Sanity check on these Indiana quotes?

Hey r/solar community,

Can I trouble someone for a sanity check on a couple of quotes for a solar panel + battery back-up system for my home?

Some background/context:

• System size – I am planning to size above my current needs for planned future consumption bumps (i.e. finishing our basement for more livable space, older kids w/ devices, EV adoption w/ at-home charging) ~150% of current needs
• Battery backup – My first priority is to have backup system to power some circuits of the home in a grid-down scenario. Additionally, I would like to cover most/all of my overnight power consumption using the batteries since Indiana net-metering changes are moving away from a 1:1 rate to a wholesale rate
• Critical load panel – I’m hesitant to lock myself into a static critical loads sub panel. The SPAN electrical panel seems to offer the flexibility in designating which circuits are my critical loads, so I prefer that solution in lieu of a sub panel
• Location – Northern Indiana with a southern facing simple roof, no nearby trees — just corn fields. Also, this is likely our forever home (at least until the kids leave the nest), so we will potentially see this system through to the end

Quotes:

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• Contractor #1

  • Total Project Cost (before rebate, cash price): $83,426.00
    • Panel Cost (before rebate, cash price): $43,456.00
    • Cost/watt: $3.88/w
  • System Size: 11.2kW (28 x 400w Panasonic EverVolt 400H) ~159% of current needs
  • Inverter: SolarEdge – SE10000H (EnergyHub)
    • Upgrade Inverter from HDWave to EnergyHub – $1,520
    • Extend Inverter Warranty to 25 yrs – $450
  • Batteries: 2 SolarEdge Battery Banks (19.4kWh capacity) – $28,000
  • SPAN Panel: Yes – $10,000

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• Contractor #2
  • Total Project Cost (before rebate, cash price): $61,040
    • Panel Cost (before rebate, cash price): $41,040
    • Cost/watt: $6/w
  • System Size: 6.84kW (18 x 380w SILFAB Prime HC) ~100% of current needs
  • Inverter: Generac PwrCell
  • Batteries: Generac PwrCell (3 cells ~9kWh capacity) – $20,000
  • SPAN Panel: No, critical load sub panel only

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• Contractor #3
  • Total Project Cost (before rebate, cash price): $86,620.50
    • Panel Cost (before rebate, cash price): $62,770.50
    • Cost/watt: $5.85/w
  • System Size: 10.73kW (29 x 370w SILFAB) ~150% of current needs
  • Inverter: SolarEdge – SE7600H-US
  • Batteries: 2 Telsa Powerwalls (27kWh capacity) – $23,850
  • SPAN Panel: No, critical load sub panel only

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My Thoughts:

• My front runner is Contractor #1 primarily because they will do the SPAN panel as part of the project
• Contractor #2 gave me a predatory sales vibe and some recent news articles state that they are having legal troubles, suspended work in some states, and laid off a bunch of their employees
• When I do the cost/watt calculation, the Contractors 2 & 3 are notably higher in cost — Contractor #1 offers the lowest panel cost with the better 25 year power output of 92%
• Based on some snapshots of my actual meter readings, the 19.4kWh batteries should cover ~160%+ of my current overnight needs and ~97% of my estimated future overnight needs, but I could always add a third SE battery down the road if needed

My Questions:

• If I’m doing the math right, Contractor #1’s cost/watt for the system comes out to $3.88/watt before incentives – that seems high compared to other posts I’ve seen in this sub. Should I keep shopping around? The other contractors were dramatically higher at $6/watt and $5.85/watt
• I saw a lot of buzz around Tesla’s VPP lately. Do the SolarEdge Batteries support VPP programs? Do they have anything actually in flight? Either way, I imagine it will be a while before Indiana comes around to the concept
• Is there an advantage to the DC coupled approach of the SE batteries compared to the AC coupled Tesla Powerwalls? Round-trip efficiency? Islanding?
• Am I overlooking anything? Any additional questions I can take back to the contractors to better educate myself would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks in advance!