That costs around $50,000 once the federal solar Investment Tax Credit is factored in, and it produces around 9.85 kilowatts of power - which Tesla told Tobler was “the biggest system we have available.” Tobler bought a roof of around 2,000 square foot, with 40 percent of installed tiles solar. The design of the tiles, patented recently, mean the two appear the same to the untrained eye to create a single roof. Tesla recommends $21.85 per square foot, based on 35 percent solar tiles. Solar tiles cost $42 per square foot, while non-solar costs $11 per square foot. Tesla does not suggest ordering an all-solar roof. “We actually temporarily went offline and had a strip of tiles removed so the painter could put a ladder all around the edge.” “The solar tiles themselves are extremely strong and you can walk on them, but to be able to put ladders on some of the edge pieces, we were concerned about making sure everything stayed intact,” Tobler says. You’ll find these ones around the edges of the house, by the chimney, and anywhere else where Tesla needs to cut a tile to size. Unfortunately, the strong glass makes them unsuitable for cutting to size, so Tesla also produces a variety of non-solar tiles with weaker glass. It’s part of why Tesla can offer an “infinity” warranty on the tiles with 30 years coverage for its power-generating capabilities and weatherization. These eight all use a tempered glass three times stronger than slate or asphalt, as outlined in this Tesla animation: ![]() Each of these four comes in both solar and non-solar varieties. Tuscan and slate styles are set to ship later. Tesla currently offers a textured style, which Tobler chose, as well as smooth. Tesla’s marketing literature suggests there’s eight different tiles available. Here are the eight things she learned after a month of powering her house with sunlight. ![]() Over a three-week period, the team battled with bouts of rain to finish the roof. In January of this year, Tesla got in touch to finalize details. In May 2017, just after pre-orders went live, she became one of the first buyers for Tesla’s techno-tiles. Unfortunately, the metal roof on her house built in 1965 meant no solar suppliers would place panels over the top. Tobler and her family, who have lived in California for 15 years, always wanted to go solar. “If you have the finances to be able to get on the list and do it sooner rather than not, I wouldn’t hesitate to do it again.” “It has definitely been a worthy endeavor,” Tobler tells Inverse. A month in, she shared with Inverse what it’s like to be an early adopting Tesla solar user. She switched on her newly-installed Tesla Solar Roof on her house San Jose, California, making her one of the first to take a step to realizing Elon Musk’s “house of the future” vision he unveiled on the Desperate Housewives set in October 2016. If snow happens to be a concern of yours, don't worry, they can melt snow too.In April, Amanda Tobler took a risk. They are stronger when put up against a weight test, and you can walk on them just like asphalt roofing. Like the smooth glass tiles, the Tuscan style also allows the visibility of the solar cell within, only at certain angles.Īll of the tiles, though pretty, are also much more durable as compared to traditional roof styles. The tiles were specifically developed so you could see the solar cells from certain aerial angles. And from the street, they seem completely opaque however. This smooth texture is meant to provide a more modern look. This style is the most difficult to create, and in this picture you have the ability to see the cell hidden within the tile.Įach tile is produced using hydrographic coloring, a process that uses water to apply printed designs, making each tile completely unique. ![]() thus creating a both aesthetically appealing and efficient roof option. The solar cells have been tucked behind the glass. Tesla will offer 4 different shingle styles in order to appeal to all home aesthetics. Therefore, the goal of this product was to beat the normal roof aesthetics while increasing efficiency on a massive scale. Elon Musk, Tesla's CEO, has said that it may even be cheaper to purchase the solar roof over a traditional roof.Įlon has expressed that the solar roofs he has seen, he would never purchase because all of them look worse than a normal roof "without exception". ![]() Tesla wrote in its 4th quarter investor letter that it will begin selling and installing its solar roof this year.Ībout a month before Tesla acquired SolarCity, the company unveiled its solar roof product.
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