Tesla Solar Panels (Formally SolarCity)

I was told that the 3 percent plus they charge you is the same increase that Nevada Energy charges. That is why it is 3 percent up each year. The fact is that Nevada Energy had a 14 percent decrease in every year that SolarCity rented their systems. They also told other lies to get to rent their system. The cost after 5 years is more money to SolarCity than the electric company charges by far. They don't care. They received $13000 from the government and $3500 from Nevada Energy right after the contract is signed. They refuse to even talk about fixing the contract to offset overpricing. They will do nothing. My only hope is that I die and my son will cancel the contract as in the contract I signed.

Bottom Line: No, I would not recommend this to a friend

I had my panels installed in December of 2015. I was told by the salesman that "It's a great investment and you'll save a ton of money on your energy bill." So when I got my first SCE Bill and it was $17.00 I went woohoo!

Fast forward to the summer months, and the woohoo went away. My bill was supposed to be around $170.00 in the summer, which isn't too bad. But my bill has been upwards of $250 plus. When I contacted customer service and asked why, I was told, "Well, let's see...ohh, umm (clearing voice) it looks like your panels are over-producing." I said, "well, what can we do?" She said, "I'm sorry, nothing". I said, "So this is going to be my bill..?" She said, "No, it may go higher."

I was so livid! I'm actually selling my home hopefully soon, and I promise, I'll never do this again. As far as recommending SolarCity (Tesla) STAY AWAY! Not unless you want to spend 20 years paying off $16-$30K in panels. A complete rip!

BTW, they told me, "When you sell your home, you can add the price of the panels to your appraisal." FALSE! My realtor said I'll be lucky if I get 40% of what I paid.

Bottom Line: No, I would not recommend this to a friend

SolarCity installed the solar panels on my roof 3 and 1/2 years ago. Since then I had had major electrical problem from day one that took them a year to fix. Finally, when they sent an electrical tech with a 1/2 of brain, I was told by that tech he personally never would have done the job. His statement was there was not enough room in the breaker box. The tech then inserted a wire into a breaker that his counter parts had disconnected. My basement lights and outside outlets then worked again. However, he mentioned my panel is now overloaded.

Now 3 and 1/2 years later my roof has a major leak. Over a month ago SolarCity sent out a tech to inspect. The tech then said I needed a new roof. Why would SolarCity install solar panels on a roof that was in question? I was told at that time the roof was ok. Well, how can a perfectly fine roof need replacing 3 and 1/2 year later? I can tell you why. The roof vent was disrupted when they ran the electrical conduit across the top of it. Also, under the number 5 panel there is a leak. I have been waiting for over a month to find out when the panels can be removed. So I can spend the $12,000 on repairs to my roof. SolarCity, of course, takes no responsibility for there actions, my roof is still leaking, and I have no date on when they will be out to remove the panels for repairs. SolarCity says they have up to 6 months to remove the panels by contract. I hope I still have a house by the time they get here.

They sucked from day one, their workmanship is poor, and they do not stand behind their product. I was told when agreeing to install the panels I would save money on my electrical bills. Well, my electrical bills are no less than they were before the panels as they do not work during the winter months, when it rains or if it is cloudy. I have not saved a dime and have had nothing put grief. Do not get burned like I have, this company sucks bad.

Bottom Line: No, I would not recommend this to a friend

I made a reservation to have a rep from SolarCity come to my home for a site inspection to determine the appropriate location for installing solar panels. I was required to make a $500 refundable deposit in order to schedule an appointment. A week before the appointment, I emailed the rep to cancel the appointment. He quickly replied, "Why?" I said I changed my mind. He quickly replied, "Is it the cost?" I wouldn't go further into the conversation and simply requested a refund of my deposit. That was October 2018. Three months later, after numerous phone calls and emails to the company, and SolarCity is still dragging its feet to return my deposit. Such rotten customer service for an overpriced product. Save yourself money, regrets, and grief, and AVOID this company like the PLAGUE.

Bottom Line: No, I would not recommend this to a friend

If you look closely, do you see how many negative reviews there are? I now understand what the adage, "If you see smoke, start looking for fire" so it means the number of negative reviews should be a glaring warning. Read the reviews, then read them again, and again, and again.

They're telling you something, and I didn't heed them the first time around. They'll treat everyone with the same disrespect and disinterest once you become a customer. There is no real SolarCity service staff in Las Vegas, no repair inventory. They will special order the item, but that take up 15 days or longer.

Younger folks really don't know great customer service. In my opinion, it used to be so much and was so much better. Now they operate from a sanctuary state, so you can't confront them in your market. If they cared for the customers, there wouldn't so many negative reviews. There are better options in your market, choose from one of those. As customers of SolarCity, we have to suffer. Maybe time for a Class Action?

Bottom Line: No, I would not recommend this to a friend

The roof leaked three weeks after install. Tesla did "courtesy patches" saying the interior damage was not their liability. Multiple emails and no resolution. One email from Tesla agreed they caused the damage.

Bottom Line: No, I would not recommend this to a friend

I have had my solar panels for two years now. Starting about eight months ago, I would get emails from Tesla about every two weeks that there was a problem with my panels and I had to call from home, while it was light out. Hard to do when you work, and it's winter. I would call and they would just have me reset the button. This happened about every two weeks for about two months. I continuously asked to have someone out but was told it was not necessary.

Finally, about three months ago they came out and told me everything was fixed. On June 15th I get an email again about a problem. The service tech came out on 6/19 and told me there was water in the panel box, and it was unsafe, so they had to shut down the panels and replace the box-at a future date of course. Makes me wonder how long it was unsafe before they finally realized it. The panels were shut down in height of energy season and service scheduled for July 3rd from 12 pm-2 pm. Technician called at 3 pm to say it was too hot and he would need to reschedule. The next available date is 7/16, which means a month without the panels and no compensation. I would not recommend this company to anyone.

Bottom Line: No, I would not recommend this to a friend

Is everyone getting together nationwide and filing a case to get out of this horrific contract? Surely with all the lies and more lies, something can be done. I have paid so much money for electric service I know would be able to not pay an electric bill for a couple of months if I had not done these panels with this lying company.

Bottom Line: No, I would not recommend this to a friend

I have never felt so violated by a company as I do with SolarCity. I trusted the salesperson and I find out LIES. My electric cost is higher now than before this company. I HATE paying this scamming company. Anyone find a way out of this contract?

Bottom Line: No, I would not recommend this to a friend

I'm writing this review because I don't want other well-meaning customers to go through what my family and I are going through. The SolarCity reps are really good at selling you on their crummy panels and environmental benefits, not to mention "how much you'll be saving!"

What they fail to mention is that, while you will only be paying dollars and cents per month for taxes and fees to your electricity company, at the end of the year, you have to pay the sum amount of what the solar panels didn't cover. And really, they cover so little that, after all is said and done, whether you're renting the panels or paying for them in full, you're not saving anything, you're paying more. Even in California, with all that sun, what we accrued barely covered a fraction of our consumption for a full household.

Our last bill at the end of 12 months was over $1,000. Who can afford to pay that all at once? The reps neglected to tell us that and only sold us on the ONE good point of the panels, and that's what you save just a little bit of money every month. Depending on how much you're paying a month to the solar company, you may be paying more than you were before and not helping anyone. If they had only told us that from the beginning, I wouldn't feel so slighted. It's the fact that they were so dishonest about it that makes them a bad company.

Bottom Line: No, I would not recommend this to a friend

My hubby thought he was doing a good thing in trying to help the environment by getting solar panels, but it has been an absolute nightmare now that we are selling! So many things that we were told were lies. If you decide to get solar panels definitely do your homework and stay away from SolarCity! It’s been a terrible experience, and we are now having to get lawyers involved.

Bottom Line: No, I would not recommend this to a friend

They are a high dollar electric bill. I have paid out more for my electric bill than I ever have in my adult life. Between the SolarCity bill and the lower electric bill, I am paying almost $500.00 a month. Before, the worst piece of paper I ever have signed my electric for in August in Texas was $330.00. So, BEWARE PEOPLE. Don't be fooled like I was!

Bottom Line: No, I would not recommend this to a friend

This company is a disaster! They lied about EVERYTHING. They told me there was no charge for the panels, that I would never have an electric bill other than taxes and fees from the power company, that they were able to get my VERY small house 95% coverage, and that there was no way I would EVER use that mush power. LIES!

I got my first full months bill, and it was two times the amount I paid BEFORE I made the MISTAKE of going solar. They give you three days to back out of the contract after you sign it, but in my case, it was four MONTHS before they EVEN started, and once everything was done another six MONTHS before they were able to turn it on! All they did was apologize over and over again. And now this. Unless you purchase the panels and even then I'm not so sure, but STAY AWAY from Solar City!

I see now why they have so many class actions suits against them. Just look it up BEFORE you talk to them!

Bottom Line: No, I would not recommend this to a friend

SolarCity sold us on the system but could not deliver on their promises. First off, they told us that our electric bill would be almost ZERO and that the ONLY bill would be from Solar City. When I asked the salesman what would happen if it wasn't, he said that they would come out and add more panels. SOLD!

Two years later our electric bill is triple of what SolarCity's bill is. When I called on them a year ago to come out and add more panels, they said they would have to tear the old system down and recreate a new system. I said whatever it takes. They told me that they are no longer working in Nevada and that they can't help me. That's the first problem!

The second problem is we're moving and want to rent the home out. Because of this, the renters would need to be responsible for their utility bill. SolarCity said they do have the means to do that and because I'm on TBD contract, it's my responsibility. Which means I can't even rent the place out unless I pay the solar bill!

If you want to solidify any hopes of not renting your home out, or you don't want to see the promised savings, or the support disappears due to the local electric company changing their protocol, SolarCity is for you. Otherwise, avoid these scam artists like you would the plague!

Bottom Line: No, I would not recommend this to a friend

The SolarCity rep (Shaun Monet), promised that our system would save us anywhere from $20 to $50 each month on our current electric bill. After spending half a day discussing SolarCity's new PPA program and showing us how much we will save on our bill, he has us electronically sign a lease agreement for 20 years. Upon this discovery, we were told that we couldn't change the agreement as we were past the allocated time for change or cancellation. We are now paying more for our electric service than we were paying to National Grid. Mr. Monet has left their employment and we are now stuck with this B.S.

Bottom Line: No, I would not recommend this to a friend

After having solar panels installed by Solar City, I now pay over $500 a year MORE than before. I'm an 87-year-old disabled veteran. I was promised to save at least a $1,000. I've called them umpteen times and get stonewalled. How do I get out of a bad deal?

Bottom Line: No, I would not recommend this to a friend

This is an update after 1.5 years. At this time I feel even more strongly that SolarCity is 100% a scam. They answered my other post with a triad of 100% lies. They did send a field rep out to make my system produce more than it did before. Of course, they did, since I pay for what I produce, not what I use. They also sent a salesman out to try to con me into believing I am saving money. They certainly know how to use smoke and mirrors, but at the end of the day, you will still have an electric bill.

You pay SolarCity, not PG&E. They show pictures of your PG&E bill in their ads, and they are usually $8. This is true, you pay PG&E a transmission fee for the use of their lines. What they don't tell you is that you will also have a SolarCity bill that is higher than what you paid PG&E pre-solar. In addition, you will NEVER sell power back to PG&E, but you will have a true-up at the end of the year. It could get into four figures.

They tell lies larger than the state of Texas. 100% lies 100% of the time.

Bottom Line: No, I would not recommend this to a friend

I was told by my salesman Romeo C. that by purchasing this solar system, I will receive a 30% Federal Tax refund credit from my total purchase. Along with Mosaic, my understanding was I could use the refund for a vacation (that Romeo C. mentioned to me on a recorded call to SolarCity) or pay down the balance of the loan, and I chose the loan to keep my payment at the choice target balance. I would never have purchased this system at the total price of over $36,000 for my home (which is 1,598 total square feet), I would have opted to lease at greater savings to my family.

When I signed the loan documents with Mosaic Inc., I was reassured that we would be receiving the tax refund credit for the 30%. There is a section stating on page 5 that:

SolarCity shall have no financial obligation to Customer regarding actual rebate and incentive amounts received. Customer agrees to pay the Contract Price in full regardless of the actual amount of rebate and/or incentives received.

This made me worry that the incentive was not guaranteed, but like I said I was reassured that I would get the money back. This is one of the main reasons I decided to go forward with the purchase of solar panels opposed to leasing them from SolarCity.

Now after having my taxes prepared on 2/18/17, I was told by my CPA that the 30% Federal Tax refund credit was no longer available and has not been available since the first year it was offered by the IRS, and I would only be eligible for a CARRY FORWARD CREDIT from the IRS. In addition, I was told that the state tax credit refund would be $1,000, and again I was told I would be able to do whatever I wanted with this refund from the state. My CPA informed me that the state of Arizona has never given a credit or refund for residential energy. I was blatantly lied to again.

I have seen claims and reviews with the BBB from other customers that state they were lied to and were promised these incentives to get the sale for solar panels from SolarCity, and they did not learn about these complete misrepresentations until they prepared their taxes.

When I contacted Solar City and spoke to a Customer Care Specialist, I was disregarded and told to refer to my Loan Agreement, which I quoted above. The specialist Viridiana B. did not seem to care that their sales professionals were misleading and lying to their customers about incentives and refunds. A salesman has to know the product they are selling, and if they cannot guarantee something, then be honest and inform your potential customers so they can make a decision based on the facts presented and are not completely shocked to learn the truth months after the documents are signed, and the installation is complete.

I am continuing to wait for the company to research my complaint. I want to believe SolarCity cares about their customers and are outraged at the lengths their sales team has gone to get a sale when I would have benefited a great deal more with a lease.

Bottom Line: No, I would not recommend this to a friend

I don't even know where to begin.

My family was approached by two Solar City representatives at Home Depot, and my family did initially have the interest to go solar, so we decided, why not? My mom made the appointment for a Solar City representative to come to the house and show us a presentation. The representative came, and my mom and family were definitely sold. They were so excited!

The representative informed us that he's going to be there every step of the way and will come over once the plans are complete and go over the details. We made an appointment for an audit and measurement. The representative told us that he was going to be there. Well, guess what folks? He never showed up!

The man that came to do the audit is very nice, and he spent a considerable amount of time in the attic in which it was during the summer time, and it gets super hot up there. We offered the man water and we were very nice. My mom tried multiple times to contact the representative, and he didn't bother to pick up or call back. Then, instead of getting the blueprints and paperwork and the representative that was SUPPOSED to come and go over it with us, my mom was bombarded with emails asking to "please approve so we may proceed with the install." She was shocked!

Oh and I forgot to mention that my family spent over $10,000 for a brand new roof that was only a year old. She looked at the multiple pages so confused and saw the blueprints. Instead of a higher kWh system, they gave blueprints for an even LOWER kWh system instead of the higher one we were promised by the representative. And guess what folks? The representative STILL hasn't responded or even called us back after many voicemails left!

My mother called Solar City to complain. She informed the girl of what the representative had initially promised and was promised to be at every appointment. The girl apologized and stated that she's going to email the representative and his boss and stated that someone will get in touch with her. During this time, my mother kept getting bombarded with emails asking for approval! One year later, she received no phone call from upper management, never heard from the rep, nothing.

Not today, 2/21/17, when my mom received a letter from Solar City stating they are going to cancel and cancel the signed agreement. First of all, my mother and family NEVER signed an agreement! Also, she told them in the past that due to the poor customer service, my family is no longer interested. Secondly, we are not going to risk our brand new roof that cost so much over emails.

My mother is going to file a complaint, and I've never seen her so upset. We're going to make an appointment with another Solar Company this spring and pray that we won't go through hell with them like we did with Solar City.

Bottom Line: No, I would not recommend this to a friend

We have tried to spend $45,000 with this company for eight to ten weeks. SolarCity is long on inexperienced people. We worked with COUNTLESS persons, all who over promised and under delivered.

We are architects and KNOW houses and structures. We have a complete set of architectural drawings on our home. SolarCity's staff had no clue how to read the drawings. Trying to reach a manager or someone who could get this project off the ground was impossible.

TESLA is making a HUGE mistake by acquiring this company.

Bottom Line: No, I would not recommend this to a friend

The agents, all are very nice and polite. They claim "all calls are recorded." They call you with updates, act as a friend, (asking about the weather, their weather, out sick, etc.) as if they want to help you. I asked many questions and which I still have my emails. When it's time to sign, the agent went right through the process, pages in the corners, not explaining anything - just paperwork. And then when it's time to receive a bill about six months later you're stunned because of the misrepresentation. I called to come and find out, I will be paying them $60,000, the monthly payment goes up EVERY 12 months. When I tried to explain, it didn't matter. An email was sent stating, nothing they can do because I signed.

They say it doesn't cost you a penny, that they do write-offs for their taxes (that's what's in it for them, so they say). I would not ever recommend Solar, especially SolarCity, to anyone. I was misled, unfortunately. I really don't want this to happen to anyone. Please make sure that you're okay with all the terms, read through each and every one of them no matter how fast they're going through all the paperwork.

Bottom Line: Yes, I would recommend this to a friend

I walked into Home Depot and was greeted by SolarCity rep. I told her solar power was not for me cause my monthly Edison bill was 35 to 75 dollars per month.

She suckered me into getting the panels installed. It took them 3 months to send out the first bill. $103 just in interest. I told them to take it out because I couldn't afford it. They said it was impossible. I could only send 75 dollars and that was still not easy to send it.

Almost a year later and I owe more than the original price. And the phone calls are coming in every month. It's like signing a contract with the devil himself because I'm 54 and I will never finish paying for it.

Can anyone advise on what to do? I can only think of gathering 50 to 100 people in the same situation and going to BBB, The Federal Trade Commission and finding a lawyer.

It's easier for 100 people to speak than just me alone. All those Solar City people knew that these panels weren't for me but they just care about the money.

Bottom Line: No, I would not recommend this to a friend

I am about to buy a home with Solar City panels on it, and deciding to do so was a TOUGH decision, and what I learned is worth listening to. Figuring out if SolarCity will save you money is tricky business indeed.

Situations vary, so first, ask yourself “Will these panels be even partially shaded much of the day?” If the answer is yes, throw up a big red flag. Even partial shading all but destroys production, as this is a series circuit in essence.

If your panels will get sun for a whole bunch of the day, then you may do OK. If you see shading being a problem for a good chunk of the day you probably won't meet their optimistic estimate of production. In the case of my possible new home, they don't. I pulled the SolarCity reports and verified this. But that's just one issue.

While my case might differ from yours, and you will need to do your own homework, here's what I saw in my case. Basically, your lease month per month start low, then get higher each month increasing 2.9% increase per year. My local utility averages a 1.4% increase per year. This was an immediate red flag. This deal is "rear loaded", meaning that while things might look one way to start out, the balance shifts into their favor year by year.

Exacerbating this issue is that panel efficacy falls off a little each year. How much is a topic of debate, and an unknown, so this is the X factor you can't quite define. SolarCity says .5%, most say 1%, and some say 3-4%. In fairness, I modeled things with the 1% number.

What I found after doing a lot of math (utility rates vary by month, tiers of monthly usage, etc.), is that in the long term the only people making money are Solar City. You just provide them with the location to place panels that THEY own so that THEY get all of the government credits.

The math is tedious to figure out, and I suspect that SC banks on you not trying to do so, but I suspect a majority would find little if any savings over the 20-year term.

The most likely scenario seems to be a) Panels under-perform due to overly optimistic projections up front and b) The rear-loaded payments fool someone into thinking they are doing OK to begin with, but due to the SolarCity payments increasing faster than utility rates, and the panel efficacy falling off each year, the equation is reversed somewhere in the middle, meaning steadily worsening losses as you go through the term. This results in a substantial net loss over the entire term.

The panels on the home I'm going to buy are a losing proposition for 2-3 thousand dollars by my best estimate.

I'm still going to buy the home because I love it and the price is great and I'm asking for a few extras in the sale, so I'm good with the deal.

However, if you are considering SolarCity for your home. think it out carefully and do the math.

You may well find that long term it's a losing deal and that you just made your house less desirable to a good segment of home buyers in the future.

Even if you make a little net money over the term, is it worth having THEIR panels on your roof so that they can be the ones making out like bandits?

I'm sure some will find it a good deal, so you enjoy! But to all I say, proceed with caution and do the math.

Bottom Line: No, I would not recommend this to a friend

I first became acquainted with SolarCity when my neighbor signed up and had their solar system was installed. My neighbor told me that I could really save money each month on my utility bill. At first it was tough to believe so I contacted my brother and found out he already had SolarCity install the panels on his roof and was waiting for the okay to turn on the switch. I was originally paying .05 cents per kwh with TXU but after speaking with a consultant I found out I was really paying around .15 cents per kwh with my Oncor delivery charges and all of the other fees included on my bill. SolarCity ended up being cheaper than what I was paying today. I did the math and it would take over 15 years for my new solar rate to reach where I was paying today from TXU which doesn't include the rate at which utility rates go up each year. Plus, I can buy the system any time after year five if I ever wanted free electricity. Solar City still covers the maintenance of my panels at no cost to me even if I owned the equipment. I decided to sign up.

The next step was an onsite inspection whereby they checked out my roof and found out where the panels would be placed. Then, they designed a plan for my home. There was about a 3 week lag time for them to obtain permits. Yesterday, the crew came to install my system and finished installing all 53 panels in one day. Now I will wait about 7-8 weeks for Oncor to install a new meter and will soon get the okay to "flip the switch" on my system.

I feel good about dealing with SolarCity because they have been professional and informative every step of the way. I highly recommend them. I paid no upfront costs, the installation was totally free, and will pay no costs to maintain the system if anything goes wrong. And best of all, I will be saving over $60 a month on my utility bill.

I have been spreading the word and so far two of my friends have signed up with SolarCity. So far I have recommended 17 friends and relatives and this week 6 have signed up with SolarCIty. Contact me if you want more info.

Bottom Line: Yes, I would recommend this to a friend

More and more both my wife and I are EXTREMELY UNHAPPY with SolarCity’s: performance, lack of honest communication and proper customer service! SolarCity decided to change the design from the original design (due to necessity or on a whim) was not asked for or agreed to by us. They only installed 15% of what we were originally informed that we would get. However; SolarCity then changed our rate from the promised $.16 per kwh. to $.16½ per kwh and then to $.1652 due to the modification. We received NO response to the question of, "Why are we being charged/penalized for something that we had no idea was happening?" If we could afford it, we would have hired a lawyer to handle this case. If nothing else, it would be a case of elder abuse! This is nothing more than thieves that prey on the unsuspecting with promises of helping. They remind me of the convict Bernie Madoff​ and the kind of stuff he pulled. Although we ware now STUCK with them, I NEVER want to hear another LIE from them again. For the first time since I bought this house, I'm looking forward to selling it JUST TO GET RID of these leaches.

Bottom Line: No, I would not recommend this to a friend

Very poor experience. I was asked to get in touch with them so they could review my case. I did, it took another week before someone responded and only after posting another review did someone finally email me. The explanation I was given was that these times sometimes take a couple of week. Well if you were smart enough to check into my problem you would see that it has been month and I am just getting the same answer -- sometimes it takes weeks. Here is a review I found on line from one of your employees:

"Get ready for an organization that makes decisions on a massive scale with little regard for the worker bees out there selling solar. There is a new initiative of the week every week, sometimes more than one. This leaves sales reps confused on what the goal is. Case in point: all focus was on initially signing customers up, then shifted to final contracts. In the process, they are punishing people for having too many…"

Advice to Management:

You have developed a negative sales culture that is hounding prospective customers about solar. I have run into too many people that are sick of SolarCity calls and having 8 different people contact them in a short amount of time -- all calling without any knowledge of the others. SolarCity is getting too big for itself, creating a wake of unhappy prospects and customers along the way.

Bottom Line: No, I would not recommend this to a friend

The whole process was a struggle once everything got started. The inspector who came out had come out twice. The first time he did not take enough measurements. Once the system was designed it was to small to meet my needs. The system was redesigned. The day of installation most of the crew looked very sketchy. They wanted to come in the house, I declined. They said they need to use the bathroom. I felt very uncomfortable with the situation. Later after the installation the inspector did not show. I left hours later. I was called and informed he was there. After the inspection I was told it would be 3 to 4 weeks before the system could be turned on, it has been 7 with no real answers. I guess there is a problem with some type of PTO, must be a secret code they use? I am now being told it may be up to 10 weeks or more and no turn on date is available. Currently I would not recommend them to any one.

Bottom Line: No, I would not recommend this to a friend