It doesn't matter what you purchase - whether a vacuum cleaner, a new cell phone, a dishwasher, or a solar system - there will be a learning curve. A little back story. In 2016, we bought our first Tesla Model S90D. Being new to the EV world, we researched, watched YouTube videos, joined Tesla forums on Facebook, and felt ready when it was time to pick up our new car. Granted, in those days, Tesla required new owners to participate in a 90-minute orientation (not anymore), and we graciously sat in our new car with the demonstrator who quickly realized we knew more than he did. He released us. But, the story doesn't end there. We immediately got on the road anxious to return home. It became obvious we had more to learn and quickly learned some of the magic that was Tesla. While we were comfortable driving it, nearly daily one of us would say, "Did you know ..." and sometimes we did - other times not.

Even our dishwasher, vacuum, and cell phone required us to up our game. In an effort to bring us the best product and in an effort to simplify our life, we need to be prepared to complicate it first!

So, how big is the learning curve for our new solar panels, Tesla Powerwall 3, the Span, and the apps to make it all work efficiently? Yeah, it's big, but manageable. Our salesman, Joe Ward, and installer Dylan are only a text away, plus the Tesla Span support is amazing! Did we learn it all in our time frame? No. It's a patience game, trial and error, if you will. Organizing our circuits in the Span took some doing. Making minor adjustments to make our home as sustainable as possible took some effort. Reading the tutorials and videos provided in the Span app was very helpful. Tom started to dabble to 'tighten it up' so our dependency on the grid reduced.

And, there's more! In the Span app we can pick and choose which circuits are 'must have,' or 'nice to have,' and 'non-essential.' Monitoring "My Home" on the Tesla app (and, no you don't have to drive a Tesla to have the app) shows us how much energy we have generated and how self-sufficient we are. All those setting can be adjusted to get the biggest bang for our buck.

OK truth time ... I was not prepared for some of the challenges. I suppose in the excitement of the whole project some information I was given slipped through the cracks of my brain. I envisioned a power outage turning my neighborhood into blackness and we would serve our neighbors with all the power they needed ... wrong. It's a balancing act and being conservative may become critical. On the plus side the Span app will help keep us self-sufficient.

It is true we will received a 30% federal tax rebate  and I thought how cool it would be to maintain our solar loan while investing our rebate. Well, it doesn't really work that way. It can work that way, but when we crunched the numbers we opted to put the rebate against the loan as it will greatly reduce our principle balance therefore reducing interest ... Tom is our number cruncher and that is the most effective and efficient way for us to do it. You see, if you choose NOT to put the rebate against the loan, your monthly loan payment will be higher. While I'm pretty sure Joe mentioned that, it did not register. So, that was a challenge, but manageable.

Here we go! We are as ready as we can be ... both cars have been moved to the front yard to give the installers plenty of room.​

As expected, Joe arrived as scheduled at 8:30 and the installation crew at 9. These random pictures show the progress of getting the panels onto the roof. The rest of the project starts tomorrow!

I was going to wait to share my thoughts about the install to date but I'm just too thrilled to let it ride. Yes, there was a glitch - it happens - but the impressive part about it is how it was handled. There was no panic, no uncertainty, no hesitation. There was only devotion, focus, and solutions offered. It all worked out. These guys are pros. Such a pleasure to work with ... even though they did all the work. Looking forward to tomorrow.

Next Up: Getting It Connected