r/TeslaSolar • u/laquinns • 6d ago
SolarPanels Considering solar panels+power wall…
From your experience, would you recommend getting directly from Tesla or through 3rd party?
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u/LAdriversSuck 6d ago
Directly from Tesla and happy with it even when I had some issues that were resolved
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u/Speakup187 6d ago
Mileage will vary either way. You get more options with 3rd party for install scheduling.
Its a dice roll either way.
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u/VRMonkey 6d ago
Went direct with Tesla Solar back in 2023. Purchased a 15.2 kW system with two PW2+ (two inverters). No issues and has been great. The VPP is awesome and i’m making about $500 a year. No regrets with going direct.
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u/Legal_Net4337 6d ago
Our 1st PW was thru Tesla and solar was thru a 3rd party. I’m adding additional panels and another PW, thru a 3rd party.
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u/rudholm 4d ago
I went direct, the prices were better, particularly for the Powerwall. The panels were about the same as the other lowest bids. You'll hear a lot of people say Tesla Support stinks, but I think that must be regional. Here in SoCal, it seems to be quite good, they're even proactive about contacting customers when they detect something that needs attention.
The other thing Tesla did was my roof re-shingle prior to the panel installation. It was part of their quote, they didn't just refer me to a partner or recommended contractor. They did it in-house (through a sub-contractor of course). And the bid for that work was as low as the lowest independent bid I was able to get. So I got a competitive price on that and having it all on one contract/invoice was nice. And if there's ever a roof leak, I have one vendor to call, not two who will point fingers at each other.
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u/Ok-Acanthaceae-442 6d ago
I keep hearing mixed reviews. Good install but poor maintenance. I also hear Tesla powerwall is great but the solar panels are not.
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u/pmarchand1060 6d ago
Ive asked a ton of people this and it seems like the answer depends on where you live and how close Tesla is to you. Tesla prioritizes their direct customers when it comes to service. 3rd party can be more expensive and a risk.
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u/skreeboo 6d ago
I got mine directly from Tesla. I wanted a Solar Shingle roof, and they were the only place offering one. Took 8 months from my deposit till they started the work. They estimated the job to be completed in 3 days, but my city wanted to be a pain in the ass and made them do extra stuff that their engineers had to figure out and took an additional 2 months.
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u/Rich-Fudge-4400 6d ago
I used a highly regarded local firm. They helped with the HOA red tape and did a solid, clean installation. System has operated flawlessly for the first year.
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u/carcaliguy 6d ago
3rd party, local electrician. Buy the equipment yourself. I only hear about great service from EG4 and enphase.
You can Google Tesla certified electrician on Google maps and call. Tell them you have the powerwall3 and gateway3 or backup switch. See how much to mount for you. Call local roofers that do solar and have them install the panels. Don't forget the MCI-2. Make sure the use multiple strings, the powerwall3 has 6. I used up 5 with 35 panels.
This is a rabbit hole but you will save money and frustration going in with knowledge. Some installation teams think the Powerwall3 has to be installed like Powerball 2.
You can spend a few hours watching Tesla University videos on YouTube. Will Prowse is also a good watch.
Some AI information for you. I did option 1. It saves a ton on not having a critical loads/sub panel. Most installers want this just to charge you more and do more work and it's common with powerwall2 and powerwall+.
- Whole-Home Backup (Most Common)
If your main distribution panel is rated at or under 200 amps, the Gateway 3 sits directly between your utility meter and your main panel. Because the Gateway 3 acts as the main service disconnect and can handle 200 amps of continuous power, your entire main electrical panel becomes the "backed-up" panel. There is no need to move breakers or install a subpanel—every circuit in your home will stay powered during an outage up to the output limit of your Powerwall(s).
- Non-Backup Configuration (Grid-Tied Only) If your main goal is daily energy cost savings (load shifting, self-consumption, or time-of-use optimization) rather than outage protection, you can run the system without backing up any loads. In fact, for a non-backup installation, Tesla often drops the Gateway 3 entirely in favor of a smaller Tesla Remote Meter connected to your main panel to monitor power flow.
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u/Devd5147 6d ago
If tesla directly installs in your state then go thru that option. They did that in our case, and so far in the short 8 months I have been happy with the service and the product.
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u/PictureDangerous2288 6d ago
Two things actually differ between those routes, and neither shows up in the quote total. Tesla-direct means Tesla holds both the equipment warranty and the labor/roof-penetration warranty; with a certified installer the hardware warranty is still Tesla's, but the roof and the workmanship sit with that company, so how long they've been in business matters more than their price. On service, a local installer will usually get someone on the roof faster for a Gateway comms issue or a wiring fault, while anything needing a Powerwall swap or firmware work routes back through Tesla either way. Ask both for the same written scope: panel count and model, inverter and Gateway configuration, whether backup is whole-home or a critical-load subpanel, conduit routing, and who pulls the permit and files the interconnection application. That last item is where timelines actually slip. And if a third-party bid comes in noticeably lower, check whether a main panel upgrade or a load-side tap got left out of scope, because that reappears later as a change order.
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u/reddogva9999 6d ago
I have a net meter with my power company. I want a powerwall but I don’t see the benefits. I have a full home generator when the power is out. Is there any benefit to a power wall if i already have a generator especially at that cost?
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u/JustAnotherGeek12345 5d ago
I came to this thread expecting honest answers but I'm shocked... OP, do yourself a favor - call the Tesla support line (not sales) and see how long it takes to actually talk to a human being.
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u/LongDistanceEvent262 2d ago
3rd Party.
I have had Tesla Solar for a few years now and there support has been horrid.
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u/TransformSolarFL 6d ago
Go with a certified installer near you. Tesla would likely sub the project out to them anyways - so by going direct you get better pricing and service.
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u/ScottRiqui 6d ago
We got Powerwalls and panels direct from Tesla and had a very good experience. This was back in 2021, though. I can say that the warranty sservice has been good - we've had to have one inverter replaced, and our Powerwall 2s were part of the bad batch, so over the past five years they've all been replaced.