Whether you are installing solar panels or a solar roof, installation times are an important consideration when setting up your schedule. Depending on the size and complexity of your system, installation times can take a shorter or longer duration.
Since home designs vary depending on your area, taking the time to understand how long your Tesla Solar installation time will give you a better idea of what to expect during installation. In this guide, we will explore Tesla Solar installation times in-depth and identify the key time differences between Solar roof and solar panel installations.
Tesla Solar Installation Times
Tesla Solar installation times can range from a single day to one weeks. During this time, a Tesla crew will be working on the property and close off specific areas around the installation site for work and safety purposes.
This time range is determined by five specific variables that affect Tesla Solar installation times.
- Preparing for installation
- Size and complexity of your home
- Tesla Solar roofs
- Tesla Solar panels
- Adding a Powerwall to your Tesla Solar installation
The unique features of your home and the choice between solar panels or a solar roof will determine the length of time necessary for installing your system. In every case, the installation process works the same way and will require you to go through the same steps to ensure the installation can proceed smoothly.
Tesla Solar Installation Overview
The Tesla Solar Installation process works the same way for both solar panel and solar roof systems. During the scheduled time of installation, the Tesla crew will arrive at your home and show you the areas that will be tapered off by safety cones and caution tape during the installation.
For the purposes of the installation, the Tesla Crew will need easy and ready access to any electrical equipment inside your home. Someone who is 18 years or older must be present during the installation as the crew traverses between the installation site and your electrical equipment.
At certain locations, ladders will be placed to provide easy access to your roof for the installers, so they can begin the installation. During the installation, the power must be turned off for 1-3 hours. And for installations including a Powerwall, the power must be turned off for 6-8 hours.
In the case of Tesla solar panels, you can expect most installations to take a single day. If your home is larger with a more complex system, then installation can take up to two or more days.
Preparing for Installation
Before the installation begins, there are some steps you can take to prepare in advance. This will make the process of installing your system much easier for the Tesla Crew and prevent any safety issues. Taking the time to go through these extra steps can help reduce installation time of your system.
When viewing the Tesla website on Tesla Solar installations, you will find some steps you can take to prepare for the installation. According to the Tesla support team, here are some of the things you can do to prepare and avoid any complications during the installation process:
- Make sure to get approval for the installation from a homeowner’s association if you are a member of one
- Make sure no workers or contractors are on site during installation to avoid any complications
- Keep pets indoors and away from the work site to ensure the safety of the workers
- Have at least one person who is 18 years or older at home during the first hour of the installation
- Empty any cars from your driveway, clear any potentially breakable objects from your yard, and make to provide easy and safe access to your electric panel
For more information on how the installation process works, you can visit the Tesla website here for Solar Roof installation and here for solar panels installation. You can find a more comprehensive review of how the installation process works and what to expect.
Size and Complexity of Your Home
When installing Tesla Solar systems, the installation times can more widely vary depending on the size and complexity of the home. Larger homes with more complex electrical systems require additional time, as this will require the Tesla crew to put more effort towards working with your equipment.
For Tesla solar panels, this additional time translates into one or more days for the installation. During the installation, someone 18 or older must be home for the first hour of the installation. And if there is any electrical equipment inside the Tesla crew needs access to, then someone must be present inside during the entire installation.
Tesla Solar roofs take longer to install compared to solar panels to begin with. If you live in a larger home this translates into a one to two week installation time before the Tesla crew will finish. Just like with the solar panels, someone 18 or older must be present throughout the installation if any electrical equipment is inside your home.
Tesla Solar Roofs
Generally speaking, you can expect Tesla Solar roofs to take much longer to install compared to solar panels. Solar roofs require the reconstruction of the entire roof for the system to work properly. For this reason, Tesla Solar roofs cost more due to the extended amount of time dedicated to fitting solar tiles onto roofs.
Until recently, Tesla Solar roofs took around two weeks to install. This was largely due to the smaller audience solar roofs had and the lack of efficiency in the installation process.
- Until 2018, Tesla Solar roofs were only installed in the homes of Tesla employees and executives.
- Since then, the installation process has been streamlined to Tesla customers.
Back in 2019, a Tesla solar installer confirmed that an installation took 12 days to complete. Since then, installation times have lowered drastically and Tesla reports now that the average installation should only take one week to complete.
This reduction in installation time has resulted in a decrease in construction costs associated with Tesla Solar roofs. Compared to solar panels, Tesla Solar roofs are still more expensive. However, this lowering in overall costs due to decreased construction times is a positive development for both customers and Tesla Solar roof production.
Tesla Solar Panels
One noticeable advantage of Tesla solar panels over Tesla Solar roofs are the decreased cost and shorter installation time. Whereas Tesla Solar roofs take approximately a week to install, Tesla solar panels only take a day to install on average.
Tesla Solar Panels are less labor intensive. This is reflected in the lower installation times typically seen with solar panel installations. Keep in mind that Tesla will still need work with your utility company to gain their permission to operate your system. This can result in an additional one to six weeks before you can operate your system.
Unlike Tesla Solar roofs, solar panels do not require any extensive reconstruction of your home’s roof. Once the solar panels are mounted onto your home’s roof, the only other step is to hook up the solar panels to your electrical system, so you can start powering your home with solar.
Adding a Powerwall to Your Tesla Solar Installation
Before installing solar panels or a solar roof, you will be given the option to add a Powerwall to your Tesla Solar setup. The Powerwall functions as a secondary electrical storage system for your home that can store excess energy from your solar panels or solar roof.
During the initial part of the Powerwall installation, you will need to turn off the power for 6-8 hours compared to the typical 1-3 hours required for Tesla Solar installations.