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How Much Does A Tesla Solar Roof Cost

How Do The Savings Of The Tesla Solar Roof Compare To Traditional Solar Panels

Tesla Solar Roof Costs

Now we know the cost of a solar roof compared to a traditional solar installation and roof replacement, but how do the savings stack up?

A traditional 8.18 kW solar system in California will produce around 17,688 kilowatt hours of electricity per year. Based on an electric rate of $0.20 per kWh, that would save about $3,538 per year, and about $88,450 over the 25-year lifetime of the system.

Teslas production estimates for the solar roof would bring yearly savings to around $2,469 and the lifetime savings to $61,720.

The lower solar production from the solar roof is mainly because solar shingle orientation is determined by the slope of your roof. Rack-mounted solar panels are able to be oriented for ideal solar generation, giving you higher energy bill savings.

Can I Sell My House With Solar Panels

Selling a house powered by solar energy can be a simple task. If you’re considering selling a solar-powered home, you’ll probably be pleasantly surprised at how easy it is. Besides the fact that buyers love solar panels, a residential solar system can also add value to your home and make it more attractive to new buyers.

Suntegra Solar Shingles In Review:

According to SunTegras product specs, their solar shingle system has a conversion efficiency rate between 14.4% and 15.9%. SunTegra shingles contain 16 solar cells each and offer 64 to 67 Watts of power output. Like other BIPV shingles, SunTegra mounts directly to roof decks and acts as the roof covering.

Costs & Warranty comparison for SunTegra solar shingles

  • Install price: SunTegra doesnt list the cost on their website, but numbers circulating around the web indicate $3.65 per Watt.
  • Product warranty: 10 years.
  • Power output warranty: 25 years.

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Additional Costs And Upgrades

Depending on the current infrastructure present in your home, Tesla mentions that it may be necessary to perform additional upgrades during installation. This includes services such as extra electrical work or installation of a Solar Roof on a shed or deck. Prices are quoted directly to you upon inspection, but it is important to note that they are not included in the Solar Roof calculator estimate.

How Much Does The Tesla Solar Roof Cost

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However, we can use numbers provided by Tesla and numbers provided by real-life solar estimates from Tesla to compare the costs of a Tesla Solar Roof versus a conventional solar installation.

According to Tesla, their Solar Roof costs $21.85 per square foot with the assumption that 35% of the roof will be covered by non-energy producing tiles. That means a 2,000 square foot roof would cost about $44,000. Keep in mind that this includes the cost of replacing the entire roof material in place of solar tiles.

However, according to actual solar estimates from prospective Tesla customers, the actual cost of a Tesla Solar Roof comes out to approximately $35 per square foot. That adds over $26,000 to the cost of a 2,000 square foot roof.

As you can see, the pricing difference between what Tesla estimates and the ultimate price can be quite different.

The unfortunate task of getting a true price estimate for a Tesla Solar Roof is that not many have been installed yet. Tesla, not known for their transparency, has not provided numbers about how many Tesla Solar Roofs have been installed, nor provided much information about the ultimate costs of those installs.

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How Much Do Tesla Solar Panels Cost

While Tesla is known for high quality , the company actually advertises its solar panel systems as the “Lowest-Cost Solar Panels in America.” Is that a fair claim to make?

Kind of. The cost of solar panels depends on a number of factors, including the size of your system, installation complexities, available local tax incentives and more. Given all of these considerations, though, Tesla seeks to ensure it can truly follow through on the “lowest cost” claim via its price-match guarantee. Through this program, homeowners can present a recent quote from a competitor for a similar system, and Tesla will match the price.

In general, the average Tesla solar system of about 8.2 kW will cost a home $11,840 , while an extra-large system of 16.3 kW will cost $22,200. Tesla estimates that most homeowners recoup that investment in six to eight years.

If you want to see how much a Tesla solar panel system would cost for your home, you can use the company’s design feature. And to get a free quote to compare from a top installer in your area, you can fill out the form below.

Efficiency Of The Tesla Solar Roof

One factor to consider when making a cost comparison between installing new solar panels and installing a new Tesla Solar Roof is efficiency. Tesla has not released data on the efficiency of its solar shingles, but EnergySage estimates that typical solar shingle brands range from 14 to 18 percent efficiency, whereas most solar panels are 22 to 23 percent efficient. Its important to keep this in mind when deciding if the Tesla Solar Roof is worth it for you because your overall return on investment will likely be lower than if you install new solar panels.

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Get The Roof Inspected

After the installation is complete, the roof will have to be inspected and approved to be interconnected to the grid by your utility. This can range from one to five weeks. Waiting for permitting, inspections, and interconnection could take a few months.

Once the roof is inspected, you can download the Tesla app and monitor the systems production!

Note: There is also no way of knowing when an installer can get to your house to begin the solar roof installation. So, the complete timeline of how long it takes to get the solar roof installed ranges from one month, to possibly over a year.

How Do Solar Panels Work For Residential Homes

Tesla Solar Roof – Cost Breakdown

Here are the basic steps to make solar panels useful for your home: Photovoltaic cells absorb solar energy and convert it into direct current. A solar inverter converts the direct current from your solar panels into alternating current, which is used in most appliances. Let the electricity circulate. around your home and power electronic devices with electricity. The excess electricity generated by solar panels is fed back into the grid.

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Tesla Standard Solar Panels

The most basic offering, and the one the majority of customers are envisioning when considering solar energy for their household, are standard Tesla solar panels. These work the same way as any rooftop solar panel, but the main features that set Tesla solar panels apart from competitors’ products include:

  • 24/7 monitoring: You can keep tabs on your panels at any time and from anywhere through a mobile monitoring app. The app tracks your panels’ performance, efficiency and generation, as well as detects any issues with your system.
  • Aesthetics: Tesla prioritizes the design of its rooftop panels in a way competitors don’t, creating a sleek, blended, low-profile installation that brings direct curbside appeal.
  • Streamlined pre-installation: As part of Tesla’s solar panel installation process, homeowners send in photos of their equipment and system spaces rather than having a crew come out to inspect these areas. This helps bring total costs below the national average.

The exact nature of the installation chosen for your home will be customized based on your rooftop, power needs, geography, budget and more.

Courtesy of Tesla, Inc.

Here are a few specs to note regarding Tesla solar panels:

As you may be able to tell, Tesla’s panels are some of the best solar panels on the market today. This leads to one question: How much do they cost?

Are There Any Compelling Alternatives To Tesla Solar Roof

Yes, there are some compelling solar tile alternatives to Tesla Solar Roof. In the US, the top solar tile options are available from Luma Solar, SunTegra, and CertainTeed Apollo.

Luma Solar Tile Roof on a House vial Luma Solar

Luma Solar tiles, for example, present a complete roofing system comprised of heavy 24-gauge galvanized steel tiles combined with monocrystalline solar cells. Luma solar tiles are extremely durable and rated to withstand category 5 hurricanes.

When evaluating which solar system will deliver the best value for the money, its helpful to know upfront that you will be paying a significant premium with a solar tile roof. That said, if you are interested in a slick design, we recommend comparing the price and wait times for a Tesla solar roof to other options like Luma Solar.

Regardless of which option you choose, your installer will need to obtain a building permit and a site plan before the installation can take place. 24hPlans specializes in providing site plans for building permits including solar system designs.

24hplans has team of highly trained, professional architects and drafters who can prepare any kind of site plan in the shortest amount of time possible, so that you can easily obtain that building permit and get on with your project. Use the promotion code: 24hplans-20off to get a 20% discount off any package. Please note this is a limited time offer, exclusive to the readers of our blog. This offer is not being advertised anywhere else.

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A Versatile & Pleasing Design

Tesla Solar Roof relies on a combination of energy producing and non-energy producing tiles to easily integrate with a wide variety of roof shapes and sizes. Completely indistinguishable from one another, both tile types come together to create an invisible solar array that’s aesthetically pleasing at any angle.

Do You Pay Up Front For Solar Panels

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Solar panel rental allows the owner to install solar panels without any upfront payment , reducing the overall cost of solar panels. Once the panels are installed, the owner only pays a monthly fee. The compensation includes the installation costs, spread over time, and the costs of the power supply.

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What Do Solar Panels Do For Your Home

Rooftop solar panels are a special type of solar panel designed to be placed on the roof of a house or other structure to collect photovoltaic energy to convert it into electricity or to heat the house. Solar panels work by taking solar energy and converting it into a form that people can store and use.

Breaking Down The Price Of Teslas Solar Roof

Tesla solar roof systems are designed entirely with Tesla-exclusive equipment. With every Tesla solar roof install you can expect at least these four things:

  • Active solar shingles
  • Tesla Powerwall
  • Tesla solar inverter

Heres the breakdown of how each of these pieces of equipment contributes to the total price.

1. Active solar shingles

Cost: $1.80 per watt

Teslas active solar shingles are tempered glass shingles, containing solar cells that generate electricity. It costs about $1.80 per watt to install the active shingles. Each shingle is 15 by 45 and designed to have a similar look to slate shingles.

If you installed a 7 kW Tesla solar roof, the active shingles alone would cost $12,600 before incentives. The bigger the solar system you need, the higher the total price will be.

See what solar incentives and rebates you qualify for

2. Inactive shingles

Cost: $13.30 per square foot – $20.75 per square foot

Teslas inactive shingles do not contain solar cells, they simply cover your roof like a traditional shingle and allow the active solar shingles to blend in with the rest of the roof. Because the inactive shingles do not generate electricity, they are priced per square foot, not per watt.

The price youll pay for the inactive shingles varies depending on how complex your roof is. Tesla divides roofs into three different complexity types, each with a very vague set of criteria:

3. Tesla Powerwall

Cost: $10,500

Watch out for design change fees!

4. Tesla solar inverter

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Should You Invest In A Tesla Solar Roof

Whether you should invest or not in a Tesla Solar Roof depends on many factors. Ultimately, the decision rests with you, the consumer.

You are an ideal candidate for a Tesla Solar Roof if you:

  • Need a new roof

Source: www.dsireusa.org

If one or more of the previous conditions doesnt apply to you, rooftop solar instead of a solar roof may be a more economical way to meet all your energy needs sustainably. Compare prices using online calculators and seek out professional estimates from certified solar installers before making the financial commitment. Visiting Understand Solar is a great first step in the process.

Doing your research beforehand will ensure no regrets later.

How Does The Tesla Solar Roof Work With The Federal Solar Tax Credit

How much Tesla Solar âï¸? Panels & Solar Roof cost | ð¦ðº Australia | Durability | In depth Explained

When it comes to the Federal Investment Tax Credit , Tesla claims it can be applied to their entire solar roof and their home storage battery the Powerwall. This is not necessarily the case. The issue here is that this type of solar technology doesnt fit into the structure of the current ITC. For this to change, a special appeal process is necessary to decide which parts of the solar roof fall under the ITC.

  • Will all of the solar roof fall under the ITC?
  • Or just the solar portion of the roof?

This all depends on how the IRS decides to view Teslas new solar roof. If they determine the non-solar tiles are so specifically engineered that it is in essence part of the machinery or equipment with which it functions, then the entire roof will fall under the federal solar tax credit.

Determining the solar roof and its impact on the ITC will certainly be a lengthy process. As customer service advocates at Pick My Solar, we can only hope that Tesla will take care of the entire process for their homeowners.

The federal solar tax credit, however, is going to start scaling down at the beginning of 2020 and be completely phased out in 2022. When taking into consideration the buying and installation process of the newly released solar roof, a large number of homeowners may miss out on the chance to claim the federal solar tax credit.

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Ceo Elon Musk Claims Installing The Solar Tiles Would Be As Cheap As A Regular Roofso We Do Some Number Crunching

Can you really install a solar roof on your home that would cost about as muchor even lessthan a regular roof? Thats the claim Tesla CEO Elon Musk made Friday when he announced plans to create Solar Roof tiles that will “look better than a normal roof, generate electricity, last longer, have better insulation, and actually have an installed cost that is less than a normal roof plus the cost of electricity.”

Tesla’s Solar Roof tiles would be made of glass over a photovoltaic substrate. Unlike aftermarket solar panels, they stand in for traditional roofing materials and look like the real thing from the ground.

Thats an important distinction, aimed squarely at one of the hurdles to the wider adoption of solar: the questionable aesthetics of those black silicon panels. Tesla unveiled four styles: smooth glass tile, textured glass tile, Tuscan glass tile, and slate glass tile.

“People like the idea of being energy efficient, but solar panels can be an eyesore,” says Giovanni Bozzolo, a partner at Roof4Less roofing in Seattle, Wash. To be able to combine the energy savings with aesthetics would be a very big thing in the industry. But the pricing has to be right.

Musk didnt provide specifics on how much the tiles will cost, and a company spokeswoman told Consumer Reports, we havent released details on pricing when we followed up.

What Is The Tesla Solar Roof

One of the biggest issues homeowners have with solar panels is how they look. As a response, in 2016, Tesla CEO Elon Musk announced Tesla Energys new product – the Tesla solar roof – on the set of then-popular television series Desperate Housewives of all places. That should have given us some sort of indication that the Tesla roof was probably going to be all for show.

The solar roof was designed to function as photovoltaic solar panels while seamlessly integrating into a roof. This way homeowners could still enjoy the benefits of solar energy, like electric bill savings and using clean energy, without having to sacrifice their homes aesthetics.

In order to get a uniform look, a homes entire roof is replaced with Tesla shingles. Not all of these shingles will generate electricity , but the whole roof will be covered in Tesla brand shingles.

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Tesla Solar Roof Tiles Cost Benefits And Reviews

When the concept of the Tesla solar roof was first announced, it was hailed by some as the future of environmentally conscious construction and home design. Why add solar panels to a roof retroactively when the roof itself could include the solar PV technology to generate electricity? Unfortunately, it seems that the challenge is more complex than even an engineering giant like Tesla can handle.

As a result, Tesla solar roof tiles arent yet available to buy. However, this doesnt mean that you have to rule out generating your own renewable energy as solar panels are an efficient and accessible alternative.

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One very legitimate criticism of all Tesla products so far is the meeting of their own delivery-target dates. The Tesla solar roof is no different. Their competitors have a long head-start in the industry, but once a good number of Tesla roofs are installed in Canada and the US, and consumers get a look at them compared to the competition, we think it will be game over. And did you notice the warranty timelines? 30 years across the board is a noticeable improvement over combo 10 to 25 year warranties for different components from the Tesla solar roof competitors.

And this all begs the question – if they really do become the most sought-after roof, will they then be able to meet demand? Well, there is a Tesla masterplan for that too. Since as much as 70% of a roof wont need active solar panels, it makes no sense to tie up Tesla production facilities with producing inactive but matching roof tiles, so they will probably license that out to mainstream roof tile manufacturers instead. And, considering it is 70% of the roof surface, and it’s going to be in the premium roof covering market sector – and it has that magic “Tesla” name attached to it – which roofing product manufacturer wouldn’t be interested in producing the inert Tesla solar roof tiles?

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