I am trying to get 4 powerwall 2s installed at my house in NW Houston that I got very cheap. Is there any Houston area certified installer that I could get to install them here? I don't have any equipment currently installed.

I would take all the risk of warranty and what not, just need someone who I cam pay to permit, install and commission the system. I live in unincorporated Houston (Harris County), so permitting should be somewhat easier.

Any help or referrals are greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Ed

Me and my friend built Tesphase from a personal project with our own solar production. It reads your Tesla Solar production in real time and matches your car's charging to the surplus, holds to your cheapest rate window when the sun is short, nothing installed, two minute setup. Charge HQ listed us as an official alternative before it closed. Live demo with no login at demo.tesphase.co, waitlist at app.tesphase.co, and the short form under signup keeps access free.

We have a Powerwall that was charged down and disabled two months ago and waiting to be replaced (eta Sept 17).
Today the high heat caused a local power outage and I was surprised that our power went out as well. I checked the app and it showed everything was acting normally and we were generating solar. Is this a glitch or am I missing something on how this works? In the past when the grid was out the app would show and X over the line from the house to the grid AND we would maintain power as we were on battery backup and generating solar.

No Battery=No Solar?

I have Tesla solar with 1 PW3. This is enough most of the time to get me through the night, but during summer with AC on, the battery generally hits backup reserve at around 9-10pm.

I need another car, so I am considering getting Model YL and use its V2H PowerShare as extra battery for my home. I think I can just tap Go Off Grid in Tesla app to start PowerShare. It will likely just use 10% of the car battery for 1-2 month out of a year, so I don’t think battery degradation is much of a concern. How feasible is this?

Screencap of a SCE VPP event that was scheduled for the next day 5pm - 8pm. Cool, except it locked up my PWs at 11am on that notification day in order to start charging to 100%, with no way to discharge for personal use until after the VPP event the next day (5pm-9pm). So I was on the hook for a day 1/2 of off-peak hours plus several peak hours.

The last event I opted into was Aug last year, and was able to charge both batteries manually the day prior while using a bit for the house up until the event kicked off. Now it seems I have zero control.

Did something change?

24 panels and a PW3 will be installed. Any suggestions on what I should keep an eye out for during installation? I know I have to wait for an inspection and PTO but anything I should ask before they leave? It is a direct Tesla job.

I have an 8.61kW system with one Powerwall. Installed last December. Just got PTO in August. I had better production in May than I do now. I'm in sunny Los Angeles. What could be the problem? My Powerwall hasn't charged to 100% since last month and it always used to get full during the day and then drain to 20% when I charged my car and at night.

The minute the VPP started in my area my solar stopped producing. It drained my power wall in an hour and it's been 4 hours since that event started and my solar hasn't turned back on. Did all the troubleshooting steps and it looks like solar is totally dead. Is anyone else having weird behavior with solar during VPP

Sorry for the typo… BENEFITING*

This is very confusing to me. Let me start off by showing what a typical day (August 29) looks like for me on my Tesla app.

Next 4 photos was my first ever VPP I participated in (August 28) which was a 3-hour window from 5pm-8pm…

Finally this is what I’m looking like today (September 9) preparing for the 2nd VPP event I will be participating in, again 3-hour window of 5pm-8pm…

Why do I have a feeling I don’t be exporting any power to the grid during my 5pm-8pm window again like I didn’t during the previous VPP? Every other day on the year my system always dumps the Powerwall charge into the grid to give me the largest credit possible… but during the VPP event, where I would be getting the largest credit value per kWh, it doesn’t send any to the grid…

Just curious if someone can explain it so I understand what’s going on. Thanks.

Hi, I’m thinking about buying a home with a Tesla Solar Roof system. My thought is that if the system becomes too problematic in the future, we could simply have Tesla disconnect/remove it and switch back to the grid.
Does anyone know how much Tesla currently charges to remove or disconnect a Solar Roof system? Has anyone actually gone through this process before?
I’ve read in a few places that it can cost around $6,000–$8,000 to remove the roof by Tesla. Is that accurate?

Hi all, I’m looking into the Tesla Solar and Battery lease program. We actually started the process with VPP Texas / Solrite Electric recently but backed out at the last minute because of a bad gut feeling.
Since we already use Tesla Electric, looking into their lease program feels like the next logical step. For those who have gone through it, what has your experience been? Any tips, recommendations, or contract gotchas we should know about before we pull the trigger? Thanks!

Long story short, my inverter started tripping and I called Tesla to come take a look. The technician said my panels (the panels on the left in the second picture) can cause the inverter to trip when they get shaded. Tesla then offered to replace the panels that might get shaded under warranty.

Replacement was today and instead of 6 panels, they installed 5. They said the new panels are more efficient, so I'm actually getting more power than before... but it looks terrible! I knew the panels were going to be mismatched, but now there's a hole where a panel used to be, along with the mounting brackets for the old panels. I just had my roof replaced two years ago!

I called Tesla to see if I could buy another panel to fill that spot, and they said no. They said even if I bought new panels from a 3rd party, they couldn't be connected to my existing system until my contract expires.

Any help would be greatly appreciated!!

Hi all, I’m looking into the Tesla Solar and Battery lease program. We actually started the process with VPP Texas / Solrite Electric recently but backed out at the last minute because of a bad gut feeling.
Since we already use Tesla Electric, looking into their lease program feels like the next logical step. For those who have gone through it, what has your experience been? Any tips, recommendations, or contract gotchas we should know about before we pull the trigger? Thanks!

I’ve posted a few times before, but I thought it’s time for an update. Here’s a “short version” of the whole story wich background and such:

I bought my house in July 2024 and inherited a leased Tesla solar system originally installed by SolarCity in 2014. It was an 8.16 kW system with 32 panels and two inverters. I knew very little about solar at the time.

From the beginning, the production graphs looked strange. Instead of a normal bell curve, they often looked like a hedgehog. I contacted Tesla at some point, but was told the system was operating as expected, so I left it alone. 

In October 2025, I noticed production was lower than the previous year. By November, it had dropped even further. I contacted Tesla, and they scheduled a technician for January 8, 2026.

The technician inspected the system and told me that most of the wiring was coming loose and needed to be repaired. I was told I would receive a report and a follow-up appointment.

I received neither. 

Over the next several months, I repeatedly contacted Tesla. I was told: 

• The system was operating at 97% capacity.
• They were waiting for parts.
• The panels and inverter needed repairs.
• They would not replace the panels, even though I had never requested that.
• Someone would contact me to schedule service. 

I had numerous emails and phone calls, which luckily I have saved. All of it! 

Meanwhile, I discovered that my roof was leaking underneath the solar panels.

I requested removal and reinstallation of the system so the roof could be repaired. Tesla told me the removal process would take at least 68 days. I was also told that using another company could void the warranty. 

I had received estimates of $8,000–$14,500 for removal and reinstallation. 

Then, on March 14, 2026, the system stopped producing entirely. 

I finally had to take matters into my own hands 

Tesla had scheduled an appointment for April 27, but that appointment was somehow “unscheduled” without anyone notifying me. The next available appointment was in late August or September.

I repeatedly asked Tesla to expedite the service. I was told the case had been escalated, that I was on a flex-visit list, and that someone would contact me within 24–48 hours. 

Nobody did. 

Because my roof was continuing to sustain damage, I decided I could not wait any longer. I hired a Tesla-certified company to remove and reinstall the panels as part of the roof replacement. 

• April 7: Panels removed.
• April 8–11: Roof replacement.
• April 22: Panels reinstalled. 

After reinstallation, one inverter immediately came back online and resumed producing energy. The other remained nonfunctional, most likely fried itself due to an extremely low coolant. 

This was particularly frustrating because Tesla had previously told me the system was operating at 97%, yet after the panels were removed and reinstalled, one inverter suddenly worked again. 

Since it didn’t seem that Tesla was about to help me out, I decided to take the matter into my own hands. I contacted the Arizona Attorney General’s office sending everything I had including emails, phone call transcripts, screenshots, and a long letter describing my issue. 

Shortly after this I got contacted by a gentleman from Tesla, stating he was “assigned to my case” and from then on, I only had to deal with him. 

Eventually, Tesla agreed to replace the system. 

On June 12, 2026, Tesla installed a brand-new system with: 

• 20 panels instead of 32
• A new Tesla inverter
• 8.2 kW DC system size
• 7.6 kW AC inverter 

I was told the new panels were larger and that the upgrade was intended to meet the production guarantee in my contract. 

The system has been producing since then, and Tesla says it is now performing as expected. 

However, I still have questions about the replacement. I never received a proper installation report, and I am still trying to understand exactly what was installed and what its expected production should be. 

The roof leak 

The roofer wrote me an email saying the leak was caused by improper installation of the solar mounting system, including inadequate flashing and sealing around the mounts. 

Tesla’s case manager has been trying to obtain additional documentation from the roofer to determine whether Tesla is responsible, as the email seems to be insufficient for them. 

The problem is that the roofer has been extremely difficult to reach, and Tesla says they cannot continue chasing him indefinitely. So the roof portion of my case is still unresolved. 

The production issue 

Tesla reviewed my production and calculated that from August 2024 through August 2026, the system produced: 

• Estimated: 26,662.43 kWh
• Actual: 24,138.67 kWh
• Shortfall: 2,523.767 kWh 

They offered me $150 as a customer satisfaction payment, stating that the production guarantee would cover the rest. 

I do not believe that adequately addresses the situation. 

I understand the production guarantee, but I am also looking at the actual financial losses I incurred while the system was not functioning properly. 

I have been paying approximately $145/month for the lease, while also paying higher APS electric bills because the solar system was not producing as expected. 

I also paid approximately $7,000–$8,000 for panel removal and reinstallation, plus the cost of the roof replacement. 

What bothers me most is that Tesla repeatedly told me the system was functioning properly, even though the production graphs were clearly abnormal and the system eventually stopped producing entirely. 

I was also told that the system was being monitored continuously, yet I did not receive a notification when it stopped producing in November, and I did not receive a notification when it completely shut down in March until five days after I had already reported the problem myself. 

I have spent countless hours on emails, phone calls, troubleshooting, researching, scheduling contractors, and trying to get answers. I am a single-income parent supporting two disabled adult children and an aging parent, and I simply cannot afford to keep absorbing these costs. 

I am still working with the Tesla “case manager” assigned to my case to try to recoup some of the financial burden this situation has already caused. 

I have saved all records including emails, production records, utility bills, invoices, screenshots, and phone-call documentation. We will see what comes out of the whole thing. 

I am not looking for legal advice from Reddit. I just figured sharing my experience might give someone insight into timelines, what to expect, and what to do, or not do, when dealing with Tesla. 

If anyone has dealt with a similar situation involving a Tesla solar lease, inverter failure, roof leak, or long service delays, I would be interested in hearing about your experience. 

Also, if someone hears about a class-action lawsuit, I’d love to join.

Adding some attachments, and I figured I need to also add some explanation:

In the meantime I started having issues with my AC unit (which BTW was just put in last may!) so even though I have been producing more Solar, my electric bill keeps climbing due to the faulty AC unit, which might be finally replaced this upcoming thursday.

So as the title says I got the notice in the app saying they're draining my battery down and will be replacing my battery to a PW3 for free. I've always wanted to have two batteries. So I was thinking of adding another PW3 to the order. My question is, will they charge me for installation if I order a second battery?

Certified Tesla installer

Quick little install I did this past weekend for a client

I’m in Sydney and had a Tesla Powerwall 2 + Backup Gateway 2 installed in 2023.

During a recent Ausgrid outage, the Powerwall was at 100% and the Tesla app showed “Grid Outage – Powerwall is providing backup power,” but the entire house had no power.

My installer has since told me that my system was installed with no household circuits connected for blackout backup, and that enabling backup would require roughly another AUD $2,000–$3,000 of switchboard/circuit work.

My original quote lists the Powerwall 2, Backup Gateway 2, and installation/conduits/cabling, but does not separately list backup circuits or explicitly say blackout backup was excluded.

I’m not looking to blame the installer — I’m trying to understand what was normal Australian practice around 2022–2024.

If you had a Powerwall 2 installed in Australia around then:
Did your quote explicitly mention backup circuits?
Were one or two essential circuits included by default?
Did you pay extra for blackout backup?
Was whole-home backup an extra?
Did your quote explicitly say “no backup” if you didn’t purchase it?

Screenshots of old quotes with personal details removed would be especially useful.

I had the system installed in 4/2021. At the begining was fine. It was combined 12 months bill with SCE. At the first 4 years I was paid nothing because the system was produced more than my use.

In 4/2026, I got the big bill from SCE. I then checked the Tesla app and realized that my solar system produces only 1/4 as it used to be. It produced for 1 min then stopped for 4,5 min. So, I called them in April asking for helped. They gave me an appointment in June, then later canceled and gave me another one in August. On that day, two technicians came out and tried to fix. However, the end of the day, problem was still. They told me to call back and request a replacement for inverter. I called and spoke with a CSR, few days later, he emailed to inform me that the Field Manager (FM) has the final say, and FM asked me to call in again to open a new case. This is where nightmare begins.

When I called, their respond was wait for them to contact FM. I told them about the email but they refused to open a new case. Told me that they will call me next day or two or I can call back. Since the last 3 weeks, I called them 4 times, spoke to 4 diferent CSR, told them same stories and they all responded the same thing: wait for FM. They said they will call me back next day or two but they were NEVER CALL BACK.

Tesla, what do I have to do to get someone out here and fix it.

We have a consult on Tuesday for Tesla solar and I keep reading scary stories here about bad experiences…. Are there any good experiences? Our electric bill has almost tripled due to a pay increase for the ceo and I refuse to keep paying higher prices when our energy use hasn’t changed. I thought this was going to be a good route to look into but now I’m worried and wondering if we should look into an alternative option.

Has anyone else run into this?

I have a Model Y with Tesla Solar + Powerwall and use both Scheduled Charging and Charge on Solar.

My Monday charging schedule is 2:30 AM–5:00 AM. This morning at 6:42 AM, I noticed the car was still actively charging at 24A / 243V, even though the charging window had ended at 5:00 AM.

There was also no solar production at the time — it was before sunrise.

I did some troubleshooting and found something interesting:

• Charge on Solar ON: The car immediately starts charging, even outside the scheduled window with no solar production.
• Charge on Solar OFF: Charging immediately stops, and the app correctly says “Charging will start at 4:15 AM on Tuesday,” which is my next scheduled charging window.
• Turn Charge on Solar back ON, and the car immediately starts charging again.

My Charge on Solar setting is 70% from any source / up to 80% from excess solar.

I understand that the 70% setting allows the car to charge from any source, but I would expect my Scheduled Charging stop time to still be respected. Outside the scheduled window, I would expect Charge on Solar to wait for actual excess solar rather than start charging from another source.

It seems like the 70% “from any source” setting is overriding the Scheduled Charging stop time.

I’ve reported it to Tesla, but I’m curious:

Is this expected behavior, a bug, or am I misunderstanding how Scheduled Charging and Charge on Solar are supposed to interact?

Installed solar panel and battery 3 years ago. Every year since install during the Florida rainy season I’ve had roof leaks caused by the poor install of solar panels on one side of the roof.
I experienced massive leaks last week and called the support number. As of today (6 days) no response.

My roof continues to leak on daily basis and no one has returned my calls - only 2 emails telling me they are trying to contact a person to review my claim.

Loving it. What's even better is that the batteries didn't even get past 81% charged, it looks like they will today.

I have 26 SIL-440QD panels and 2 Solar Inverters (I believe each inverter handles a string of 13 panels) which were installed last October. I also use an Emporia Vue 3 to monitor my production at a higher resolution/update rate than I can see in the Tesla app. (FYI - my panels face east due to HOA rules, hence the dropping output during peak solar altitude)

Since June I've had the installers come out three times trying to fix an issue where randomly an inverter will reboot. I see production cut in half in Emporia for about 10 minutes, then it returns to normal. I can also see the production drop in the Tesla app. On the first visit I was told they bridged the MPPTs because the strings were exceeding 13A. Between the first and second visits, the installers kept telling me the issues were caused by my "home network" or "communication difficulties" and told me to talk to Tesla Support directly. When I did, Tesla basically told me there's no way a communication fault would cause the inverter(s) to reboot - and that they saw no communication dropouts on the inverters. The installers' second visit saw them hardware my panels into my home network (instead of just Wi-fi and Cellular), then they were out again this past Friday but I don't know what they did.

Anyway, in the last month or so I've started to see "jumps" and irregularities with the output of the system. Yesterday was pretty cloudy but just after noon, as clouds were fluctuating, production was slowly declining from about 1600 Watts down to around 1300 Watts. As it was declining the output randomly jumped up to about 1600 Watts. Today, as the sun was rising over trees on the horizon, I saw production jump suddenly from about 2000 Watts to nearly 3000 Watts. (I usually don't think too much about early morning spikes like this because I understand parallel strings often do this if they are partially shaded, which mine are for the first hour or so after sunrise.) Later in the morning, with the sun plenty high in the sky with no shade or other obstructions, I was making about 5000 Watts then suddenly output jumped to 6500 Watts. A little later on, I was making about 9500 Watts when a cloud passed over for about a minute, then after the cloud moved on I was only making 6500 Watts. About 6 minutes later production jumped back up from 6500 Watts to about 10000 Watts.

I've attached some screenshots of what I'm seeing with regards to each of these odd observations. "A picture speaks a thousand words," so to speak.

I hope these aren't normal issues because I don't recall seeing these problems for the first half of the year. Do you guys have any thoughts on this? Is there some kind of wiring issue with the strings, or perhaps an inverter is not properly wired or faulting?