Tesla Solar Florida - Just Ordered

[George75]

As the title suggests, I'm in Florida ordered Solar late last week from Tesla on a Friday or Saturday. I went with the 7.2kwh system with 1 Powerwall. I live in a newer average sized home that's energy efficient (no pool or well pumps) and I'm typically away from home at work most of the day. Luckily my monthly kwh average is in the 800kwh range. I've clear unobstructed view full 360 at my place, most importantly to the south. I'm thinking start small and increase the size should I need to at a later date.

I ordered, put in my deposit by Monday this week I had a sales person from Tesla call to go over a few things on the phone and by today (Thursday) I've got a site inspection scheduled for mid June and we're right at the end of April as I write this. I find this strange after all the horror stories I've read and seen on YouTube or is this normal for Florida? I also talked to my utility company (SECO) before ordering and they had some good advise on system size, my average usage and were up front with the fact they only buy back at wholesale not retail.

I've been trawling through the threads here but hoping for any advise of those in Florida or other states and anything I should be looking out for. I'm hoping with a contact at the power company at hopefully a contact at Tesla my install and switch on will be smooth.

 

[Rccarps2]

I'm thinking start small and increase the size should I need to at a later date.

That's not going to be easy with Tesla. They won't "add" panels onto an existing system, even if they installed it. They will require you buying a whole new system if you want more.

Do yourself a favor and go as big as possible now. I am regretting not moving a few roof vents so I could have put 3 more panels in. Zero chance I could have Tesla out to add those panels now. At the time I ordered? Yep, that would have been easy.

 

[EVRider-FL]

It’s probably too late for you, but I used a Tesla-certified third-party installer (ProSolar) to install my panels and Powerwalls in south FL, and they added more panels and another Powerwall later without any issue. My utility is FPL.

 

[BGbreeder]

+1 Go as big as you can now. "Later" is a more expensive and painful process.

All the best,

BG

 

[kusmnole]

Thats crazy! Theres still no time line in Canada yet

 

[roblab]

I bought my panels from Arizona Wind and Sun. A truck delivered them a week later. They sat in my garage until I figured out my mounting brackets, which I made myself and fastened under my metal shingles. Then my sister-in-law, wearing high heeled shoes, helped me pull the panels to the roof (wifey was on the ground passing them up), where I fastened them with standard bolts and nuts from the hardware store. After I ran my wires down to my utility closet, I needed an electrician, who brought the inverter and wired it to my panels and my circuit breaker box.

That was ten years ago. Napa County did not require any permits, so my sixty-six panels were pretty much my main expense, and the system continues to work flawlessly.

I agree, buy all you can afford. Save where you can and stop paying the power company those big bucks.

 

[George75]

I bought my panels from Arizona Wind and Sun. A truck delivered them a week later. They sat in my garage until I figured out my mounting brackets, which I made myself and fastened under my metal shingles. Then my sister-in-law, wearing high heeled shoes, helped me pull the panels to the roof (wifey was on the ground passing them up), where I fastened them with standard bolts and nuts from the hardware store. After I ran my wires down to my utility closet, I needed an electrician, who brought the inverter and wired it to my panels and my circuit breaker box.

That was ten years ago. Napa County did not require any permits, so my sixty-six panels were pretty much my main expense, and the system continues to work flawlessly.

I agree, buy all you can afford. Save where you can and stop paying the power company those big bucks.

I'm going to let the professionals do the install, permits are required. Being in Florida is nice until you have to deal with insurance companies and roofs. They'd cancel me tomorrow if they found out I was working on the roof. I don't want to give the insurance industry any reasons to cancel or deny a future claim because they deemed I did something they don't like.

That's not going to be easy with Tesla. They won't "add" panels onto an existing system, even if they installed it. They will require you buying a whole new system if you want more.

Do yourself a favor and go as big as possible now. I am regretting not moving a few roof vents so I could have put 3 more panels in. Zero chance I could have Tesla out to add those panels now. At the time I ordered? Yep, that would have been easy.

I'm sized at around 104% of my usage now and I'd like to keep the cost under $30,000. I want to grab that tax credit before it goes down too. I wish I did that when buying my Model 3. Hopefully should I want to add more panels later on I can find an installer that installs Tesla but isn't actually Tesla themselves.

 

[Ramphex]

You’re lucky. I’m actually in a process of moving ahead with other quotes from different solar installers. I have 3 orders for 3 homes with Tesla and it’s been 18 days since I put down the deposits, did the home assessments, and those clowns have yet to reach out to me with a design. I have emailed every couple of days to check in, no answer. I have called a couple of times and was told they’re busy and they’ll get around to it.

 

[BGbreeder]

You’re lucky. I’m actually in a process of moving ahead with other quotes from different solar installers. I have 3 orders for 3 homes with Tesla and it’s been 18 days since I put down the deposits, did the home assessments, and those clowns have yet to reach out to me with a design. I have emailed every couple of days to check in, no answer. I have called a couple of times and was told they’re busy and they’ll get around to it.

This is totally normal for Tesla. Calling them for updates doesn't change their process. I would suggest that if you want/need more interactibe customer service that you go with a third party. Low customer service is one way that they keep prices down, another being doing cookie cutter designs.

There are many posts here detailing the radio silence until something changed on Teslas side.

 

[Ramphex]

This is totally normal for Tesla. Calling them for updates doesn't change their process. I would suggest that if you want/need more interactibe customer service that you go with a third party. Low customer service is one way that they keep prices down, another being doing cookie cutter designs.

There are many posts here detailing the radio silence until something changed on Teslas side.

Yea I expected crap customer service from reading stories, but I didn’t expect to wait a month for a computer generated design that all other companies get to me within a couple of hours.

 

[George75]

So far Tesla have been good with communication. I've got a second advisor that responds usually within a few hours. I'm at the permitting phase now and the last update I had was to expect an install date within a week or two of permit plans approval. On the day of the site visit the person from Tesla doing the inspection stated they didn't have any major delays in the area with installs they did however have a lack of inspectors for site visits which was slowing the process. I'm not sure why everyone is calling them, status is on their site?

I also tried a number of third party installers in the area and I felt like I was being spammed by 90% of them. All of them said the same thing, your system is too small then tried to upsell without ever once asking how much energy I used. Of all the quotes I asked for only one responded about a month later and stuffed in as much extras as they could pushing the prices way beyond my budget.

 

[Ramphex]

So far Tesla have been good with communication. I've got a second advisor that responds usually within a few hours. I'm at the permitting phase now and the last update I had was to expect an install date within a week or two of permit plans approval. On the day of the site visit the person from Tesla doing the inspection stated they didn't have any major delays in the area with installs they did however have a lack of inspectors for site visits which was slowing the process. I'm not sure why everyone is calling them, status is on their site?

I also tried a number of third party installers in the area and I felt like I was being spammed by 90% of them. All of them said the same thing, your system is too small then tried to upsell without ever once asking how much energy I used. Of all the quotes I asked for only one responded about a month later and stuffed in as much extras as they could pushing the prices way beyond my budget.

The guys are on my roof installing the panels as we speak, not from Tesla though. I ended up cancelling Tesla after 3 weeks of radio silence. I felt as I was just wasting my time with them if they couldn't bother to follow up with me. Plus something was just giving me a bad feeling about waiting around for them, if they couldn't respond to me then, how can I expect them to respond to me when I have any sort of issues. I'm glad you had a different experience though.

 

[George75]

The guys are on my roof installing the panels as we speak, not from Tesla though. I ended up cancelling Tesla after 3 weeks of radio silence. I felt as I was just wasting my time with them if they couldn't bother to follow up with me. Plus something was just giving me a bad feeling about waiting around for them, if they couldn't respond to me then, how can I expect them to respond to me when I have any sort of issues. I'm glad you had a different experience though.

That's basically what I've been reading and expecting. Half expecting to have to hit the cancel button but I've luckily so far not had any issues. They are pulling permits now so hopefully in three or four weeks I'll have an install date. I tried third party solar companies here but most came across like used car sales men.

 

[Ramphex]

That's basically what I've been reading and expecting. Half expecting to have to hit the cancel button but I've luckily so far not had any issues. They are pulling permits now so hopefully in three or four weeks I'll have an install date. I tried third party solar companies here but most came across like used car sales men.

Yea the market is pretty bad. Most have to use the sales tactics and half of those people don’t even know what they’re selling.

 

[George75]

I've got an install date for late August. Permit was approved within a week and now I just have to wait for the day of install.

 

[CrazyRabbit]

Not to Burst your bubble, but permits are quick. Has your utility approved the engineering? That is where I’m at, waiting for Tesla to pay the 500 bucks to the utility so they can review the engineering.

 

[George75]

Not to Burst your bubble, but permits are quick. Has your utility approved the engineering? That is where I’m at, waiting for Tesla to pay the 500 bucks to the utility so they can review the engineering.

Utility approval is after the install. The power company said they are ok with it as long as it passes city inspection and is no greater than 10kwh. Otherwise they require $1 million worth insurance plus whatever costs to upgrade my transformer.

 

[George75]

Got a text from Tesla informing me they are pushing back my install by a month (September) as they don't have enough available crews for the job. I texted back to request something sooner but was denied. Good thing I ordered I April.

 

[George75]

Got a call from Tesla they pushed my install forward . System is now installed and active (self consumption mode) with Powerwall+. Passed city inspection the next day and interconnection agreement has been signed with the utility provider. Tesla are sending an auditor out to review the system which is new. Everything went fast until I saw Tesla have messed up the interconnect agreement application with the wrong size for the system.

Also something strange. My system is rated at 7.2kw the inverter is rated at 7.6kw and right at solar noon with good sun it's maxing out at 7.7kw. my roof is 30 tilt facing south with no obstructions or shade.

 

[jboy210]

Got a call from Tesla they pushed my install forward . System is now installed and active (self consumption mode) with Powerwall+. Passed city inspection the next day and interconnection agreement has been signed with the utility provider. Tesla are sending an auditor out to review the system which is new. Everything went fast until I saw Tesla have messed up the interconnect agreement application with the wrong size for the system.

Also something strange. My system is rated at 7.2kw the inverter is rated at 7.6kw and right at solar noon with good sun it's maxing out at 7.7kw. my roof is 30 tilt facing south with no obstructions or shade.

Congrats!!!

Most inverters can produce more than their rating. From the threads here, some systems can go 1.4 times or higher. That may be good for you since we are over 2 months past peek solar (Solstice back on June 21) for most installations in the Northern Hemisphere.