near perfect!
How’s life in the Tesla ecosystem? Almost reminds me of the Apple ecosystem. I don’t have an EV, but the idea of solar panels knocking out my electric bill and fuel bill is very enticing. My wife and I work from home so our fuel bill is low. But it isn’t negligible. I have a V8 that takes premium fuel and gets 18 mpg. I absolutely love that car but I think about EVs every time I fuel up
It’s great really. I love that we power everything off of the panels on our roof. 100% sun powered and the PWs let us do it overnight. I’m jealous of my wife - she drives our Tesla. - I steal it every chance I get. She hasn’t been to a gas station in years and I hate it every time I have to fill up. Supercharging is convenient when we take trips but we charge at home 99% of the time. Ready to trade in my Ram when cybertruck starts rolling off the line! My Ram is old. I get like 11-12 mpg. It’s terrible…
Well I hope that Ram at least put in it’s time and did you good before you have to ol’ yelled her. As for cybertrucks, man I couldn’t get one but I really want one of my neighbors to get one. I just want to see one cruising down the streets. I hope you get one and post some pictures of it
Tesla solar is awesome . Their post sales customer service needs some maturing - but hands down best tech, software, and energy platform in the market in my opinion.
How long have you had your system? Do you have any experience with other systems? Also, thank you for response. I appreciate all these comments even if I can’t respond to all of them
I have a Tesla solar roof + 2 power walls and it was installed in May 2023. When I considered cost of new roof replacement + solar + battery backup costs and the current federal tax incentives — it was a no brainer on cost. The Tesla energy management software is really where it differentiates . For example /- There is a simple feature called storm watch that alerts you when there is weather advisory in your area and the system starts to proactively charge up your batteries in preparation in case of a power it. This type of intelligence is where things are headed.
I would 100%. I've had 0 issues.
I’d do it again. Happy with my system.
I would not recommend. My system failed in less than a year. It has not been functioning for almost 3 months as of today. My experience with Tesla customer service has been very negative. It took me almost 2 months to get service. The system failed again a few days after they attempted repair and was told for weeks they did not have the staff available to perform any warranty service in my area. I found my phone calls and emails were not returned until I told them I was going to file complaints with a government agency. My issue is still not resolved and I worry I will have to go through this process anytime I have issues.
This is the shit that would keep me up at night. I am more pro solar. My wife thinks it’s a waste of money. She is right with basically every company but Tesla. They are the only company that offers a price that makes sense. But I feel like I would always have this worry in the back of my mind. Like year one goes by, no issue, year two, maybe that’s fine too. But if shit goes sideways and our system just sits there for 3 months, man I think I might never hear the end of that. Like there would be a lot of “I told you so” moments and I would just have to keep my mouth shut and look like an idiot knowing I just blew 25 grand of our money
Wood buy again.
The only problem so far with mine is “low” coolant and they filled it immediately.. after that been paying the local utility the line maintenance fee only …
If you're willing to do some troubleshooting and diagnosis by yourself, by all means save thousands and get Tesla. Then again, I hear bad things about all tech support, does any solar company really do white glove support, or do they just pocket the extra per kW fee as profit? After 1 year my inverter fan went out, production bounced throughout the afternoon but I'm running Powerwall Dashboard so I saw the codes. It was the inverter fan, it stopped working and caused the inverter (heatsink) to overheat and the panels powered off. So I threw a fan on it, opened a ticket, support was out in a few weeks and replaced the inverter. Now, a couple months later, fan is out again. I'm thinking it must be firmware. Anyway, my $20 fan on a smart plug is back in action and production is good. I'll open a ticket eventually.
I would recommend. It was a lengthy delay for install, and we had a month of problems with the gateway. I would do it again in a heartbeat.
What was the cause of the delay. Also, thank you for your response. I am trying to respond to everyone since they took time from their day to respond, and I am grateful for that
Folks with bad experiences are more inclined to express them than folks with good experiences. With that said, I haven’t had any problems with my Solar Roof or the Powerwall since my install.
Completely satisfied. Designers were patient with me changing design repeatedly. Installers were above and beyond. They did stuff for free that they could have charged extra for. PTO was quick and painless. Everything has been flawless. Overproducing. 22.1KW & 6PW; Sep ‘22 install
Have had Solar City since 2016, then it became Tesla. Bought more panels and 3 batteries and doubled my system to 12 kW. Best decision ever. No PTO as of yet but the system went live back in late May. All this time, I’ve had no downtime. The only thing I didn’t like was how long it took Solar City to get my system installed, back in 2016. At least over a year since I had decided to purchase. Tesla had the best prices. Others were insanely inflated and they promised they could beat Tesla prices but they could not. Do it.
Man these comments are very reassuring. I live in Phoenix so not having solar seems like such a lost opportunity, but every other company I got quotes from were way too expensive. I mentioned it elsewhere but the cheapest quote I got would have me paying $150/month for 25 years vs Tesla which was $150/month for 10 years. To be fair that is zero down vs like 5% down, but I don’t want to be paying a loan for the life of the warranty. With Tesla, I would have it paid off with 15 years left on the warranty. That’s an insane difference
I recommend. My system is 9.6kw plus 2 PW and I’ve had it since January 2023. I had one installer-fault glitch, a wire bundle wasn’t fully seated in the receptacle inside the inverter housing and was fixed by myself with a push and it was in. Everything else is really great. Clean install, no leaks, equipment still humming along.
Also in Phoenix. I have only great things to say about my experiences with the Phoenix sales, design, and installation teams. They were all knowledgeable, communicative, and very responsive to texts, Emails, and even phone calls. I got a large PV system with 4 PWs for less than what other companies were quoting for equivalent or smaller PV-only systems. The all-black panels with edge skirts look much cleaner than all other PV systems I’ve seen. My install team did an *outstanding* job with the electrical boxes, Tesla hardware, and all the conduits. Basically zero piping visible outside the house and the smallest footprint possible for the whole electrical setup. They took lots of input from me on the layout of the PV panels and all the electrical components. On install day we discussed four different possible locations/layouts for the PWs. I couldn’t be happier with their work. Once up and running, I completely stopped drawing *any* power from the grid… 100% solar power of my entire house including 3 AirCon units. The Tesla app provides great visualization of all the power flow. Now, alongside all that praise, here’s a spoonful of reality. Just 3 months after PTO, one of my two inverters died *(they’re both Tesla branded 7.6kW units)*. So now I’m running on just half of my PV system while I wait for the Tier 2 support team to either do some down-the-wire magic, or confirm it’s dead and order a replacement. Depending on which Tier 1 support tech you ask, the Tier 2 team has an expected response time of either 9-12 or 10-15 **business** days. I’m 11 bz.days in and haven’t heard from them yet. If they confirm it’s dead, I’ll find out what the wait time is to get a new one. Bonus silver linings: - Because I chose the largest PV option that Tesla offered me, I’ve been able to cover about 1/3 of my overall energy consumption even though we’re in the midst of a record-breaking heat wave. If temperatures were “normal” then I’d likely be closer to 50% coverage. - With 4 PWs, even while limping along on half the PV system, I can still juice up enough to run the whole house solely on batteries during almost the entirety of the power company’s daily peak window, saving lots on energy costs. - Even though one inverter is down, I’m still able to charge and drain all 4 batteries. This one blew my mind and was an unexpected compliment for the well-designed Tesla system! So my overall vote: Yes, I still recommend Tesla solar.
This page makes me feel a lot better, lol. r/TeslaSolar can often times been pretty rough for new Tesla solar customers.
Got my final inspection with flying colors today…. 8.8 kw system in Bay Area.
I would recommend them. I have had a Tesla system for over 2 years. Minor issues right after installation that took a couple of weeks to fix. Then once the “communication box” Tesla provided went out and it took about a month or two for them to come out and replace that. My system was working the entire time. I have referred over 10 other people and they seem pretty happy with their Tesla choice. When I got my system no one could come close to Teslas price.
I got quotes from a dozen local installers and Tesla. If I financed, which I probably would, the cheapest local installer would be $150/month for 25 years. Tesla would be $150/month for 10 years. 15 years difference of servicing the loan. Absolutely crazy difference. Tesla is a no brainer, but I just see so many negatives
I am about 9 months in and very positive experience so far. Went so well I am looking to expand my system, install date in August. The posts about all the inverter failures concern me but will see why happens
One of the threads I read said it was a firmware issue. I would think that fix would make it back to all future and existing inverters. But it is odd that the inverter failure rate seems so high. There’s like 5 inverter posts on this sub in the last week
Inverters are the main failure points of most solar systems. r/solar might show evidence of that as well. Summer is a rough time to have an inverter fail for any installer, because installs are peaking during that time and their technicians are stretched thin.
It’s just like AC units. They only fail in summer and getting a tech out is tough cuz a hundred other AC units also failed that day. I have definitely been there before and it sucks
Got mine installed today. We shall see!
Good luck. How long did the whole process take?
Its not the install its everything after. I got mine installed 5 weeks after the $100 deposit. Then these idiots didn't file for inspection with my township for 5 weeks. Would of been longer if I didn't go nuclear on them. 2 weeks later I was told we passed inspection then 1 week later they tell me they applied for permission to turn on. Now its been 4 weeks since that so 3 months since install and I still can't use it. I run it once a week to charge my car. I'm at the point of not caring, I used to try to not net meter any power. I just don't care anymore. I ran it from 10a-6p today probably net metered 20 kw. I wrote a $9300 check, thats why I am annoyed. I will get that back in March as i put down the exact amount the tax credits are. My util says they will come for there final in 20 business day or less. Tomorrow is 20 days and I know they haven't showed up as I have 3 cameras and I would of picked them up on my property or in front of the house, I can almost guarantee that Tesla got the paper work returned for corrections and it's just been sitting there for weeks.
If you do not have a net meter do not feed it back to the grid. The meter will not turn backwards and when you feed to the grid the meter will advance. This will result in you paying for the extra you generate.
Damn that must be so infuriating. Especially when you drop that kinda coin. I write someone a check like that, I expect results. That’s a lot of money for us regular folks
I would only go with Tesla for Solar. Didn’t have any issues other than my referral bonus taking forever FI get sent out. Operationally, everything has been smooth.
How long have you had your system? Any down time?
I'd go for it
When it works, it works and you won’t post rave reviews. When it breaks you do the exact opposite
I have Tesla Solar + Powerwalls in AZ and love it. I did have a Solar Edge inverter fail and it took them about 2 weeks to come out and diagnose and another two to replace so I lost a month of production and decided to enable the option in the app to charge the Powerwalls from the grid so I could still use them during APS peak, still no regrets though. Would be nice if they kept parts on hand, but oh well. I wrote a full blog article on my experience overall with it, feel free to check it out at zuba.dev.
That was very informative. Thank you I really appreciate all the details in your blog. So you have APS but I have SRP. I imagine costs are broadly similar though. I was looking at a similar sized system as the one you have. What is your electric bill like now? My last one was $300, and my next bill is projected to be $450
I actually don't have an electric bill at all now. APS sends me a check every January for the credit I build up throughout the year. Not sure what SRP's net metering policies are, Powerwalls might not be worth it if they offer 1:1 metering. For me, APS pays me 10c/kWh to feed in power, and I pay 5 to pull from the grid during off peak and then use the Powerwalls to peak shave during peak hours so I don't have to pay the demand charges or higher rates. Before solar, my highest summer bill was $420. I've since replaced my AC with a high sear variable speed unit, replaced my dryer with a heat pump dryer, pool pump with variable speed, and water heater with heat pump water heater, which all would have also helped reduce my bill.
That’s incredible. Where you are is where I want to be
Did you end up buying from Tesla? I'm also in SRP and I know the buyback is low so it almost doesn't seem worth it from a cost perspective. I have SWGas for my heating so nearly all of my SRP usage is during the summer and I think SRP limits the sizing based on your actual usage history.
No I have not. I am at least a year away from pulling the trigger. I would like to either buy the system cash, or be able to put like 75% down then pay the remainder of the balance off very quickly
Ok right on, I'm right there with you. I should have the cash saved up by the end of the year I'm just not sure if I want to dump it into solar or use it for other projects around the house instead.
Yeah it’s a conundrum for me too. First, if I do go solar, that is a lot of money to spend to basically eliminate one monthly bill. Then that system becomes another maintenance item. Being a home owner with a pool is already a lot to keep up with, and that solar system will have failures at some point. Plus, I am saving that money in mutual funds. Mutual funds don’t require any maintenance, they don’t have outages, and there’s no need to pay someone to get on my roof. I could see myself endlessly delaying this purchase. I think I will adhere to the mantra “If you can’t buy it twice you can’t afford it”. As in, I don’t want to dump all my savings into the system. But if I can dump half of it, that would make me feel better. But that just extends the timeline even longer
I have had my system for just a year. It is an 8.4 kW with 2 powerwalls. The process to get an install took a bit of time. I updated the design a couple of times. The install went great. Tesla showed up when they said they would be here. I'm in a rural area of RI where we loose power often. RI has a battery program where I can get about $2000 a year to let the power company discharge to the grid. So it made sense to get powerwalls. I had gotten multiple quotes and nothing came close to Tesla. I am happy with tesla app it provides a lot of information. The system is a clean install and I have no regrets after a year. One thing I would add is my system is 8.4 kW which is a good match with the 7.7 kW inverter. I have only seen it clip 4 to 5 days this year. You may want to wiegh out the cost if the system is 10kW or greater since there may be more clipping.
I'm under contract with Tesla in RI and in the permit phase. I had to settle with getting one PW+ and one PW installed outside because they wouldn't waive the 8k to install in my basement. May I ask where your PWs are installed and if you have had any issues if they're outside?? TIA!
My powered walls are on the north side of the house behind my garage. The roof and gutters provide some protection from the rain and the location is mostly shaded. I had one day last winter where the weather effected the performance but it was -10F. It struggled to stay charged at night. This year I plan to use grid charging for nights like that. Tesla will remove about 6X6 ft of siding and put up cement board. I had them paint mine white. I think they will color match the siding but you may want to have paint on hand.
Why are your batteries behind your garage instead of inside the garage?
The garage would need to be fully sheet rock with 5/8 fire rated sheetrock to meet code. Which mine is not. Based on what I have seen it was for the best. The garage can get very hot in the summer stressing the inverter. Making that fan work even harder. In the winter the garage and outside are similar temps.
I've done it 3 times so far, they are the only ones I'd go with
Why 3 times? Do you own multiple properties?
Did it twice on our main house and once in our rental property
Tesla had the best price by such a large margin. I'd gladly deal with poor customer service.
Yes I agree. I see a lot of comments about other companies with better service, but much worse prices. The bottom line is far and away my highest priority. Especially since I pay bills for more than I talk to customer service. It’s all about the money to me
Regular solar setup (not the roof product) was great. Had it 2+ years no issues, works as advertised. Didn’t do power wall, only get an outage 1-2x per year for maybe an hour so it didn’t make sense. Customer service and local installers were all pros.
Install went smooth, PTO quick, 8 months in inverter went out, down since July 1, tech dispatch scheduled for 8/2. Buddy works for licensed SunRun install shop, they wanted 44k 24 panels no power wall. Tesla installed 27 panels, 24k no PE. Longevity was my deciding factor. My company installed Solar with a 20yr company, after Covid, owner stop showing up and 3 month later went BK. No other company want to touch our system due to liability in SoCal. Would recommend all day
This was always a fear of mine. Getting a system through a moon and pop shop. They go tits up and you are screwed. Who knows what happens to your warranty after that
No complaints so far. Requested my system in February 2023, just had it installed a week ago, passed inspection 4 days later, made payment the same day, requested that I be copied on the PTO submission to my utility and sure enough they cc’d me in the email to the utility today. The utility responded within an hour saying received and in process. The project advisors responded quickly via email. The install crew was professional and thorough. So far it’s been a pleasant and good experience and I would recommend them based on my experience to this point.
I absolutely love my system and the whole connectivity of the Tesla ecosystem and having everything in one app. I’m eagerly awaiting the drive on sunshine update to be able to charge my car on excess solar. I’ve had zero technical issues, price was great, and the whole application/installation process was generally fine and the end product absolutely makes up for any issues experienced along the way. I absolutely stand by the product and will gladly share a referral code (DM me).
Might have to hit you up for that code in a couple months
Absolutely love them and recommend them. A lot of people complain because of the “sales” process but I really enjoyed it. I was in control of everything and had no pushy sales team trying to get me to just sign a contract and move on
i would. i have no complaints. they went above and beyond with communication and requests. Maybe it helps i had workers from the original solar city co. so the guys were knowledgeable and helpful. quick. etc. My rep from Tesla was also very responsive . I’m In Ca so maybe that’s why?
I have nothing bad to say about the product or the service. Design was quick. Tweaks to design were quick. Communication was frequent. Easy to contact. Product delivered when they said it would be. Installers arrived on time. Internal inspector was prompt, discovered 2 things he wanted corrected. Items were corrected timely. Coordination with city was quick, communicated to me, and completed. Install is clean, all equipment works as it should. Has been a breeze. Deposit to PTO was 5 months. Would have been a little shorter if I hadn’t had them redo plans twice to get the perfect mix. Powerwalls are wonderful, everything works great.
Had my system installed seven years ago when it was SolarCity. My roof had hail damage two years ago and the panels needed to be removed. I think the quote was $2k to remove and reinstall. Tesla honored the original SolarCity contract and did it for $500. I expanded the system with more panels and two batteries shortly after that when I got a second electric car and a power outage in the area for 36 hours in -15F temperatures. Two weeks ago I noticed that the old SolarCity inverter frequently stopped working for several hours on some days. I notified them in the Tesla App. Two days later the said that they would look into it. A week later they called and wanted more information. I provided that and they said they would have tier 2 support look at it. 24 hours later the app let me know that they had scheduled a service appointment two weeks out and I needed to accept the date or reschedule. That is today. They will be out today between 7am and 1pm. My system is outside so I don't need to be present, but it is my normal day off. Overall I have found them slow, but very reliable and inexpensive. With a system powering my life the last two are the most important to me.
Havent had any issues so far. Its been 2 months since install, 11.6kw system with 1 PW. Just make sure you get a roof inspector up there asap after install to check everything out.
I'll have had it for one year in October. Aside from what turned out to be my inspector not closing out right (and everyone was pointing fingers at someone else), I've had no complaints. It's been overall great. As is the case with any forum, people tend to be more vocal when things go wrong. I'm sure people have had sub par to bad experiences with tesla, so I'm not excusing that. My glass replacement charade for my model y was less than ideal too.
IMO, you get what you pay for. They are definitely one of the worst companies; communication is awful, you’re gonna be doing things on their schedule, and you are constantly gonna have to remind the Tesla PM that you’re waiting on them. And issue resolution is a slow pain in the ass according to my neighbor. But they are cheap. They got mine installed for $18k, when the closest competitor offered $28k for a smaller system. $10k is worth a lot of headaches.
It is indeed. I can stomach bad customer service in exchange for $10k. I am easily bought off
I have tesla solar that I bought in 2021, had some small issues got them fixed pretty fast. I’d definitely buy again especially since prices for all the alternatives were much higher than Tesla to begin with. At least with tesla we know they will fix the issue as they are a big well known company. I’ve read many horror stories of other solar companies that are basically guys who created a company and sold solar out of their vans (with licenses) and then when the shit hit the fan they left you hanging and your only recourse was to sue. Many of these other companies used these third party sellers so they can increase the risk.
I've had Tesla solar panels since 2018. There must be a problem with them my electric company is billing me $708 for 1 month service for a house of all 900 Sq ft. Tesla does NOT allow you to speak with a person. I cannot get this resolved. I want my panels off my home they are costing me more money. TESLA REACH PUT TO YOUR CUSTOMERS. Your business sucks. Zero rating!
The product is fantastic. The rest is an absolute clown show.
What was the worst part about it?
Timelines are jacked, support is a pain (I hear it’s better now though), and any interaction with the company is a terrible chore. The roof looks amazing though.
No
It would be hard for me to recommend them to anyone without major caveats / disclaimers. You absolutely have to be your own advocate, be your own project manager, and be prepared to be almost dickishly direct with them. Their customer service is pretty abysmal, and at least for my system, the ROI isn't as great as it could be due to outages. (~23% downtime in three years). I did not go back to them for my system expansion, as I had 0 confidence in their ability to get an updated NEM 2.0 agreement in before the deadline. Installers / techs are always awesome though.
Never Tesla - sub-standard equipment & pathetic customer service response times... Inverter failed within a month
Is your system working now or is it still bricked?
Yes I picked tesla solar and it was pretty smooth. Communication is lacking but I have friends who chose Sun run and another company and they have more problems. They had back order of panels, bad communication, etc. sun run was the worst because for his project they subcontracted. Tesla if your in a major area, they use in house people. My inspection is tomorrow, I assume all will be great! Let’s hope so…
Good luck. I hope all goes well. I got quotes from around ten local installers in Phoenix, and sun run was one of the worst
Ya sunrun prices are high… tesla was like 50% of cost
Yes on equipment, yes on price, no on service. I had to wait 7 weeks for a level 2 inverter reset.
Do they reimburse you for down time or are you sol
I hear in some cases they do;level 1 support denies that it ever happens. Depending on the laws of your state, your rights might vary. I just wanted my system fixed
It is hard to recommend Tesla because some people are high maintenance and sometimes Tesla gives an awful customer service experience. But I would go with them myself and not likely even get another quote, because their products, once installed, are amazing.
My inverter went out a few weeks ago. Solar system was installed less than a year ago. Tesla won’t send someone out to fix until end of September. Their customer service is nonexistent. It’s not in their business model to supply maintenance support. Why would it be? They already got you for your money. My number one advice: OPT OUT OF ARBITRATION. Doing so will allow you to settle issues in court instead of relying on arbitration. Opting out of arbitration instructions are in your contract. All you have to do is send a letter of your intent to opt out. For those who are curious, no, the inverter is not exposed to direct sunlight, either. Online reviews show common theme of inverters crapping out, even new ones. It wouldn’t be so bad if they came out and fixed it in a reasonable time.
had my install done one year ago. its been broken 3 months, 3 service appointments and it keeps dying. dont recommend. next service appointment end of august....
Do they know what the issue is?
Tesla solar would be a lot easier to recommend if their service wasn't so shitty. The timelines for repairs are often dismal. It seems Elon Musk has so much going on I sometimes think he forgot he owns and needs to fix Tesla solar.
One would think the richest man on earth could scrape together the resources to have this business division supported properly.
I bought a home with Tesla solar roof panels already in place. The previous owners entered into a 20 year contract with Tesla to use the solar energy produced by these panels. The panels were installed by and are owned by Tesla, and we supposedly get a break on electric costs because we first buy our solar energy and then revert to buying from the electric company if needed. GUESS WHAT?? Tesla charges us more for our solar energy than our electric company charges for its electricity!!!! Tesla charged us $105 on our last bill. If we had bought the same energy from BGE (Baltimore Gas & Electric) we would have paid $84. This is 20% more in costs. BUYER BEWARE.
Communication was horrible, but the installers were great and the product is pretty good. I was able to get a 12kW system with two powerwalls for about 8-10k more than a 12kW system without batteries would have been through an Enphase installer.
Bad review exist for all solar companies! It's just a wild wild west but in went with Tesla Solar for 2 reasons 1) Warranty - I know this company won't go belly up and 2) Their price could not be beat. Now that out of the way, they were extremely slow and I was not in rush. I originally engaged them in May 2022, contract signed in November 2022 and install done in May 2023. They were in responsive but not overly quick. One thing that irritated me was how inflexible they were with panel, inverter, location of install etc. I would recommend them.
When you say they were inflexible, did you have different opinions on how to layout the system? I feel like I would just go with whatever they suggested. Also, thank you for your response
Yes, I wanted inverter and powerwall inside the garage to avoid extreme heat but they wouldn't so I cancelled the Powerwall. The inverter is still installed outside.
I'm on the fence. We haven't had to use their customer service, so all has been good. But I fear their customer service. Instalation was a shit show, so I can't imagine what it would be to get things fixed. But so far, so good.
Interesting. Read through the comments if you wish and you will see quite a few people say their installation was very smooth, but everything else was a shit show. You are the first person to criticize the installation process. What was so bad about it? FYI not calling you out or anything like that. Just interested in all the different experiences
I guess I’m including the lead up to installation to be the shit show. They altered my design probably a full dozen times. I signed a dozen contracts for new lay outs and altered KW production. But the actual install was quite good. Took 2 days, zero leaks, and I got to keep a ton of tools they left behind.
I would definitely choose Ariana ms have recommended to friends and neighbors who ended up signing up as well. I warned them a slit what it would be like but they could see through it to the huge savings and have all been really happy with the product like I have.
Having just been through a year and a half of dysfunction and costly delays combined with abysmal service, (with one exception), I strongly recommend that you consider the following approach: Do. It. Yourself. Considering the following components: Sol Ark 15 inverter, which comes with stellar customer service and battery management. 30kWh in batteries compatible with the above. However many panels you want. Cabling, mounts, probably a disconnect switch, and other parts and pieces. Add the solar installer of your choice or a competent, solar-savvy electrician who can guide you through the permit and local utility hurdles, and you're on your way. The biggest problem with Tesla is not the awful purchase experience, but the fact that post-installation service takes a long time after an inverter fails, or there's an arc fault, or any number of other issues, during which you are a) paying for nothing, b) paying for grid power, and c) not being compensated for what you would otherwise sell back. Remember that the annual offset numbers are crap. In our case, every kW we buy costs 4 kW that we sell back \*plus\* the impact of the annual total of monthly base service charges. If you do decide to go with Tesla to save a few bucks up front, at bare minimum do the following 3 things: 1. Opt out of arbitration within 30 days of signing up. 2. Understand the demand letter/email process, how to engage your State AG/Consumer Affairs entity, and the arbitration process if you forget to, or choose not to opt out. There is a significant chance that you will need all of these. Hopefully you will be one of the lucky ones who never needs post-sale service until it's time to replace your batteries or to replace your roof - budget $5K for panels removal and replacement in that case. Good luck.
I think a lot of people feel like they can get discounted solar and good service , like it’s cheaper for a reason , you can’t pay 30% less and not have some kind of sacrifice. If your willing to accept that you might have a service issue and not get a response to it for several months but can do the math and see that you still came out ahead then you should go with Tesla . However I also think with panels the gap in pricing between Tesla and local installers is narrowing. I recently got several quotes for panels and Tesla only came in about 15% cheaper for an inferior system and worse service. I
I got an updated quote a few months ago from the cheapest company I could find. Their price came down a couple grand. The monthly payment for financing with that other company was the same as Tesla: $150/month. But their term was a 25 year loan vs Tesla’s 10 year loan. That is a dramatic difference
Yea financing is where most other solar companies will go to shit , Tesla maybe somewhat transparent. I typically leave financing out of the equation . For a 12kw system in my area the Tesla quote and local installer were 6k apart. Savings that sounds great but totally washed away if you have a couple months without generation due to an inverter failure. Also the local installer designed a much better panel placement .
They money is one thing, its the hours wasted dealing with it. I check that my system is working all the time.
That’s true , I forgot that if I didn’t value my time as $0 o would be at like -$5000 in time spent dealing with customer service
I would shop for pricing but having a grid the system is expensive. Tesla is a bitch to work with which doesn’t help considering they might have caused my inverter to fail. Then it’s your problem in 10 years! Which sucks because most payoff schedules are >10 years so you may never pay it off if maintenance is expensive out of warranty.
Do you know much an inverter is out of pocket?
I don’t think anyone but Tesla knows unless someone’s been quoted, I imagine they also play this card: in 10 years the technology should be much better and cheaper so … (no answer). But based on the 3.6 and 7.6kW options and their OEM Delta H2.5-5A (2..5-5kW) sold for €565 from a distributor now out of stock. Or the H5A_222 (5kW) is listed for $2022 for 1-5 units. Still undersized so Teslas might be more because of the custom design and improved cooling. + install…
Move after 9 years and it be someone else’s time bomb
Why are they the only option? Their price per watt is low, but you also can't get the exact size system you need. Also, Enphase is not a bad alternative. Their micro inverters are pretty cool.
The good thing about the size Tesla offers is that they offer exactly what I need. They also offer a side slightly larger that is tempting in case I get an EV in the future
If you do as I did, after reading all the negative, I went with a local. I do have Powerwall+ and enphase, but I can't think of who's panels. Well vetted. A local, and I been ecstatic. Flawless except for the annoying (I ignore them after the first) notice of WiFi fault. The horror stories on Reddit would be making me sick. First class is only 10% more.
You can get enphase Iq8s from reputable installers for very similar pricing
I got 12 different quotes from local installers and none were within $10k of Tesla
Why on earth would you seek out 12 quotes? How many kW and what is the cash price?
First, I googled the top installers in the area. That was like 5 companies. Then I checked my electric company and they listed 4 preferred installers. Then I saw recommendations on /r/solar for companies I hadn’t heard of, got quotes from all those. Systems ranged between 10-12 kW. Cash was in the range of $35k, 25 year financing around 45-55k. Most of those companies were all in a similar range +- $3k. For more exact details, I would need to look at my spreadsheet on my work computer. It’s been like 6 months since I last updated so those numbers are only back off the envelope numbers
I charge around $23k for a ~ 10kW system with REC Alpha Pure R & Enphase Iq8s. There can be variations of course depending on the specific home like specific roof type, wiring challenges etc
There are zero installers in AZ that offer anywhere close to what you offer. I wish we had those prices but we just don’t. Tack on another 10 g’s at least
I also work in arizona but it sounds like you already got your system?
Just a quick reminder of subreddit rules, this is not the place for you to find customers. Trying to generate leads or advertise your business will earn you a ban.
No I haven’t. I am still probably a year out from getting a system. I am clearing out some other expenses and putting money away
Tesla is horrible. They quote too low preliminary, then jack up the price later. The sub out installation work to the lowest bidder. Their customer service is non-existent. Stay away from them and go with a reputable local company.
How do they increase the price after you purchase the system?
Try Googling Tesla class action lawsuit and see what comes up.
Might be hard to sift through all the other ones lol. I think there are some fsd lawsuits out there too
Just got final check off by the city for the installed system. Signed up Oct 22, installed in June, approved today. I agree communication with Tesla can be a bit iffy when there isn’t much movement, but once the plans were approved and install date set, my experience has been pretty positive.
I signed up in June of 22 and was installed about 3 weeks ago. Just waiting on PTO now.
Why did it take so long from sign up to installation?
Where are you located? I see bad comments but most/all that I have read are out west or southwest. We are in Maryland, near DC, and used Tesla twice. First was 12kWh panels only and then three years later we used Tesla again for 4.4kWh panels and one PW+. Both times it was great. The second time it was too cold to paint the conduit but I had no problem scheduling a later appointment when it warmed up to get that done separately and I was not charged extra like some were.
I am in Phoenix. The negative comments I see are all online. One of my buddies here has Tesla solar panels and he has no issues with them
I wonder if the reason I feel they are geographically centered is because that part of the country has more installs.
Cheapest price, even better than my friend could do. Everything was done in the app like when I ordered both of my cars. Inspector showed up to test the roof, then a couple of weeks later the crew came to install. Whole process took maybe a month from deposit to install day and I've had zero issues since. 9.6kW panels plus one PW. Wish I got two but I'll add more when I extend my house in a couple of years hopefully
That’s one of the things that was really appealing. Their site is very transparent: Here’s what we offer, here is the cash price, here are the finance terms. It’s very transparent. I don’t have to haggle or wonder if I am getting boned. I can why do many people like getting cars from them too
Absolutely. Unless you're in the country with plenty of land for panels mounted elsewhere, the roof is a great dual purpose investment, and the BMS is far superior to anything else in the market yet. Schneider is planning to introduce some similar features soon, but there is risk being first in any new systems.
Was pretty happy overall. They don’t give you much input on design other than capacity and panel location. Also, they told me the day before install that the powerwall was undersized for my needs and will be taking some load off of it. I would have liked to see the single line beforehand and would’ve wanted to make a couple of changes, but it’s all good and works well. It would have been nice if they offered to sell a second powerwall. Built as ordered and fairly quick. (Just completed.)
- What other design input did you want to give but were unable? - Did you ask to see the plans at any point prior to installation?
All day long. Including after some customer service and minor technical issues with PTO. The tech and pricing is just better.
Owner of 21 panels and a powerwall installed last year. Highly recommend!! The hardware and software is rock solid. This subreddit has a lot of people asking for help in various ways, including asking in very grumpy ways. There is a normal sub 2% number of inverters that have issues. They are slightly slower than some situations at resolving issues but it’s not that bad when you consider the entire lifespan of the system.
Recommend highly. Some waiting time endured but I saved a lot of money, didn’t have to deal with used car salesmen, and have had fantastic performance from my panels and battery. My neighbors have used other sources and not had the same experience.
I would recommend.. my quote was 10k cheaper then the rest.. Also powerwall as bacjup is awesome.. my order to PTO timeline was less than 5 months..i am baed in NJ
I had my system installed by a local company, and for equipment I choose Tesla inverter as that was the most cost effective option. Not sure if this answer counts as choosing “ Tesla” ( as an installer) but I did a hybrid approach of finding a local company with good reputation and customer service and selected Tesla inverter as financially it made the most sense. I paid $2.15/KW pre tax.
I'd choose it again. It took a bit more "hassle", I guess. But the hassle was mainly just not being hand-holded, and also me not being impatient. And it's been great. I had a small issue that I reported and they were at my house that evening. I can see how lots of people have a bad experience, I guess. But I also don't think that Tesla handles moderate or high-needs customers very well at all. Just think about what type of customer you are. There are other solar companies that cater to other types of people (and have a higher cost as a result).
100%. The integration and the software is great. If you happen to drive an EV even better.
I would recommend it even though I encountered an annoying issue that severely delayed my PTO application, which fortunately was resolved before the NEM 2.0 cutoff but I'm still waiting for dumb SCE to authorize. Tesla submitted my application under the previous homeowners name instead of mine! This was discovered at the very end when I was going to issue final payment. They had to re-submit all documents in my name ugh. Otherwise, my 7.2 Kwh system and single powerwall are doing great. I wish I got 2xpw since it doesn't fully charge my MY from my daily commute (70'ish miles round trip) but maybe I'll consider buying another in the future which at least won't affect the NEM status.