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Solar city partnership on Model S page

Solar city solar cells for Model S?

  • Plan on purchasing them through solar city

    Votes: 11 13.4%
  • Plan on purchasing through another vendor

    Votes: 20 24.4%
  • Already have solar cells

    Votes: 31 37.8%
  • Using other renewable options

    Votes: 4 4.9%
  • Have no interest, going to use the grid

    Votes: 16 19.5%

  • Total voters
    82
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How many people are going to also purchase the solar cells?

This poll could use some sort of option for those of us where solar panels aren't an option, like non-home owner option and apartment dwellers like myself.

In that case, either you could buy solar cells (either option 1 or 2) and put them somewhere or purchase your energy from a renewable source (option 4)
 
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Wish I could justify it. But power is 9 cents a kWh MAX (daytime summer highest tier) where I live. It is just so much cheaper to buy dirty Georgia Power/Southern Company power. It is about 5 cents a kWh outside of summer, and for my first 650kWh every month during the summer.

I never knew I had it so good until I started up on this site.
 
I have SolarCity solar panels (15yr lease). Oregon has cheap electricity, renewable supply and relatively little sun. BUT the governments (federal & state) and local utilities basically paid me to install them. So I did. It meets about 1/2 my electricity needs today, probably 35-40% after the Model S arrives.
 
I have SolarCity panels that I bought in 2009. They have performed as well or better than Solar City had predicted. Also, I've already been in contact with them regarding how I will charge the Model-S (My dilemma: http://www.teslamotorsclub.com/showthread.php/8364-Installing-a-Model-S-Charger-on-a-Public-Right-of-Way and they have been very very helpful. They have assured me that they will be able to find a solution.

It is becoming more and more apparent to me that all the pieces are falling into place for Tesla and the Model-S. What an exciting time to be a part of this change in transportation.
 
Unfortunately my case isn't one of the options... probably for good reason. It would be: "I would LOVE to install solar panels and have a perfect room angle/direction for it except that my asshole neighbors have three giant evergreens that are planted within yards of each other and blot out the sun on my property." Or some such thing.
 
Unfortunately my case isn't one of the options... probably for good reason. It would be: "I would LOVE to install solar panels and have a perfect room angle/direction for it except that my asshole neighbors have three giant evergreens that are planted within yards of each other and blot out the sun on my property." Or some such thing.

Do the trees blot out all of the sun, or just cast a smallish shadow that tracks across your roof during the day?

I've got a really nice solar exposure, but I have a couple of nasty tall trees and a small chimney that will cast shadows at certain times and seasons -- to get around this I'll be using microinverters, one per panel, so that each panel generates its own AC and is not affected by the others. Microinverters are individually slightly less efficient than a single string inverter, but shade on a single panel won't take down the entire array, so it's a net win for my situation.

I'll find out soon enough, my array should go online right around the time I will theoretically be receiving my Model S.

Something to consider?

/Mitch.
 
Wait, this Solar City?! I thought whatever company it was Tesla partnered with was just in CA or something, but reading this thread and then Googling...they're in the DC area! I think I looked into them a year or three ago based on some Tesla reference and they weren't here, I thought. This is great--no idea if it'll be worth it, but this is an option I didn't think I'd have. :) Shoot, our power bill's higher than we'd like anyway; even without a Model S, I wonder if it's worth it.

The trouble is it's not like we have a lot of roof to put panels on...still...worth checking out.

I don't think I can vote yes/no in the poll, though; Dan5, you should've included a "interested but don't know if it's feasible yet" option. ;-)
 
I checked with Solar City, but in Texas you have to pay the entire twenty year lease cost up front. Unfortunately, that makes the payback way too long. There isn't a category for that in the poll.
 
I responded "no interest, going to use the grid," as the covenants and restrictions for my neighborhood homes association prohibit the placement of solar panels on the roof. I'm planning on looking into it further and perhaps petitioning for a change. I receive the most sun on the back side of my house, not viewable from the street. Unfortunately, Solar City does not service my state.
 
I responded "no interest, going to use the grid," as the covenants and restrictions for my neighborhood homes association prohibit the placement of solar panels on the roof. I'm planning on looking into it further and perhaps petitioning for a change. I receive the most sun on the back side of my house, not viewable from the street. Unfortunately, Solar City does not service my state.

I am pretty sure there are many State laws that prevent HOAs from making rules like this. Kansas seems to be a maybe/maybe-not state. I would look at your state laws your HOA agreement may be illegal.

Getting Around Your HOA to Install Solar Panels

These laws, established in 2009 in Delaware, Maine, Vermont and Washington, and in 2008 in Maryland, North Carolina (SB 670 and HB 1387), and Virginia, followed in the footsteps of California’s Solar Right Act of 1978 (which was extended, as was Oregon’s 1979 law).Solar Rights, or Solar Access, laws also prevail in Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Idaho, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Jersey, and Wisconsin. While in Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Rhode Island, Tennessee, and Utah, state-mandated guidelines offer homeowners varied leeway in installing solar panels.

EDIT: It looks like you will have to negotiate with the HOA from a quick look on this site: DSIREUSA. It appears that you have some limited easement rights (cutting down tree limbs off of your property).
 
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I responded "no interest, going to use the grid," as the covenants and restrictions for my neighborhood homes association prohibit the placement of solar panels on the roof. I'm planning on looking into it further and perhaps petitioning for a change. I receive the most sun on the back side of my house, not viewable from the street. Unfortunately, Solar City does not service my state.

I am also running into this problem in MN. When I contacted the state they told me that they are looking into pushing for changes next year but as of right now they do not have anything that would help me out with my HOA. They did ask that if I try to get them to let me that I document everything to use as a case study.