Solar

In 2009 we got a  4.2 kW solar system from Solarcity (later merged into Tesla).

In late 2025 the system developed a ground fault and the fist service appointment with Tesla was about 3 months out. 

Instead of waiting for repairs, we decided to get a new system because our usage has increased with the almost full electrification of the home (induction cooktop, electric oven, heat-pump heating, Level 2 EV charger).  The only remaining gas appliance is the on demand hot water heater now.

The new 7.9kW system from Homelink Solar has only slightly larger (13%) total panel area but is producing more than twice the power. Amazing leap in technology!

Homelink Solar did a fantastic job throughout the entire process.

Technical detail of the old a new system for comparison:

Old system (January 2009): 22x BP SX 3190B panels, 190W, 1680x837mm  (total area: ~30.9m²). Xantrex inverter.

New system (January 2026): 18x Hyundai HiS-T440NF, panels 440W, 1722x1134mm  (total area: ~35.1m²). Tesla inverter. 

Here is a graph comparing the old a new system (June 2025 vs June 2026). Note that the vertical scales are different and I highlighted the 20kWh line on both graphs for comparison. Green is consumption and Yellow is solar production. (Data as recorded by Sense). (Early June 2026 several guests charged their EV, accounting for that wide peak)