New Tesla Owner Finds The Model 3 & Rooftop Solar To Be A Winning Combination
Electric cars and residential rooftop solar enable millions of people around the world to clean up their carbon footprint without sacrificing quality of life. One lucky lady shared the sustainability journey she went on with her family, first adopting an electric car and later a rooftop solar system from Tesla.
One happy Tesla owner. Image courtesy: Tesla
Carolyn Donlin had a dream of shrinking the carbon footprint of her transportation, and like many of us, found herself in a hybrid as the best compromise at the time. Years later when Tesla came out with the more affordable Model 3, Carolyn jumped into a fully electric, bright red Tesla Model 3.
The way she tells it, Carolyn fell in love with the Model 3 to the point of returning to the Tesla store just to say thanks to the salesman who sold her the car. He asked if she had considered renting Tesla Solar panels, and as a result of the overwhelmingly positive experience with the Model 3, she bit. She had been interested in adding solar to her home for years, but was dissuaded from actually pulling the trigger on a system by the less than upstanding sales tactics used by some firms.
Image courtesy: Tesla
Hearing about solar again from a trusted Tesla representative, and specifically about Tesla’s new solar rental program, she quickly jumped in with both feet. After some discussion about her specific setup and roof configuration, she moved forward with the process with Tesla.
This is a powerful statement about not just the power of Tesla’s brand, but about the current approach to direct-to-consumer solar sales. The tactics being used otherwise are akin to used car sales in just about every case. I regularly review solar contracts for friends and family and consistently find solar sales representatives from a wide range of companies trying to trick customers into signing contracts that are, frankly, terribly written. Starting power rates that are above current market prices, murky variable annual increases that leave customers exposed, and high-pressure sales tactics are just some of the issues.
Image courtesy: Tesla
On the other hand, Tesla seems to be pursuing Solar sales as a natural build on its brand. Easing customers into the Tesla ecosystem with a car that typically exceeds expectations is a brilliant way to crack the door open to offer solar as an intuitive complement to an electric vehicle. Granted, this is only one story out of hundreds and is not representative of the masses adopting solar across the country and around the world, but it is a story we hear often.
Customers are clamoring for Tesla’s new solar roof. With every article I write about the Solarglass Roof, I have numerous incoming requests for help getting people connected to the Tesla Solarglass Roof team. Many people have been waiting for the product to be available for new home construction (and it is now) or available in their geography. The demand is clearly there.
Image courtesy: Tesla
Tesla opening up traditional solar systems to customers through $100 down and a flat fee per month gets rid of ugly power purchase agreement contracts, instead offering customers a simple, low-risk option for trying out solar on their home. After taking the plunge, Carolyn is thrilled at the results. From a recent blog post, she said (emphasis added):
“Before solar, our utility bill ranged from $140 – $200 per month. I didn’t realize how significant the savings margin could be, until I received my first bill. Our utility bill was only $33. It has not been less than $100 since 1997 when my husband and I moved into our home. We are paying $65 per month under the subscription program and with our $33 utility bill, we’re saving more than $40 per month. Annually, it’s like being gifted a round trip ticket from California to New York. Subscribing to solar is truly the most affordable way to charge my Tesla and power our home.“
All in all, making the decision to go solar for her household has let Carolyn enjoy Tesla products and save money on electricity at the same time. She talked about how easy the Tesla app makes it to view her solar production, which has opened her eyes to when she uses power. That made a Powerwall something she is now considering for the future.
To save $100 on a new Tesla Solar system or get free Supercharging miles with the purchase of a new Tesla, use my Tesla Referral code for your purchase: http://ts.la/kyle623. Doing so gives both of us a nice little bonus and allows me to cover Tesla even better in the future.
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