For me is a Tesla powerwall and solar package worth it.

My electricity bill is about $1700 for a year. I looked at the Tesla powerwall, though approx cost is about $17000 plus approx 35 thousand for solar panels as well as installation. I figure it would take almost 30 years of more at current electricity rates to break even.

Let alone to take into account replacement battery packs, as well as replacing panels as we know they have a short life. I figure the battery would need to be replaced after 12 to 13 years there another minimum 16 thousand.

So is it really financially viable or a con?

a reply to: robsmith

Seems like you answered your own question. Not to mention if god forbid a battery has an oopsie and like blows up...have you seem what that does in something like one of their cars?

originally posted by: robsmith
My electricity bill is about $1700 for a year. I looked at the Tesla powerwall, though approx cost is about $17000 plus approx 35 thousand for solar panels as well as installation. I figure it would take almost 30 years of more at current electricity rates to break even.

Let alone to take into account replacement battery packs, as well as replacing panels as we know they have a short life. I figure the battery would need to be replaced after 12 to 13 years there another minimum 16 thousand.

So is it really financially viable or a con?

It's a con. Your solar cells lose efficiency from the first year but really lose lots of efficiency after 10 years, as much as 50% in some cases. Expect deep cycle batteries to last 5 years, maybe 8. So, to get a single 10kw/hr 120vac source you need 13 (12vdc) 100 amp hour batteries (157vdc or about 115vac RMS after modulation) with an inverter conversion efficiency of about 95%. So if you need 40kw to charge your tesla, then you need 52 batteries, plus maybe another row of 13 batteries just in case (for 125% of load), that's about $6,500 to $10,000 every 5 to 8 years. Solar cells will have to be changed every 10 years as well, as soon as the loan on them runs out LOL. You're looking at a total investment over 10 years of around $50,000 plus installation. Plus you have to consider that the $50k+ is tied up in solar panels and batteries when it could be making money in bonds, CDC and mutual funds or the stock market. So, maybe that $50k is really costing you $75k+ or $100k++...

Now let's say you drive your tesla 10,000 miles a year for 10 years, that's a "fuel" hard cost of about 50 cents a mile.

However, how much does gas/diesel cost? If you are running a smaller vehicle, let's say diesel at $5.00 a gallon and you're getting 50 miles to the gallon (Volkswagon TDI), that's a fuel hard cost 10 cents a mile. Even a fairly efficient gasoline vehicle, still only 15 to 20 cents a mile.

Hmmmmm, hard choice there LOL

Cheers - Dave

a reply to: robsmith

Seriously you have to ask?
Give it a few years and see where solar energy is at, that’s illogical at the moment

a reply to: Raggedyman

I know Tesla is a wank, just wanted to hear from the fanboys, to say it’s the greatest.

Maybe have a look at this.

Could get a car too. Lol

Seriously. This might be worth it compared long time. He runs theough the math and provides alternates.

35k sounds like a lot for solar. How many kwhs?

Though doing it yourself, i worked out, will actually get you about twice as much energy storage for the same price as long as you can get some good deals on batteries. I worked it out when there was a 50% off sale on batteries. Doing it yourself obviously wont look as neat and tidy as a powerwall…

My dad is going for an LG chem battery. I think he’s getting ripped off kind of like tesla would but obviously LG was more beneficial.

a reply to: DaRAGE

Damn it man, I just looked that video up to post and you've posted it already!

I guess our YouTube algorithms are somewhat aligned.

a reply to: robsmith

Well if you are not on the grid, have a few power supply issues its probably worth considering but there are cheaper and as reliable options
It probably is the greatest but, its not worth it and no, I dont know if its the greatest

Ok you are thinking about this wrong. If your local Electric company will buy your electricity like some areas you can put in enough solar panels to make money in the summer months and reduces the bill to zero and you get a check.


I bought a 5 K system that cost 13,500 turnkey after the rebates.

I don't make much on it but my neighbor put in 20k one at his shop and it totally 100% paid itself in less then 5 years. He laughed at me when I said I got 5k but mine was a starter kit to build up I will add more soon or move away and show them the electric bills. I get rebated and during the daylight time that I am using any electricity the bill is reduced by a penny per kwH (I think that is the right unit).
ETA

No battery for mine, but now you can get one cheaper anyway with some company's offering deals to put a system and pay you money if you let them make money too.
Not sure about the Tesla battery but I like what I see.

originally posted by: robsmith
a reply to: Raggedyman

I know Tesla is a wank, just wanted to hear from the fanboys, to say it’s the greatest.

a reply to: robsmith

Only thing i am really in debt with is electricity/gas, to the tune of around £4000 with "Bulb".

And that's with paying £60 a month without fail just down to the increase in cost over the past decade.

Tell you what's not viable, being able to pay them the £200 a month that they demand.

They are on to plumbs as well because there aint no space in the electrical cupboard board to mount a smart meter. LoL

Should not laugh all the same as its my fecking credit record that's effected.

On topic all the same i dont know whither you would be better off with a Powerwall or not if im honest, seems like a gimmick to me with the technologies in there present condition or stage of development.

This guys math on CO2 of a genartor just does not pass go.


2 million tons of CO2 from a week of Propane use on a genarator. But the fuel probably weighed less than a hundred pounds. The Carbon weighs a known amount and so does the fuel. Idiots doing math without considering the logic are lost doing this.

I wonder who thinks they had enough fuel that the CO2 content alone was metric tons when there was not that much mass in the fuel to make one ton?

originally posted by: DaRAGE
Maybe have a look at this.

Could get a car too. Lol

Seriously. This might be worth it compared long time. He runs theough the math and provides alternates.

35k sounds like a lot for solar. How many kwhs?

Though doing it yourself, i worked out, will actually get you about twice as much energy storage for the same price as long as you can get some good deals on batteries. I worked it out when there was a 50% off sale on batteries. Doing it yourself obviously wont look as neat and tidy as a powerwall…

My dad is going for an LG chem battery. I think he’s getting ripped off kind of like tesla would but obviously LG was more beneficial.

ETA EXAMPLE
When we weigh a sample it includes every molecule in the sample we don't grow mass by the act of burning it up. We run that mass thru an instrument at high temperature and pressures to separate out the molecules/atoms and can tell you precisely to the parts per trillion in some cases how many atoms/molecules were in the sample.

These CO2 examples are brainwashing 101. The truth of some of the other statements make you more ready for the CO2 cultic comments.

originally posted by: robsmith
a reply to: Raggedyman

I know Tesla is a wank, just wanted to hear from the fanboys, to say it’s the greatest.

it would be a sound investment for the guy who buys 100$ worth of lottery tickets every week.
( the lottery is a tax on people who are bad a math)

originally posted by: robsmith
My electricity bill is about $1700 for a year. I looked at the Tesla powerwall, though approx cost is about $17000 plus approx 35 thousand for solar panels as well as installation. I figure it would take almost 30 years of more at current electricity rates to break even.

35K for panels and install sounds far too high, it should be in the 10-15K range at most.

a reply to: robsmith

Better off selling the property and buying somewhere that you can install HYDROPOWER.

That's FREE forever except the small outlay and running costs and the profit if you sell the excess is like hearing falling coins instead of running water.

originally posted by: robsmith
a reply to: Raggedyman

I know Tesla is a wank, just wanted to hear from the fanboys, to say it’s the greatest.

So this thread is nothing but a larp?

Probably easier just to go all in and move to China, instead of funding them from here with China owned Tesla, disposable batteries AND solar panels.
Less likely to spontaneously combust too.

a reply to: robsmith

all I have to add is I have friends that have solar (never to be on house roof) with a wall of batteries. they are happy with it and feel they are providing safety for their family.

they originally bought the Tesla batteries but they could never deliver them. I forget how long they waited till they went with another battery provider.

a reply to: robsmith

all I have to add is I have friends that have solar (never to be on house roof) with a wall of batteries. they are happy with it and feel they are providing safety for their family.

they originally bought the Tesla batteries but they could never deliver them. I forget how long they waited till they went with another battery provider.

a reply to: Mandroid7

Elon Musk is the primary shareholder of Tesla. He does business with China because it would be stupid to let a competitor in before him, but he has no love for the country going by his statements.

As far as other shareholders go, most are based in the United States.

originally posted by: robsmith
My electricity bill is about $1700 for a year. I looked at the Tesla powerwall, though approx cost is about $17000 plus approx 35 thousand for solar panels as well as installation. I figure it would take almost 30 years of more at current electricity rates to break even.

Let alone to take into account replacement battery packs, as well as replacing panels as we know they have a short life. I figure the battery would need to be replaced after 12 to 13 years there another minimum 16 thousand.

So is it really financially viable or a con?

CON !! I worked for a very large utility with the highest renewable megawatt generation in the world. I helped develop their "green energy" strategies. Among them, the residential solar program, and EV program. Your math is right on target and your cost analysis is dead on. Even with government incentives and promotions from the utility, The average payback for a residential customer at rising kwh rates projected forward for 5 years, is a 25 year payback. In other words, you don't start getting any money back from utility even if you're selling kwh back to them through net metering is decades. Don't get me started on EV's. They're both costly scams for the consumer.