Tesla powerwall (certified installer ??)

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ecohouse

Member
Location
Columbus, Ohio
We are looking to gain access to purchasing tesla powerwalls to accompany our PV installs. Has anyone completed the Certified Installer Application and following reqs?

Is this the only way to get your hands on these? (legally of course)

Any further info would be appreciated when it comes to this topic, we are in the process of completing and submitting our application to Tesla.

Thank you
 

pv_n00b

Senior Member
Location
CA, USA
As far as I know you have to be on their train if you want their product. This is actually the usual way for many of the energy storage systems right now. Unlike PV inverters and most PV modules these systems are not for sale through distributors. They are controlling the product from manufacturing to installation very closely to insure the product is installed correctly. It would only take a few ham handed installs that failed and burned a house down to show up in the news and these folks would be hit hard. Become a certified installer, get the training, and enjoy. Learning the proper way to sell these systems to customers is harder than installing them.
 

iwire

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Massachusetts
They are controlling the product from manufacturing to installation very closely to insure the product is installed correctly. It would only take a few ham handed installs that failed and burned a house down to show up in the news and these folks would be hit hard.

Let's be honest here, they are controlling it to make more money and for no other reason.

As far as the ham handed, the installation and wiring is not rocket science it's just electrical work.
 

jaggedben

Senior Member
Location
Northern California
Occupation
Solar and Energy Storage Installer
For the record, the Powerwall is being sold through distributors. But the distribution channel is tightly controlled, I gather by legal agreement, so you still have to have Tesla's approval to get product.

To the OP: My company is in the same boat. I'd offer advice but I don't think I have any knowledge you don't.
 

ggunn

PE (Electrical), NABCEP certified
Location
Austin, TX, USA
Occupation
Electrical Engineer - Photovoltaic Systems
For the record, the Powerwall is being sold through distributors. But the distribution channel is tightly controlled, I gather by legal agreement, so you still have to have Tesla's approval to get product.
I think that's a good idea from SolarEdge and Tesla's perspective. Battery systems are easy to screw up in ways that destroy (expensive) batteries, and SolarEdge and Tesla are on the hook for the warranty.
 

jaggedben

Senior Member
Location
Northern California
Occupation
Solar and Energy Storage Installer
How hard is it to become a Certified Installer?

Seems to be pretty hard and depend on having connections. It's not simply that you satisfy some requirements and then they tell you you are certified. Just an educated guess, but I suspect they are in no real hurry to certify a lot of independent installers as long as Solar City can use most of the product being produced.

I'll be honest, if I knew the strategy to get certified earlier I'd not share it here, lest someone take better advantage than my company. If we get certified I might be willing to offer advice to people in other states via PM, but not publicly.
 
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