What system is each proposal actually promising?

Start by writing down the equipment and project scope without using the total price . Record the solar-array size, panel model, inverter arrangement, battery model and quantity, gateway or control equipment, monitoring setup and planned backup loads.

For a Tesla-focused project, the proposal should make it easy to see whether the design includes Tesla solar panels, Powerwall 3 or both. Ask Solar Mike specializes in Tesla solar, Powerwall 3 and Tesla Solar Roof for Utah homes . The related Tesla solar panels guide for Utah explains the core product path .

Do not accept broad labels such as “whole-home” without a load schedule or design explanation. Two proposals can use the same battery model while protecting different circuits, using different control equipment or planning for different operating conditions.

What will the battery system actually back up?

Battery quantity is only one part of backup design. Ask each company to identify the loads expected to remain available during an outage and the loads that may need to be managed. Large air conditioners, electric heat, well pumps, electric cooking, vehicle charging and multiple electrical panels can change the design even when the battery count looks identical.

Ask Solar Mike designs for homes with 200A and 400A service panels, but the backup architecture and whether the result is whole-home or essential-load backup are confirmed through site verification and engineering . Every system design is produced and reviewed by a licensed engineering firm .

Request a one-line answer to each of these questions:

• Which loads are included in the proposed backup scope?
• Which loads are excluded, controlled or expected to be used selectively?
• Does the design account for every main panel, subpanel and major electrical load?
• What information still depends on site verification or engineering?

If you are comparing battery brands as well as project scopes, review the separate Tesla Powerwall 3, Enphase and EG4 comparison for Utah before treating unlike battery proposals as substitutes .

Are the solar-production assumptions comparable?

Place the proposed annual production, array size and stated modeling assumptions beside one another. Then look for differences in roof planes, shading, orientation, equipment losses and any consumption-growth assumptions. The goal is not to choose the largest forecast. It is to understand why the forecasts differ.

Ask for the source of the household-consumption figure. Determine whether it came from actual utility history, a partial year, an estimate or a projected future load. If the home may add an electric vehicle, heat pump, hot tub, workshop or accessory dwelling unit, have each proposal handle that change explicitly rather than hiding it inside an unexplained production target.

Utility service in south Utah County varies by address, so Ask Solar Mike confirms the serving utility as an initial project step . Utility rules and program eligibility should be tied to the actual service address rather than assumed from a city name .

What work is included, excluded or still conditional?

A useful proposal separates the designed system from work that may be discovered later. Look for clear treatment of design, permitting coordination, project management and engineering . If an item is unknown, the proposal should identify the event that will resolve it.

Ask Solar Mike handles design, contracting, permitting coordination and project management under its Utah contractor license . Ask Solar Mike is a Utah-licensed general contractor, license 14015846-5501, and appears in Tesla’s public Certified Installer locator; current status can be checked through Tesla’s public installer directory .

Responsibility matters because a long list of equipment does not explain who owns each project step. Compare the named point of responsibility for design, permitting coordination, project management and warranty questions . Treat “included” as meaningful only when the corresponding deliverable is identified.

Which warranties are written into each proposal ?

Separate workmanship coverage from manufacturer coverage. They protect against different problems and may use different claim paths. Ask for the governing warranty documents rather than relying on one combined number .

• Ask Solar Mike projects include a 10-year workmanship warranty; confirm the written scope and claim process in the project documents .
• The solar panels carry a 25-year manufacturer warranty; confirm the applicable product document and its detailed terms .
• Tesla Powerwall carries a 10-year battery manufacturer warranty; confirm the applicable battery warranty document and its detailed terms .

For each competing proposal, record the warranty provider, covered item, term, exclusions and first contact for a claim . A proposal with a longer headline number may still cover a different category of work.

Are gross prices, net figures and incentives clearly separated ?

Compare gross installed prices first . Then place each incentive, rebate or credit on a separate line with its eligibility condition . Do not compare one company’s gross figure with another company’s after-incentive figure . Ask whether the displayed price depends on financing, a utility, a program, equipment selection or another condition .

For expenditures made after December 31, 2025, the federal Section 25D residential credit is not available, so a 2026 proposal should not use that credit to reduce its displayed homeowner cost . Any other incentive should be identified by name and connected to the actual address and project structure .

For a deeper explanation of gross and after-incentive presentation, read How Much Do Tesla Solar and Powerwall Cost in Utah in 2026? .

What should go on a solar-and-battery proposal worksheet?

Create one column for each proposal and use these rows. Write “not stated” instead of filling gaps with assumptions.

After completing the worksheet, compare differences before totals . A proposal earns serious consideration when you can explain what it includes, what remains unresolved and why its design differs from the alternatives.

Frequently asked questions

Is price per watt enough to compare solar proposals ?

No. Price per watt does not by itself describe battery scope, backup loads, electrical architecture, production assumptions, project responsibilities or warranty coverage . Normalize those items before comparing gross installed prices .

Can two Powerwall proposals provide different backup outcomes?

Yes. The outcome can depend on the home’s service configuration, loads, control equipment and final engineered architecture. For 200A and 400A homes, the backup scope is confirmed through site verification and engineering rather than assumed from battery count alone .

How should Utah homeowners compare incentive figures ?

Start with the gross installed price, list every adjustment separately and verify each condition against the project address and structure . Utility eligibility should not be inferred from a nearby city because service territories can vary by address .