Tesla has long been synonymous with electric cars, but what you may not know is that they also sell solar roofs too.
Solar panels on roofs is not a new concept.
What makes Tesla’s product interesting is that their solar panels are designed to look like roof tiles to make them more attractive!
World’s Largest Installation
Tony Cho, the co-founder, has adopted Elon Musk’s vision in his ChoZen retreat.
Described as the place where nature and luxury meet, it is an eco-retreat sanctuary on the banks of the St. Sebastian River.
The 22,000-acre retreat has installed the world’s most extensive Tesla solar roof with close to 800 solar tiles.
The solar roof pretty much covers the entire roof and is a massive 44kw.
The solar system also includes Tesla power walls to buffer the electricity.
The panels harvest solar energy as DC electricity, then the inverters convert it to AC electricity which is later stored in Powerwall batteries.
It amounts to almost 80% power usage of the property and also uses a Tesla Underlay to protect the system from humidity and morning dew.
Looking at it from the price point of view, it is neither cheap nor will it earn back the money spent on it any time soon.
But this is a right step towards a sustainable energy format and can be profitable in the long term.
Prior to this, the largest Tesla Roof installations produced 24 kW of power.
If you are interested in an installation, then take a look at this video…
Tesla’s Solar Roof
With the world moving towards renewable energy, Tesla’s solar roofs hit the right spot.
The solar panels look like standard tiles with hidden solar cells and blends with your architecture so it doesn’t look any different from the a typical roof.
The system comes with an integrated Powerwall battery to store excess power generated
The solar roof comes in four styles:
- Textured Glass Tile
- Slate Glass Tile
- Tuscan Glass Tile
- Smooth Glass Tile
Of these, the textured tiles are the only ones in production with the others expected soon. You can either have your entire roof covered in solar panels or just a section with the rest standard tiles. The system also comes with a warranty of 25 years.
Tesla’s solar roofs are not mass-produced yet, and this launch is sure to help its cause.
Tesla Solar Roof – Cost
Tesla’s solar roof costs approximately, $42,500 for a 2000 sq ft home considering they installed 10 kW panels.
The price of the Powerwall is separate and so is the 26% federal tax incentive which brings down the cost to $33,950.
However, these are estimated costs and it might change depending on the state, labour costs, incentives etc.
Since the panel comes with an integrated roof, it makes no sense to someone with a relatively new roof.
Nevertheless, for someone who intends to change the roof and add panels, or for new builds, the solar roof will be a better option.
