My Tesla Solar Panels Review 2023: Are They Worth It?
I recently bought and installed two large Tesla solar power systems including several Tesla batteries. The experience was eye-opening to say the least, which is why I think real Tesla solar panel reviews are so important.
Most Tesla solar panel reviews that appear on the first page of Google aren’t real reviews at all—they’re written by commerce editors trying to nail some good SEO for their magazines. I know, because I’m a professional commerce editor. In this case, I happen to actually own two very real Tesla solar panel systems and can offer the most genuine feedback.
TL;DR: I would do it again—Tesla panels are good, but there are lots of things you should know.
How I chose Tesla solar panels
I live in Woodstock, NY and own rental properties in other nearby towns. After experiencing a major ice storm last winter with power down for several days, I realized I either needed a whole house generator or an alternate, renewable energy source that would make me less reliant on the grid.
Up in this part of New York State, we have well water. That means everything from our sinks to our toilets are useless when the power goes out. I can handle some time without internet and lights, but I draw the line at plumbing. I must have indoor plumbing. So I priced out whole house generators from companies in nearby Kingston, further up in Tannersville and all the big-box stores like Home Depot and Lowe’s. Each house would cost me about $10,000 plus I’d be stuck with ongoing propane expenses and maintenance fees.
I hated the idea of using more gas for all the obvious reasons, and generators don’t do much to increase a home’s value. As an investor, that means something to me—a lot. So I started to dig into solar power and wind. Wind was enormously appealing to me, but so few companies around here offered it and the amount of acreage required limited my options. Plus, wind power is bonkers-level expensive. Like over $125,000 per house. Nope, nope, nope!
My Tesla solar panels review
Overall, I am happy with my Tesla solar panels review and am happy I made the purchase (twice!). Despite the name brand, they’re actually a lot cheaper than the other solar options on the market. I would definitely recommend them.
There are some things to consider, though. If your property is heavily shaded by trees, you’ll need to cut several down. I personally hate cutting trees because I know how important they are, but others may hate the idea just based on the cost alone. Where I live, cutting a large tree down can cost about $3,000. Cutting several trees? Multiply that number.
Also, you’re fully beholden to the Tesla design team and what they think your roof can support. If they don’t like the angle of your home, the pitch of your roof or a number of other factors—they can limit your panels and production. That happened to me. I wanted far more panels, but they said they simply couldn’t make sense of it on my roofing.
Pros:
Easy, effortless installation
Tesla pulls all the local permits for you
Available financing with only 10% down
Ability to bank enough solar power to stop paying the electric company
Installers are kind, efficient and personable and usually come from nearby cities
Back-up batteries act in place of house generators in case of emergencies
Batteries promise a 10-year life
Cons:
Limited winter and cloudy day production, so it’s hard to fully go off-grid
From the time you place an inquiry to installation can be as much as 12 weeks depending on how busy they are. For me, it took about 6 weeks.
Customer service reps on the phone have no idea what they’re talking about and waste a lot of time and energy. I hope they fix this, because I was ready to bang my head against a wall on several occasions.
How long does it take to install Tesla solar panels?
Start to finish, panel installation takes one or two days. The exact timeframe depends on the number of panels and batteries, of course. On the blue house property below, I had more batteries and panels installed because the house itself could support more. The total time was two working days. Power was only cut off for about three hours.
On the slightly smaller property, the entire project was done in a single working day. Power was only cut for about two and a half hours. In both instances, the work crews did 100% of their work from the exterior of my home. They didn’t need interior access, which made life infinitely easier.
Bryce Gruber
Installation time is probably what impressed me most in my Tesla solar panels review. The work teams came like a small, well-oiled army ready to tackle their tasks quickly and efficiently. They were also extremely nice and answered the endless stream of questions I had.
Whoever runs the Tesla installation recruitment team, my hat is off to you. Both teams I used (and they were separate because they service different counties) were excellent.
Do Tesla solar panels generate enough electricity to go off-grid?
Not exactly, but the panels promise the probability of never paying the electric company again. I’ll explain.
You can see from this screenshot of my Tesla solar app that I easily generate more energy than I need on sunny mornings. In the shorter, cloudier days of winter I definitely am not generating enough power to go fully off grid. But that’s not really the point, is it?
People who get Tesla solar panels hope they’re spring/summer/fall panel production will offer such a robust collection of power to send back to the grid that by winter they’ll have enough banked to get them through. And that’s really the plan for my home, too.
My homes use an enormous amount of energy thanks to renters coming and going, hot tubs working in sub-freezing temperatures and geothermal heating systems. I still cover about 50% of my power needs from these solar panels in the winter, and that’s saying something for the gray, murky skies of Upstate New York.
After the winter solstice passes, I expect each day to be a little better with more generous power production. From what I understand, these homes should be fully self-powered by sometime in April. By June they’ll be making so much power that I’ll be storing it for the winter the way squirrels save nuts.
And yeah, I’m excited for it.
Do Tesla solar roofs and panels generate electricity when covered in snow?
I knew I couldn’t write a proper Tesla solar panel review without waiting for a few snowfalls to determine how much energy they might generate when covered. The bad news is that Tesla roof tiles and panels generate hardly anything when covered with snow. To make matters worse, snowy days are often cloudy days. That means you lose power production on two ends.
To help keep my panels clear, I bought this cheap telescoping roof brush. Though it doesn’t do much to combat clouds in the sky, it quickly cleans off most light and moderate snow accumulation so you can get back to generating at least some power.
How much do Tesla solar panels cost?
For one of my properties, I chose to maximize the roof with as many panels as Tesla’s team would approve me for plus two exterior wall-mounted batteries that I use in place of a generator. The entire setup, which serves my roughly 3,000-square foot home with a pool heater and a hot tub, cost me about $63,000. My monthly payment is about $630.
Tesla offers 10-year financing for those who qualify, with a required 10% down payment after your panels are installed. And yes, they run a minor credit check on you to make sure you’re good for the money.
It should be noted that Tesla solar panel installations are mapped out and then priced by the amount of panels you need and how many batteries you choose. That means you can’t exactly order off a menu—the company tells you what your roof can handle. And truthfully, it’s the batteries that cost the most.
Use my link to explore Tesla solar panel cost options & get freebies
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