Description:

27 solar panels, model SPR-A410-G-AC and 27 PV inverters, combined output 9.42 kW AC. SunPower gateway monitor, Tesla energy gateway 2.0 and one Tesla PowerWall2 battery

Other Benefits:

The primary benefit will be backup power in the event of a grid failure (such as February 2021) or temporary loss of power to the home which happens frequently in our rural neighborhood.

Maintenance Requirements:

Full 25 year warranty, parts, labor and shipping on solar array. Visual inspection; check panels to make sure they are not dusty or covered/blocked by trees/leaves, otherwise SunPower monitors the production and will warranty any panel if it detects production is less than expected. Allow degradation of panel performance as time goes by. This will change from company to company but should be anticipated.

Efficiency or Sustainability Improvements:

Solar array and batteries will prevent the need for fossil fuel and the use of natural gas or gasoline generator.

My Motivation:

Convenience of always having power and the unpredictable electric market price. Currently 10 cents / kWh, but who knows where the cost per kW will be 5, 10, 15 years from now? Gas stations had no power during the February grid failure, so even if you have a gas generator, it was difficult to find a station open for business. Also, natural gas had a spike in cost during the February event and many homes paid a premium for natural gas per cubic foot. We wanted freedom from dependence on other fuel sources.

Advice:

Shop for best panels, warranty. The lowest price may not give you the peace of mind you were looking for as you consider your options. The process was 4 months from start to finish. Tesla has had issues delivering batteries to meet the demand in 2021. Your HOA and your local energy provider can also slow or protract the process with the amount of forms necessary to get to "net metering". We live in a rural area, so there was no inspection by the local government, but that could add time as well. If you expect a rebate, plan well ahead of the deadline for the 26% rebate in place now, it may expire in Spring of 2022.

Experience with Installer:

SunPower sales agent has been great, however operations was slow to respond as I was approaching the finish line. I have a scheduled install date of November 4, 2021 for the Tesla PowerWall2. I initiated my SOP(Start of Project) on July 7, 2021 with my first cash down payment. Keep in communication with your installation group to make sure it fits your schedule.

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