Where Is Tesla Solar Roof Available

How Tesla Roof Tiles Are Kept Cool To Ensure Maximum Efficiency

Its official the first Tesla Solar roof has just been installed, and visually it looks pretty amazing. However, the big question many people are asking is, how is a glass solar panel going to help keep my house warm in winter and cool in summer?

No Photoshop here the first Tesla Solar Roof photo courtesy of Tesla

All traditional roofing materials in Canada, whether aluminum, shingles, tiles, slate, or wood shakes, are manufactured with certain reflective properties. The more the roofing material can reflect the heat away from the building, the less heat is being transferred into the roof space. If the roofing material is not able to reflect the heat efficiently, the heat is readily transferred into the roof space resulting in higher household energy costs.

As the new Tesla Solar Roof cells are encapsulated into tempered glass and are installed directly on the roof surface, it would be a likely consequence that the thermal heat transfer into a buildings roof space will be increased.

However, Tesla SEO Elon Musk has been vocal about the Tesla Solar Roofs superior durability and higher insulating value than a standard roof tile, but he has not been clear about just how this will work.

Just prior to the first solar roof installation, Tesla received a Class A certification from Underwriter Laboratories which classified the Tesla Solar Roof as having superior fire performance, hail resistance and resistance to wind uplift.

Example of DensDeck Roof Board Application

Solar Panels Vs Tesla Solar Roof: The Biggest Differences Broken

Tesla is now innovating your home well, specifically, your roof.

When you think of solar power systems, you probably imagine the classic solar array: some black panels that point toward the sky and absorb the energy of the sun’s light and convert it into usable electricity. But if you look closely at the roofs of some houses, you might just notice a surprise.

In 2016, Tesla — yes, that Tesla — introduced something novel. Instead of solar panels that sit in your front yard or stand out on the roof, Tesla decided to turn every shingle into a solar panel. The Tesla solar roof replaces an existing roof and captures sunlight to help power your home in a clean and streamlined manner.

The Tesla solar roof system has not had the smoothest of rollouts, but the company recently announced plans to double down on the concept and try to turn what is currently a pricey project into a reality for consumers.

For homeowners interested in solar energy, that creates the ultimate question: Should you go with the standard solar panel system or try the less intrusive but still unproven Tesla solar roof? To help you with your buying questions, I have compiled all the biggest differences between the two solar options below.

Tesla Solar Roof Specifications

As of February 2021, these are the published specifications for the Solar Roof:

• Tile warranty: 25 years
• Wind rating: ASTM D3161 Class F
• Fire rating: Class A
• Hail rating: ANSI FM 4473 Class 3
• Roof pitch: 2:12 to 20:12
• Inverter power: 3.8kW / 7.6kW
• Inverter dimensions: 26 x 16 x 6
• Inverter warranty: 12.5 years

Some thoughts about this: the tile warranty is similar to other high performance solar panels with 25 year warranties such as LG and SunPower. The warranty also includes labor.

The inverter described is a central inverter similar to those offered by SolarEdge and SMA. Its warranty length is similar to a central inverter, which is half the duration of the 25 year warranty offered with Enphase microinverters . No word about how much an inverter replacement would cost.

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+ Is The Tesla Solar Roof Worth It

Consider the Tesla Solar Roof if youre building a new home or replacing your roof. If youre not worried about costs, of course, you could do this at any time but the cost includes a new roof plus going solar. So if youre asking us, traditional solar panels may still be your best option if youre ready to go solar but your roof is in good shape. Either way, were here to help you understand whats going to serve you best and work with you to make it a reality.

Scenario : Youre Interested In Going Solar And Also Need To Replace Your Roof

While this is a less common scenario, it may fit you if your current roof is coming up on the end of its useful life. This scenario may also fit you if youre in the process of building a new home from scratch, and havent picked out your roofing material yet. In this scenario, unlike the first one, you are on the market and actively shopping for both a new roof and a solar panel installation.

If this description fits you better, Teslas Solar Roof may make more financial sense. In this case, you have the option of either replacing your roof first and then installing traditional solar panels, or combining both actions with the installation of a Tesla Solar Roof.

In our example, lets assume a $5 per square foot cost for an asphalt shingle roof replacement for your home in California. Based on these criteria, lets see how your new solar panel and roof replacement will compare to a new Tesla Solar Roof, based on varying roof size:

So, in this case, the cost of new solar panels and the cost of a roof replacement and a new Tesla Solar Roof are most comparable if your roof is only 1,500 square feet. However, as explained above, its important to note that your ROI will likely still be lower because the efficiency of the Tesla Solar Roof is probably lower than that of solar panels and your system size is smaller meaning your electricity bill wont go down as much as it could.

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Tesla Solar Roof: Everything You Need To Know

In recent years, theres been a lot of hype about Teslas Solar Roofs in Australia. If youve thought about installing this new piece of technology but arent sure if its worth your investment then youve come to the right place. We delve deeper into this topic and explain everything you need to know.

The Solar Roof Potential

If the Tesla Solar Roof lives up to its potential as a cost-effective aesthetically pleasing and durable system, it will greatly expand the number of homeowners willing to go solar and will be used widely in zero energy homes. If costs come down for the Tesla Powerwall, the integration of the Solar Roof and the Powerwall will increase the storage and production of renewable energy speeding the development of fully renewable energy grids.

*Since there are so many variables at play, such as roof size, roof complexity, local costs for materials and labor, and efficiency of different PV systems, this comparison is meant only as an example. The key is to get several estimates and compare warranties to determine the actual cost-effectiveness comparison in your specific situation.** The Tesla Solar Roof is currently available in most zip codes in the following states: CA, OR, WA, TX, NV, NM, FL, IL, NY, NJ, PA, RI, NH, MA, VT and CO. Check with Tesla if your state is not on this list because they are steadily expanding.

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How Much Does The Tesla Solar Roof Cost

With the new complexity categories explained above, its a bit difficult to fully estimate the cost of a Tesla Solar Roof. The cost varies significantly depending on whether your roof is simple or complex and depending on the square footage of your roof. Teslas estimate calculator shows that if youre installing a system on a simple, small roof, the price is fairly comparable to that of a new asphalt roof installation plus solar panels. However, as you increase the size and/or complexity of your roof, this number quickly skyrockets.

For an 8.2 kilowatt system in northern California, Tesla estimates that the solar roof will cost $48,460 before incentives if you have an intermediately complex, 2,000 square foot roof. However, if you update your roof to be considered complex, the price increases to $54,940 and if your intermediately complex roof is 2,500 square feet instead of 2,000 square feet, the price jumps to $56,460. You can dig further into these calculations in our comparison of the cost of the solar roof vs. standard panels.

+ Where Is The Tesla Solar Roof Available

Tesla is slowly rolling out their Solar Roof across the US, choosing specific solar companies to partner with and train to install them. Sugar Hollow Solar is the only solar company in or around Asheville, NC installing Tesla Solar Roofs. We work with homeowners, small businesses and nonprofits throughout western NC and upstate SC.

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Tesla Solar Roof Cost And Availability: How To Buy Elon Musk’s Energy Tiles

The solar-harnessing tiles could be coming to a roof near you.

The third-generation Tesla Solar Roof is here. Elon Musk’s newest energy-saving shingles were announced in October 2019 and feature a design that looks nearly identical to a regular roof. But how much does a Tesla Solar Roof cost? And where are they available?

The Tesla Solar Rooftiles have a lot to offer. They’re designed to blend into your roof while providing renewable power 24/7 in conjunction with a Powerwall battery. They have a warranty of 25 years. Tesla even made a video showing its Solar Roof surviving a two-inch hailstone moving at 100 mph. That’s way better than regular old roof tiles hold up.

What Are Solar Shingles And How Do They Work

Solar power shingles, also known as photovoltaic shingles, are solar panels that mimic the appearance and function of conventional roofing materials like asphalt or slate, while performing their core task of generating electricity.

Technically called BIPV , solar roof shingles present a unique and increasingly popular renewable energy solution. Studies backed by the Department of Energy in recent years have shown that solar roofing features such as solar shingles can boost the value of your home by as much as $15,000 or even more.

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Tesla Solar Roof And Powerwall

Tesla Solar Roof is the only roof that can help pay for itself with the energy you produce. Power your home at the lowest price per watt of any national provider and take control of your monthly electricity bill. Complete your system with Powerwall to add storage. Contact Greenway Solar today to learn how. Currently serving Minnesota and Iowa.

Is Tesla The Best Choice

As with any major purchase, you should get multiple quotes from multiple companies. Make sure they answer all your questions and provide the information you need. While Teslas press office was not responsive, its customer service representatives were easy to get in touch with and seemed knowledgeable. Still, it shouldnt be your only call.

Teslas price match means it will always be competitive in terms of cost. Likewise, the estimates it provides online come in well below the national average. If the look of your panels is really important, Teslas do sit closer to the roof and look sharp. Tesla also offers more information up front about its warranty than some of the other players. Still, make sure you can view it in detail before committing.

Powerwall is widely considered an industry leader for batteries. It sets the Teslas equipment apart, but its also available from some other installers.

Its also important to note that I researched this as deeply as was practical and tried to provide the clearest answers, but I didnt go through the purchasing process, interact with customer service as a buyer, or base my assessment of Teslas performance on any first-hand experience. This category is a hard one to review in the traditional sense, so if possible, youll want to make sure to get multiple estimates from the different providers in your area before you make a purchase decision.

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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?

Solar Roof Vs Solar Panels

There are two major differences between a solar roof and a traditional solar panel system complexity and price.

Talk with any roofer or solar company that has worked with the solar shingle product, well bet theyll tell you that the Tesla solar roof is one of the most complex and intricate roofing systems that they have ever seen. An average 8kw solar roof will have around 460 solar shingles, which means there are 460 wiring connection points on your roof . On the other hand, a traditional solar system for this size will include around 25 solar panels, meaning 25 connections.

With a traditional solar system, you can also get panel level solar monitoring so you would know exactly when a panel is underperforming while being able to pinpoint exactly where the problem is in your system. This level of monitoring just isnt available yet for the solar roof, making it a challenge to quickly address any issues when they come up.

Next on the list is price. Teslas Solar Roof website has a slick calculator that takes your address and uses Googles Project Sunroof to automatically generate a Solar Roof solution for your home. While the tool is fun to play with, the prices and energy savings it estimates dont impress us when compared to traditional solar panels. Lets take a deeper dive into price differences between the Tesla Solar roof and traditional solar panels.

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The Tesla Solar Roof: What You Need To Know

The Tesla Solar Roof is a building-integrated photovoltaic product that takes the functionality of solar panels and integrates it into roof shingles. A home with Tesla roof shingles installed would have a protective and complete roof with the capacity to generate solar energy. By installing the solar roof, you dont have to install solar panels to generate electricity, which some property owners find visually unappealing.

Some solar industry stakeholders believe that solar needs to be rebranded as an aesthetic and technical improvement that can be a part of a home renovation rather than a hefty module affixed to your rooftop. That sentiment was emphasized in Elon Musks October 2016 launch of Teslas first roofing product. With the solar roof, the company aims to bring solar further into the mainstream by removing any sort of aesthetic concerns that homeowners may have.

I think theres quite a radical difference between having solar panels on your roof that actually make your house look better versus ones that do not, I think its going to be a night-and-day difference, said Musk in a statement before the official launch of Teslas first solar roof. Two months later, he unveiled the solar roof using a crowded, suburban event in California to demonstrate that his panel design was so seamlessly integrated that the entire audience of press needed to be altered to its presence on the house in front of them.

Tesla Solar Roof Cost: Is It Worth It

That depends on the situation! While Tesla claims its third-generation tiles are competitive with the cost of a roof plus solar, it’s still a big ask to replace the roof. If you don’t need to spend the money it might be worth looking at alternatives like a retrofit. There’s also a number of competitors on the market like Luma Solar, which may be worth exploring before taking the plunge.

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The First Steep Pitch Tesla Solar Roof In The World

The existing roof was a concrete tile roof that had started to age. After removing and recycling the old tile roof we installed ½ CDX plywood to the entire house. New fascia and barge board was installed along with replacing some soffit lumber. This project was around 30 pallets of material, it was a challenge that we were up to and had to deliver product in stages. The customer was very great throughout the entire job and helped facilitate the storage of material.

Install went as smooth as we had planned, we also had an installer here from Tesla to be a part of the first steep project. Sections of the roof would be removed, sheeted, then the Tesla underlayment would be installed. When the roof was ready to be installed, Artisan Electric was on site to complete the wiring and inverter installation.

Roofing Project Details

• Roofer: Three Tree Roofing, Tesla Certified Specialists
• Roofing Project Location: Snohomish, Washington
• Type of Roof: Tesla Solar Roof
• Type of Roofing Project: Residential Home Roof and Garage
• Roof Color: Black
• Type of Roof Replacement: Concrete Tile Tear Off

Roofing Project Extras

• New ½ CDX plywood installed
• New fascia and barge board
• New energy efficient skylights