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Tales from Dandelion customers: geothermal heating, cooling, and energy independence

(Credit: Dandelion)

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Behind every installation of a Dandelion geothermal heating and air conditioning unit is a story. These stories are different for each customer, but each tale involves a notable common factor — a move towards gaining independence from fossil fuels. Here are a couple of stories from Dandelion customers who turned to geothermal solutions, and never looked back.

The Engineer

An aerial view of Matthew VanDerlofske’s home, which is fitted with solar panels. (Photo: Dandelion Energy)

When software engineer Matthew VanDerlofske came across Dandelion Energy’s heating and air conditioning system, he realized that it was the perfect way to help his family step away from fossil fuels. For VanDerlofske, a key reason behind his adoption of Dandelion’s geothermal solutions is the savings offered by the system.

During the gas spike in 2008 and 2009, the software engineer admitted that his family was budgeting $600 in gas per month for their SUVs alone. They were also spending $1,600 worth of oil per year for heating, on top of 15 megawatts of electricity per year from the grid. Eventually, VanDerlofske and his family realized that it was time to “start weaning ourselves off fossil fuels.”

The family started in 2012, investing $6,700 to have 32 solar panels installed on their roof. They also traded in one of their gas-guzzling SUVs for a Chevy Volt. Later, the family added an additional 24 solar panels, allowing them to produce more power than they consume. The family also acquired a Chevy Bolt, their first all-electric car. VanDerlofske and his wife regarded Dandelion’s geothermal heating and air conditioning system as the next step in their pursuit of energy independence, as it allowed them to get all their heating and air conditioning needs from the ground.

The Environmentalists

Paul and Joanne Coons’ historic home in Clifton Park, NY. (Photo: Dandelion Energy)

Dandelion Energy customers Paul and Joanne Coons have always been passionate about the environment. At one point, Joanne, a high school environmental science teacher, took it upon herself to make her own biodiesel from restaurant waste, which she used on her diesel car. Together with her husband, she also experimented with burning home-brewed biodiesel at home, in order to help offset their house’s $4,500 annual heating cost.

The couple completely embraced the energy-independent lifestyle after they took on the task of renovating a dilapidated, historic house in Clifton Park, NY. The home, which had no buyers due to its condition, was transformed by the couple into one of the most energy-efficient homes in the country. Since then, the house has won several green building awards, and it has become certified as a LEED Platinum and NAHB Certified Green Building Emerald home.

To make their historic home energy independent, the Coons opted to install an array of rooftop and pole-mounted solar panels, which they use to help power the house and charge their Nissan Leaf and Toyota Prius Hybrid. The couple, who also has a reservation for the Tesla Model 3, also opted to have a Dandelion Air unit installed for heating and air conditioning. Referring to their biodiesel-brewing days, Paul stated that ground source heat pumps are the best of both worlds, since “you can heat and cool your home with the power of the sun, and you don’t have to keep fueling the system.” 

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Ultimately, customers who are already committing to sustainable energy through rooftop solar solutions can’t go wrong with a geothermal heating and air conditioning system. Read more about Dandelion Energy’s geothermal systems here.

Simon is an experienced automotive reporter with a passion for electric cars and clean energy. Fascinated by the world envisioned by Elon Musk, he hopes to make it to Mars (at least as a tourist) someday. For stories or tips--or even to just say a simple hello--send a message to his email, simon@teslarati.com or his handle on X, @ResidentSponge.

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Tesla updates Cybertruck owners about key Powershare feature

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Credit: Tesla

Tesla is updating Cybertruck owners on its timeline of a massive feature that has yet to ship: Powershare with Powerwall.

Powershare is a bidirectional charging feature exclusive to Cybertruck, which allows the vehicle’s battery to act as a portable power source for homes, appliances, tools, other EVs, and more. It was announced in late 2023 as part of Tesla’s push into vehicle-to-everything energy sharing, and acting as a giant portable charger is the main advantage, as it can provide backup power during outages.

Cybertruck’s Powershare system supports both vehicle-to-load (V2L) and vehicle-to-home (V2H), making it flexible and well-rounded for a variety of applications.

However, even though the feature was promised with Cybertruck, it has yet to be shipped to vehicles. Tesla communicated with owners through email recently regarding Powershare with Powerwall, which essentially has the pickup act as an extended battery.

Powerwall discharge would be prioritized before tapping into the truck’s larger pack.

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However, Tesla is still working on getting the feature out to owners, an email said:

“We’re writing to let you know that the Powershare with Powerwall feature is still in development and is now scheduled for release in mid-2026. 

This new release date gives us additional time to design and test this feature, ensuring its ability to communicate and optimize energy sharing between your vehicle and many configurations and generations of Powerwall. We are also using this time to develop additional Powershare features that will help us continue to accelerate the world’s transition to sustainable energy.”

Owners have expressed some real disappointment in Tesla’s continuous delays in releasing the feature, as it was expected to be released by late 2024, but now has been pushed back several times to mid-2026, according to the email.

Foundation Series Cybertruck buyers paid extra, expecting the feature to be rolled out with their vehicle upon pickup.

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Cybertruck’s Lead Engineer, Wes Morrill, even commented on the holdup:

He said that “it turned out to be much harder than anticipated to make powershare work seamlessly with existing Powerwalls through existing wall connectors. Two grid-forming devices need to negotiate who will form and who will follow, depending on the state of charge of each, and they need to do this without a network and through multiple generations of hardware, and test and validate this process through rigorous certifications to ensure grid safety.”

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It’s nice to see the transparency, but it is justified for some Cybertruck owners to feel like they’ve been bait-and-switched.

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Tesla’s northernmost Supercharger in North America opens

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Credit: Tesla

Tesla has opened its northernmost Supercharger in Fairbanks, Alaska, with eight V4 stalls located in one of the most frigid cities in the U.S.

Located just 196 miles from the Arctic Circle, Fairbanks’s average temperature for the week was around -12 degrees Fahrenheit. However, there are plenty of Tesla owners in Alaska who have been waiting for more charging options out in public.

There are only 36 total Supercharger stalls in Alaska, despite being the largest state in the U.S.

Eight Superchargers were added to Fairbanks, which will eventually be a 48-stall station. Tesla announced its activation today:

The base price per kWh is $0.43 at the Fairbanks Supercharger. Thanks to its V4 capabilities, it can charge at speeds up to 325 kW.

Despite being the northernmost Supercharger in North America, it is not even in the Top 5 northernmost Superchargers globally, because Alaska is south of Norway. The northernmost Supercharger is in Honningsvåg, Norway. All of the Top 5 are in the Scandanavian country.

Tesla’s Supercharger expansion in 2025 has been impressive, and although it experienced some early-quarter slowdowns due to V3-to-V4 hardware transitions, it has been the company’s strongest year for deployments.

Through the three quarters of 2025, the company has added 7,753 stations and 73,817 stalls across the world, a 16 percent increase in stations and an 18 percent increase in stalls compared to last year.

Tesla is on track to add over 12,000 stalls for the full year, achieving an average of one new stall every hour, an impressive statistic.

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Recently, the company wrapped up construction at its Supercharger Oasis in Lost Hills, California, a 168-stall Supercharger that Tesla Solar Panels completely power. It is the largest Supercharger in the world.

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Tesla shocks with latest Robotaxi testing move

Why Tesla has chosen to use a couple of Model S units must have a reason; the company is calculated in its engineering and data collection efforts, so this is definitely more than “we just felt like giving our drivers a change of scenery.”

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Credit: Sawyer Merritt | X

Tesla Model S vehicles were spotted performing validation testing with LiDAR rigs in California today, a pretty big switch-up compared to what we are used to seeing on the roads.

Tesla utilizes the Model Y crossover for its Robotaxi fleet. It is adequately sized, the most popular vehicle in its lineup, and is suitable for a wide variety of applications. It provides enough luxury for a single rider, but enough room for several passengers, if needed.

However, the testing has seemingly expanded to one of Tesla’s premium flagship offerings, as the Model S was spotted with the validation equipment that is seen entirely with Model Y vehicles. We have written several articles on Robotaxi testing mules being spotted across the United States, but this is a first:

Why Tesla has chosen to use a couple of Model S units must have a reason; the company is calculated in its engineering and data collection efforts, so this is definitely more than “we just felt like giving our drivers a change of scenery.”

It seems to hint that Tesla could add a premium, more luxury offering to its Robotaxi platform eventually. Think about it: Uber has Uber Black, Lyft has Lyft Black. These vehicles and services are associated with a more premium cost as they combine luxury models with more catered transportation options.

Tesla could be testing the waters here, and it could be thinking of adding the Model S to its fleet of ride-hailing vehicles.

Reluctant to remove the Model S from its production plans completely despite its low volume contributions to the overall mission of transitioning the world to sustainable energy, the flagship sedan has always meant something. CEO Elon Musk referred to it, along with its sibling Model X, as continuing on production lines due to “sentimental reasons.”

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However, its purpose might have been expanded to justify keeping it around, and why not? It is a cozy, premium offering, and it would be great for those who want a little more luxury and are willing to pay a few extra dollars.

Of course, none of this is even close to confirmed. However, it is reasonable to speculate that the Model S could be a potential addition to the Robotaxi fleet. It’s capable of all the same things the Model Y is, but with more luxuriousness, and it could be the perfect addition to the futuristic fleet.

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