[RFI] Tesla's Response to Solar Panel RFI

[Dave Cole]

Hi Tony,

Respectfully, I do not believe a Class Action lawsuit is the answer here.

The instant that the word "class action" is mentioned, every solar 
company on the Earth will stop assisting anyone that is currently being 
assisted in the US, and turn over all contact to a lawyer.  All new 
assistance cases will be vectored through the lawyers.  The next time 
someone complains they will be talking to a lawyer, not a technician.

My opinion is a class action lawsuit is a very dangerous precedent for 
Amateurs to set...  Never forget, we are a hobby, they are a business 
with virtually infinite pockets compared to any of us.

While I do not know the "best" way to solve this, I don't think lawsuits 
are the way to go here.  I would rather speak to a technician that at 
least understands the issues involved, than speak to a lawyer who's sole 
purpose in life is to make me go away, happy, or unhappy, at any cost to me.

If a Class Action lawsuit were to be created, I suspect that we would be 
a fairly small class, and that the chances of actually walking out of it 
with a better position than we have now would be pretty slim...

I doubt any smart lawyer would take our case on a contingency basis, 
given our size, vs., the size of Solar companies.  There is a lot more 
money in suing Monsanto than Solar Edge.  If we were to loose the case, 
imagine how helpful the solar companies would be afterwards...

Speak to your ARRL Directors and make RFI an issue for them...  Do this 
every time you see them, not once, a year, but every time.  Tell your 
Amateur friends to do the same...  I believe that if this issue rises in 
priority for the ARRL, then more funds will be allocated to this issue 
by the ARRL.

God knows, it is a major issue for us.  I am looking at an S7 noise 
level right now, due to grow lights, every day, for the last few 
years...  I can not get them fixed faster than they pop up...

The FCC needs to be in this mix, in a way that is effective.  I believe 
the ARRL is the correct path for this...

73, and thanks,
Dave (NK7Z)
https://www.nk7z.net
ARRL Volunteer Examiner
ARRL Technical Specialist
ARRL Asst. Director, NW Division, Technical Resources

On 12/14/19 6:59 PM, Dan K2YWE wrote:
> Perhaps a class action suit against Tesla might get some attention. Even
> with a weak civil case the publicity might not be something they want.
> 
> On Sat, Dec 14, 2019, 9:37 PM Tony <dxdx at optonline.net> wrote:
> 
>> All:
>>
>> I recently spoke with Tesla's Ashley Holmen about RFI emanating from a
>> neighbors Tesla-leased solar panel system. Tesla uses SolarEdge
>> components which are known to cause RFI.
>>
>> I gave her all the details regarding the unresolved complaint filed with
>> SolarEdge in 2016 and politely explained FCC regulations regarding such
>> matters.
>>
>> After reviewing the facts, she concluded that the interference is:
>>
>> "Purely a civil dispute between neighbors" and that "both Tesla and
>> SolarEdge have done their due diligence".
>>
>> Obviously a tactic to deflect so I kindly recommend that she contacts
>> the FCC. I also sent her a copy of the ARRL letter that was sent to
>> SolarEdge headquarters in 2017 which explains FCC regulations in some
>> detail.
>>
>> It's unfortunate, but it looks like solar RFI is not going away anytime
>> soon. A friend who investigates RFI for the local power authority said
>> that many of the noise complaints they receive by hams turn out to be
>> caused by a neighbors newly installed solar panels.
>>
>> He's found 5 new cases in 2019 and some of those installations involve
>> 20 year contracts. That's a nightmare for hams because the responsible
>> parties can take years to resolve the problem, if at all.
>>
>> I've posted Ms. Holmen's contact info below for those who have RFI
>> issues with systems leased by Tesla.
>>
>> Tony -K2MO
>>
>> Ashley Holmen  | Specialist, Executive Resolutions
>> 6611 Las Vegas Blvd S., Suite 200 , Las Vegas, NV 89119 p. (650)
>> 546-8110 | aholmen at tesla.com
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> RFI mailing list
>> RFI at contesting.com
>> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/rfi
>>
> _______________________________________________
> RFI mailing list
> RFI at contesting.com
> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/rfi
>