Solar Spotlight: Grid independence with solar + Tesla Powerwall in Franklin, TN
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Last fall Dana and Brent Kose of Franklin, Tennessee, watched excitedly as LightWave turned on their solar + Tesla Powerwall system. Immediately, their home began to rely less on the grid and more on the sun.
Brent and Dana now have much more visibility into their home’s energy use. On Tesla’s mobile app, they can see exactly how much energy they use, when they use it and where it comes from – solar, batteries or the grid.
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Their home features a 12-kilowatt solar system and three Tesla Powerwall batteries. Like many households, their usage is relatively low when the sun is at its peak, and it increases around dinnertime. Batteries store excess solar energy and cover nearly all of their nighttime use.
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“It’s a good thing we have the batteries,” says Dana Kose. “Otherwise, we would lose about half of our solar energy and have to send it to the grid for free,” she says.
Since the system was installed in November, the Koses’ monthly electric bills have dropped by 65% on average. That’s despite the fact that December, January and February had over 20% less sunlight than average.
Even still, during the last two months, Dana and Brent’s solar and battery system covered just over half of their home’s electricity use including two electric cars! Not only will their system’s performance improve as the days get longer and sunnier, but also as they learn more about their consumption.
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“Now we’re more conscious of when we charge our cars,” says Dana. “Recently on a sunny day Brent said, ‘We’re exporting, go charge the car!’ He checks the app nearly every day,” she says.
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LightWave Solar could only place the solar panels on the back of the home, which faces east and slightly south, to accommodate HOA restrictions on the front of house. Dana says she would have loved to have had them installed on the south-facing side for optimal solar production.
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“I wish the system was more visible so more of our neighbors could see it and ask about it,” she says. “We highly recommend the system and LightWave,” she adds.
Dana works in commercial energy efficiency, and her reasons for installing solar and batteries go beyond innovative technology, bill savings and backup power during grid outages. Her primary goal is to generate cleaner energy to reduce her home’s impact on the environment.
“I’m passionate about keeping our environment as clean as possible, so my kids and future generations can live in the same or better conditions than we do today,” Dana explains.
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Tesla mobile app overview
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Last month we shared a video that shows how solar + Powerwall system owners can view and control their energy use on the Tesla mobile app. In case you missed it,
watch video here!
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Meet us at the Nashville Home Show this weekend
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Come see us and talk about solar + battery storage at the Nashville Home and Remodeling Expo at Music City Center. We'll be in the Sustainable Living section at booth 1250.
Friday, March 13: 10:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Saturday, March 14: 10:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Sunday, March 15: 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Music City Center - Halls C & D
201 5th Ave S
Nashville, TN 37203
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LightWave Solar is still hiring!
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Join our team of passionate solar professionals, or help us spread the word to your family and friends!
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886 solar installations and counting...
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