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How many of you Model S Owners have alternative energy systems at home to help power your cars? I'd love to see pictures of your car and system and what State it's located in. Here is mine in Michigan a few weeks ago before the snow fell. My solar system was brought online in June of 2010. It's big enough to handle 100% of the house and about half of the car's needs. I will add more panels in about 2 years to completely handle the car as well.
 

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Do you use air conditioning? (In the house?)

Find it hard to believe that 18 panels are enough. And assume you "offset" the car as you'd charge it at night when the panes yield 0?

What are the tiny things at the bottom at near the middle? Sensors?
 
Do you use air conditioning? (In the house?)

Find it hard to believe that 18 panels are enough. And assume you "offset" the car as you'd charge it at night when the panes yield 0?

What are the tiny things at the bottom at near the middle? Sensors?

I'm guessing they're sensors for tracking the sun.....

Aaron
 
Ok, I don't type fast enough before this site logs me off and I lose everything I type.

They are dual axis with GPS tracking sensor to the right side half way up white. 40% more power yield from the panels.

The sensors are the bottom are mini solar panels which charge AA batteries for LED light strings I wrapped around the outside of the panels. When they park up at night they light up. I can then see they parked correctly and if they survive wind storms at night plus they look cool!

I am pushing 2/3 rds of my power back into grid and had $300 credit at the end of 2012.

The car will be on its own meter in the next week or so and I'm buying DTE Green Currents to offset dirty power for it. Fermi II and our coal burner which was retro fitted with catalytic stacks last year is as clean as I can get with what's available today.
 
I installed a 90 panel PV system at my office and have 28 panels at home. Prior to the Model S arriving, we were breaking even on energy use, but only after we added solar hot water, a solar-assisted heat pump/ac, and additional insulation. The panels don't show on the photo because they are 'hidden' on the back side of the home.
 

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I just added ten more PV panels for a total capacity of 7.16kW. It's more than enough to offset all charging needs for my S, but not enough to offset the entire house load. But I'm constrained by my roof and my inverter, so I'll make do.
 
This is my current 3.4 kWh-rated system (I make 3.7 megawatts per year). That covers all but about 200 kWh per year for the house. My S should arrive in about 4-6 weeks. Next Monday I will add another 1.6 kWh to cover the car and the annual shortfall. So I should be running completely on sunshine!


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I will be having a 4.42 kW PV system put on my home in the next few months. Was hoping to get it installed before I receive the Model S but I will be getting the Model S sooner than I had expected and the PV system was delayed as a result of my HOA. At 4.42 kWs, the system will offset approximately 120% of my home usage. I expect that with the Tesla, I will be offsetting roughly 65% of my home usage and Model S charging. Given that I work for a solar company, getting a system was a no brainer.
 
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hi all. i have an 8.4kW system on my house (aleo panels, sma grid-tie inverter), makes about 50kWh/day at peak season, around 15kWh/ at dead of winter. averaged over the year i just about break even on house power draw and car charging. i'd like a bigger system but no more roof space. well, i could fit another 6 or 8 panels, but it would look really bad. i'm very happy with the scenario i have going now. living on photons. feels great.

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absolutely love this thread. It's very high on my wish list to have my car powered off of solar - not practical in virginia yet, but i'm hopeful someday fairly soon it will be..

I just started researching installing a pv system in VA as well. Besides the lack of subsidies and some utilities charging fees to customers who have systems between 10-20 kW, have you found other reasons that make it unpractical?
 
How many of you Model S Owners have alternative energy systems at home to help power your cars? I'd love to see pictures of your car and system and what State it's located in. Here is mine in Michigan a few weeks ago before the snow fell. My solar system was brought online in June of 2010. It's big enough to handle 100% of the house and about half of the car's needs. I will add more panels in about 2 years to completely handle the car as well.

Love this set-up. Looks like a combination of Easter Island and the monoliths from 2001 A Space Odyssey