Canada Man Drives On Sunshine With Solar & His Tesla Model 3

Published on December 13th, 2018 |
by Kyle Field

December 13th, 2018 by Kyle Field

A man from Oliver in Canada is living the future today, powering his new Tesla Model 3 with a rooftop solar installation on his home.

Russell Work spoke to the folks at his local paper, the Oliver Chronicle, about his new Tesla Model 3 and how he has installed a Tesla solar system to power it. Russell made the switch to live a more sustainable life, powered by renewables. When he was finally ready to pull the trigger on his purchase, he opted for a cherry red All-Wheel Drive Tesla Model 3 Performance.

Not his Model 3. Not Canada.

“I told him it’s like pouring sunshine straight into his car,” installer Dave Malmberg of Argon Electrical & Solar Services said. “We’re going to see an increase in the very near future for these types of installations to power our cars. We’re just at the beginning (tip of the iceberg) of the EV and solar markets here in B.C. and Canada.”

Russell said that he believes Tesla’s CEO Elon Musk is a visionary who has assembled a crack team of engineers that built the Model 3 as the ideal electric vehicle, from the ground up. “What was interesting is he did not hire automotive engineers; he basically gave them a blank piece of paper and said, ‘Design me the best electric car that you can,’” Work said.

What’s great is that Work did not purchase his Model 3 Performance to save money, but to reduce his carbon footprint as a way to take action against catastrophic climate change — the top reason many people go electric. That sentiment carries through into his house as well. “We’ve made every effort possible in this house to reduce our energy footprint,” Work said.

He is clearly excited about his conversion to sustainable energy and transportation and it’s not just because it’s fun to drive. “So far we have saved the equivalent of 4,000 kilograms of CO2, and that is equivalent to 14 trees having been planted.”

The 29.3 kW solar installation on his roof was not cheap, at $23,000, but supplies enough power for his home and his electric car. At that rate, he expects that the system will take about 11 years to pay off completely, at which point the power it produces will effectively be free.

It is easy to read articles here on CleanTechnica and to forget that most of the solutions we cover can be purchased and used most places in the world today. You can order a Tesla vehicle and a Tesla solar system with energy storage today and be living a more renewably-powered life. Granted, a bike is cheaper and healthier, so if that works best for your lifestyle, jump on and get moving.

Change is coming, but it will come faster if we all do our part sooner rather than later.

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About the Author

Kyle Field I'm a tech geek passionately in search of actionable ways to reduce the negative impact my life has on the planet, save money and reduce stress. Live intentionally, make conscious decisions, love more, act responsibly, play. The more you know, the less you need. TSLA investor. Tesla referral code: http://ts.la/kyle623