July 24, 2019
More exciting news in the Solar Industry with a recent announcement from Tesla. New designs and further improved developments of Tesla's Solar Roof Tiles V3 are forthcoming and will be available for your home sooner than you might expect.
What’s New With Tesla & Solar City?
Tesla Motors and SolarCity are doing big things in the energy industry. This third iteration of their solar roof tiles are said to look more like the standard roof and less like a typical solar panel installation. Although the first solar roof tiles were originally announced back in 2017, they weren't made public until the second version of the solar roof tiles were released in 2018.
In Tesla’s 2019 shareholder meeting, CEO Elon Musk discussed the near completion of Solar Roof Tiles V3. He explained his difficulties developing this product to “look good and to last for 30 years” but now they feel more confident with the developed V3 product.
Musk explained that the newly developed tiles will have a shot at being a comparable price to a shingle roof in addition to helping lower the customer’s utility cost. Shingle roofs typically cost as little as $4 per square foot which means the Tesla Solar Roof tiles could be a huge game changer in the solar panel market - if the prices match up.
During the launch of the product, Tesla does not suggest ordering an all-solar roof, instead recommending 35% of the roof be covered with solar tiles at a price of $21.85 per square foot. Tesla said the solar roof tiles take roughly the same time as tile roof installation - typically 5-7 days. If these hopes come to fruition, Tesla will have seriously impacted the solar roof market.
However, a report from Electrek explains that a customer paid $35/square foot of solar tiles instead of the announced amount of $21.85 per square foot, far above what was promised during the shareholder meeting.
Ultimately, the price of solar roof tiles will depend on the size and condition of your roof. As noted by EnergySage, a customer in Northern California who installed the solar roof gave details of their project. The installation ended up costing $100,000, which includes roof replacements and three Tesla Powerwall 2 batteries. Subtracting these additional costs, the solar roof and roof replacement came in at around $70,000. The system produces 10 kilowatts (kW) of power, keeping the customer's home off the grid 80% of the time.
Tesla Solar Roof: What is it?
The Tesla solar roof is a building-integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) product that has the look and functions of typical roof shingles. With the Tesla solar roof, property owners can have a modern pitched roof look mixed with shingle tiles. Tesla’s solar glass is made with tempered glass that is 3 times stronger than the standard roofing tiles.
In fact, Tesla is so confident in their solar glass technology that they have infinity and lifetime warranty for their tiles. The glass material shielding the solar cell results in minimal efficiency drop for the photovoltaic shingles but there are no real numbers to indicate exactly how much the efficiency is improved.
One of the main complaints associated with solar panels is the aesthetic, with many property owners of the belief that they are visually unappealing. Musk believes that Tesla’s solar roof is going to be a night-and-day difference in changing the visual aspect and creating a more appealing product for consumers. The Tesla Solar roof will be offered in four different designs: slate glass tile, textured glass tile, Tuscan glass tile, and smooth glass tiles, as shown below.
Tesla Solar Roof: Is it worth it?
Tesla’s Solar Roof seems very visually appealing since it will likely blend into the look of your current roof tiles. There’s no doubt that Tesla is one of the first in the industry to aggressively pursue this roof approach. The sleek glass roof tile will attract many customers, making for the perfect introduction of Tesla into the solar industry.
If you have the money to pay for the premium price glass tile technology and love the look of the Tesla Solar Roof, then this product may give you the perfect reason to go solar. However, if it's too costly there will always be other options. Although you may not find regular solar panels as appealing in a visual sense, they are a lot cheaper and will give you all the same savings and benefits as the Tesla Solar Roof.
Regardless of your opinion on the Tesla Solar Roof, switching to solar isn't just about looks. There are many more positive aspects, like decreasing fossil fuel emissions and saving on your electricity bills. Take a look at quotes for a standard solar panel system and see the price differences for yourself. Always compare and research several different companies for better and competitive prices.
Of course, if you don't have time to research, reach out to YSG Solar today. Just give us a call at 212.389.9215 and we will figure out the solar process for you in no time.
By Kasey Liu
Sources:
https://electrek.co/2019/06/12/tesla-solar-roof-v3-shingle-price/
https://electrek.co/2019/06/14/tesla-solar-roof-quote-price/
https://news.energysage.com/tesla-solar-panel-roof-the-next-solar-shingles/
https://www.inverse.com/article/56786-tesla-solar-roof-v3-price-rumored-features-launch-date
Featured Image Sources:
https://www.irishtimes.com/polopoly_fs/1.3079465!/image/image.jpg
