The electric car company offers a strong warranty and top-of-the-line energy storage. It also promises to cost less.

While most people likely know Tesla as an electric car company, it took a major step into the solar business with its 2016 purchase of the solar company SolarCity, which was founded by cousins of Tesla CEO Elon Musk.

Tesla offers four sizes of solar panel installations measured in kilowatts: 4.25, 8.5, 12.75 and 17kW. Tesla allows you to package your solar panel purchase with a Powerwall, its well-regarded battery system that can store power for use during surge pricing, outages, or after the sunsets.

First foray

Tesla’s first foray into solar power was not with panels, but with storage. Its Powerwall battery is still one of the top choices in the industry, to the point that other major solar companies offer the Powerwall with their installations.

Powerwall

Powerwall can hold 14 kilowatt-hours of energy. Tesla says it has the ability to power most appliances, though full use of larger 240-volt appliances like air conditioners and clothes dryers may require more batteries. How long 14 kilowatt-hours lasts depends on how much energy you use, but if you avoid using energy-intensive appliances like washers, dryers or air conditioners, it should last you a couple of days at least. (Keep in mind your solar panels will provide power during the day and possibly recharge your Powerwall, weather permitting.)

Tesla solar inverter

The final bit of hardware is the Tesla solar inverter, which converts the direct current electricity your panels generate into alternating current that your house can use. A key metric here is efficiency. Tesla’s solar inverter operates at 97.5% efficiency, according to the company. That puts it near the top end of what’s typical.

When everything is up and running, you can monitor it all from the slick-looking app Tesla offers its users. Via the app you can monitor your energy production and usage. If you have a Powerwall, you can also customize how it operates. You can set how much charge you’d like your Powerwall to reserve for outages, boost its reserve when a storm is approaching, and adjust when you draw energy from your Powerwall based on time of day.

Powerwall is considered the industry leader in batteries. It made Tesla’s device different.

Source: https://www.cnet.com/home/energy-and-utilities/tesla-solar-panels-might-be-the-most-affordable-option-heres-what-you-need-to-know/