Curious if anyone in the Carolinas has Tesla Solar and/or Powerwall and could share their experience. I believe the Tesla Energy crew is in Charlotte and does South Carolina as well in Greenville & Columbia.
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Anyone in the Carolinas have Tesla Solar?
- Thread starter Jeremy3292
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RTPEV
Active Member
Can't help you too much there. I started down that path. The signup process was easy enough and was all done virtually (they used satellite imagery and pictures that I supplied of my meter, panel, and garage), but unlike when I went with a local installer, they were obviously not helpful in preparing my application for my HOA ARC. Ultimately that's my responsibility anyway, but the local installer was much more helpful.
In the end, my application was denied (my house faces south towards the street unfortunately, and even though I requested side roof panels, the ARC still ruled that it was "visible" from the street. I was hoping Tesla would be willing to help me go to bat here (because technically I don't believe the HOA has the right to refuse installs on side facing roofs in NC), but similar to Tesla service being all through the app, it wasn't much different with the energy folks. And despite being told that I could get my $100 deposit back if my HOA denied my application, I basically lost it.
I am getting ready to try again (we have retained the lawyer who successfully won a case against an HOA), but I will likely use a third party. They still use Tesla Powerwalls, and possibly Tesla solar panels, but dealing with real people in person is an important factor for me.
In the end, my application was denied (my house faces south towards the street unfortunately, and even though I requested side roof panels, the ARC still ruled that it was "visible" from the street. I was hoping Tesla would be willing to help me go to bat here (because technically I don't believe the HOA has the right to refuse installs on side facing roofs in NC), but similar to Tesla service being all through the app, it wasn't much different with the energy folks. And despite being told that I could get my $100 deposit back if my HOA denied my application, I basically lost it.
I am getting ready to try again (we have retained the lawyer who successfully won a case against an HOA), but I will likely use a third party. They still use Tesla Powerwalls, and possibly Tesla solar panels, but dealing with real people in person is an important factor for me.
Thanks for the info. I am actually leaving my current house with an HOA and building a new house with no HOA. There are 1 or 2 local installers who do Tesla here in Greenville, SC but I am concerned they won't be around in 10, 15, 20 years to honor the warranty like Tesla will be. I've heard of similar experiences to yours with Tesla though and a lot of people say it's heavily dependent on who your project advisor is as some are good and some are bad. I believe local installers will likely be a few thousand more $ so it's definitely a pros and cons type thing. Bc SC has a 25% state tax credit, I can get a 10 kW system with 2 PW's for under $20k after the fed and state tax credits...
I heard good things about Renu Energy Solutions so I've reached out to them as well. They are well known in the Carolinas.
FYI, there was a State Supreme court ruling last year that banned HOA from restricting the placement of solar panels.
North Carolina court bars HOAs from banning rooftop solar
The North Carolina Supreme Court has ruled to protect homeowners’ right to install rooftop solar, reversing an earlier Court of Appeals decision.
pv-magazine-usa.com
"The court also affirmed that the HOA’s architectural review committee could not limit the location of solar panels to the back of the home, in situations where installing panels in the back would prevent the reasonable use of the solar panels due to roof orientation."
RTPEV
Active Member
Yes, I'm well aware of that. And in fact I've been in touch with the lawyer that won the case.FYI, there was a State Supreme court ruling last year that banned HOA from restricting the placement of solar panels.
North Carolina court bars HOAs from banning rooftop solar
The North Carolina Supreme Court has ruled to protect homeowners’ right to install rooftop solar, reversing an earlier Court of Appeals decision.
"The court also affirmed that the HOA’s architectural review committee could not limit the location of solar panels to the back of the home, in situations where installing panels in the back would prevent the reasonable use of the solar panels due to roof orientation."
Unfortunately there are a lot of details in the case that cannot be summed up in a sentence or two. Specifically, in the case that went to the Supreme Court, the HOA's CC&Rs did not make any restrictions whatsoever on solar panels. It only gave the ARC the ability to deny applications based on aesthetics, and it turns out that wasn't enough.
My HOA's CC&Rs DO mention solar panels, but defer to the Residential Design Guidelines (RDGs) for specific restrictions. The lawyer does believe that in fact the restriction in the RDGs is not sufficient, as the RDGs can be changed on a whim by the HOA board, and are not considered part of covenants that run with the land (i.e. the CC&Rs) and therefore in my case not sufficient to restrict placement. My HOA disagrees, of course, so the next step is attempt to convince them otherwise, potentially using legal means.
I used Renu Energy to install 18.2 kWh of solar on the roof and getting my Tesla Batteries on Wednesday. I have the the Tesla Gateway installed, but need the batteries to fully activate it. I also went ahead and added a SPANIO Panel to track everything and add intelligence to shedding loads as the batteries get low. I will be happy for you to stop be the house to see what was done.
We live in Charleston SC area and put up 12.8 KW panels and 2 Powerwalls a couple years ago. It’s fantastic. Boss Energy did the install In case they cover your area. As with the cars, the app integration is outstanding and, aside from the monthly electricity bill savings, we’ve had nearly a dozen power outages over the 2 years and never once lost power in the home. Strong recommend.
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