The Tesla solar roof tiles are available now for pre-order, offering an “infinity” warranty for the tiles, with installations expected to begin in June.
While there are certainly companies that are much bigger and have more of a reach, in terms of igniting the public’s imagination there aren’t many companies that have had as big an impact over the last decade as Tesla and its various subsidiaries. From electric cars to its sister-company SpaceX, few companies have earned the description “disruptive” quite as well.
To add to the growing list of paradigm-shifting technologies attached to Elon Musk’s companies, you can add solar power that also masquerades as roof shingles. The new Tesla solar roof tiles work just like a traditional solar panel, but they are more efficient in their positioning and they don’t distract from the look of a house. They are also meant to work with another Tesla creation, the Powerwall. The tiles accumulate energy from the sun and then store it in the Powerwall, a battery designed specifically to store solar energy. The process is not only efficient and ultimately cost effective – you can say goodbye to monthly power bills – it is also completely green and non-polluting.
Assuming the energy consumption of the house isn’t abnormally high the panels charge the battery during the day when power usage is lower, then the Powerwall supplies energy after the sun sets. Depending on the house there might even be surplus, which in many areas can be sold back to the power company. So basically, the Tesla solar roof tiles can actually be profitable (although to be fair, we’re talking a few dollars here and there).
The tiles look like normal shingles and they protect the house in the same way a normal shingle does. Tesla is also offering an “infinity” warranty for all tiles. They even come in different styles, including slate, terra cotta, smooth, and textured dark gray.
The costs are also more reasonable than you might think. The median size of a single-family home in the U.S. is 2,467 square feet. One estimate of a house that size in Raleigh, N.C. states that a complete solar roof would cost $46,400. That’s much more expensive than a standard roof, but a federal tax credit would lower that by $14,000.
That’s not inexpensive and it is still above the national average for a traditional roof with shingles, but then you factor in the surplus energy. Over 30 years, with 60-percent of the roof covered with solar panels and the surplus power being funneled to the Powerwall (which costs up to $7,000), the roof would generate around $38,100. Even with the Powerwall, that would net the homeowner a profit of $1,400.
Different cities and different house configurations would generate different costs. It’s far from guaranteed that anyone purchasing the solar roof would actually earn money, but regardless the roof has plenty of benefits and like all technology, eventually, it will drop in price.
And while Tesla is leading the way, it is far from the only company developing solar tiles. It also confirms a trend that has been growing for years now – modern houses are becoming increasingly high-tech.
Windows can now tint themselves to cool a home’s interior. Construction materials are more efficient than ever before. Heated floors are a becoming more and more common. High-tech leads to high innovation, and the more competition the more advances.