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Tesla Solar Sales Declined for 4 Qtrs. Then Tesla Stopped Publishing the Numbers

(cleantechnica.com)
171 points elsewhen | 4 comments | 09 Apr 25 12:41 UTC | HN request time: 0s | source
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boringg ◴[09 Apr 25 13:31 UTC] No.43631867[source]▶
Can I add that outside of the political commentary because thats mainly the only reason this is on hackernews.

There are mounting challenges in climate tech - specifically in residential solar: 1. Residential solar has been under punishing economic headwinds. Tariffs (before this) against imported PV. The market has not been performing. 2. Many of the Public Utilities are making it very difficult for solar to work out financially for home owners - see CPUC in California changing the terms of NEM to the advantage of the Utilities as an example. 3. Energy storage in residential markets has ALWAYS been an insurance product/backup power and not a financially beneficial product. It is tough competition against generators etc 4. Utilities are wisening up and increasing their fees and reducing the benefits of on site power generation. 5. Residential solar has likely already found all the best home owners (ie lowest CAC) so are now pursuing harder to reach.

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1. Mashimo ◴[09 Apr 25 13:48 UTC] No.43632066[source]▶
Rare win for Germany, the the land of bureaucracy, made it easy to install *small* residential solar.

You can buy small solar panels in the supermarket, and plug them into the wall socket, which normally is a no no. Per household a maximum of 800 watt though.[1] For more you need something proper that does not just connect via a normal wall socket.

[1] Maybe also 2000 watt but only 800 feed into the grid?

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2. Gasp0de ◴[09 Apr 25 14:08 UTC] No.43632327[source]▶
You can have up to 2000W panels with an inverter up to 800W. Note that the 800W is what you're allowed to produce, not feed in, but it can still be beneficial to overprovision panels because with 800W of panels you won't produce 800W of power in mornings, evenings and winter. Panels are also cheap af in Germany currently, about 60€ for a 440w panel.
3. steveharman ◴[09 Apr 25 17:36 UTC] No.43634897[source]▶
You can do exactly the same in the UK. I am, and I do.
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4. Mashimo ◴[10 Apr 25 06:02 UTC] No.43641102[source]▶
That is great :)