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Homeowner shares honest thoughts one month after upgrading home with futuristic Tesla technology: 'Not [the] end of the world'

Even a small system can be a fantastic way to save big money on your monthly energy bills.

One Reddit user revealed how their household profits off their solar panel system by using the excess energy to charge their Tesla.

Photo Credit: iStock

A homeowner took to Reddit to sing the praises of their new solar panel system after a month of owning it. 

Posting in the r/solar subreddit, they shared that they'd installed a 4.4-kilowatt solar system on their home in California along with a new, energy-efficient heat pump to go with it. They absolutely loved it.

One Reddit user revealed how their household profits off their solar panel system by using the excess energy to charge their Tesla.
Photo Credit: Reddit

They explained that the system had more than enough power to keep their heat running, even during winter, and that they used the excess energy to charge their Tesla, rather than selling it back to their municipal power company, as they'd have to buy it back later.

They added that their power usage was fully offset by the panels, meaning they paid next to nothing for their electricity and ran an incredibly efficient home in terms of energy usage. The system cost around $10,000 after a tax credit. 


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The post highlights that even a small solar system can be a fantastic way to save big money on your monthly energy bills. If you want to get started on your solar journey, EnergySage has free tools to get quick installation estimates and quotes.

EnergySage can help you find the system that's right for you and connect you with trusted local installers while also allowing you to curate bids to save money. Their free tools can save you up to $10,000 on your installation. 

Its free mapping tool allows you to see what the average cost of a solar system is on a state-by-state basis and also lets you find available rebates and discounts to ensure you're getting the best deal possible. 

Pairing your panels with battery storage is a fantastic way to go off-grid and provide stability and safety during power outages and storms. EnergySage has free tools to help you find the system that's right for you and get competitive quotes on getting it installed. 

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Commenters were shocked by how little energy the poster used. 

"Without batteries even my system would be under 25K and it's about 20kw but wow 100% offset. You must sip power," one said.

What's the most you'd pay per month to put solar panels on your roof if there was no down payment?

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I'd only do it if someone else paid for it 😎

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Another questioned the ability to save money without a battery. 

"NEM3 without a battery is tough," they said. "If you are on NEM3 it is California, where in California limits PV installations to 100% of the previous 12 months? I hadn't heard of that before in California."

"I mean, partly true, but my utility pays me .07 and retail rate is 0.15, so not end of the world," the poster responded, "The 100% rule is specific to my utility."

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