Elon Musk's First Tesla Solar Roof Is Here

Elon Musk’s house runs on solar. The Tesla CEO made the announcement during Wednesday’s second quarter 2017 earnings call, where he revealed that both himself and Jeffrey B. Straubel, the company’s chief technology officer, have installed solar roof tiles on their houses.

“We have installed and working the Solar Roof tiles,” Musk told investors during the conference call.

Tesla started taking pre-orders for the textured black and smooth grey tile styles back in May, with U.S. orders expected to start shipping this year. Unfortunately, those who didn’t order immediately have a long wait on their hands: the tiles sold out until next year in just 16 days. The company is expected to start taking orders for the remaining Tuscan and slate styles in November, with deliveries starting next year. International orders are expected to start shipping next year.

The solar roof is offered at a competitive price point. Tesla has priced it at an average of $21.85 per square foot, bringing it down to below the cost of a normal roof.

 

I find this very interesting

 

I believe the cost point is for a tile or slate roof in California rather than the more inexpensive asphalt tiles we see here, but it does have the energy offset too.

 

That's good news, but I'm wondering if increased Chinese solar production will knock us out of the market in the coming years with this new technology. China gives huge subsidies to its solar power industry which helped them build it up to where they are today - the "Saudi Arabians of Solar Power". Chinese solar producer, Han Energy, just announced that they too are producing solar roofing tiles, with a 25 percent increased production capacity, scheduled for 2018, so as to begin selling in American markets. Unless we ramp up our production capacity in the solar industry, and keep prices competitive, China will likely cut its prices and control the American market. This entire lucrative industry, and the thousands of American manufacturing jobs that would have come with it, should have been ours to begin with.

 

The solar roof is offered at a competitive price point. Tesla has priced it at an average of $21.85 per square foot, bringing it down to below the cost of a normal roof.


They must have some fine "average" roofs out west.

 

I think my new roof was around $4/sq ft

 

I don't think whoever wrote the article knows dick about construction. $22 per foot is sneaking up on a quarter of the house price. I bet that don't include batteries, inverters, switches, cable, or installers that know how.

I looked into a whole house LP generator. If I do it myself with manual switches and manual starting, the price is about half. They's a lot more involved with solar to storage to converting to AC and switching on and off the community grid.

 

Your point is a good one, and unless some trade tariffs are slapped on Chinese solar goods, Tesla's solar roof tile market will most likely not be able sell at an affordable price point to the American middle class, but only to rich homeowners on the West coast, and other places, who want to purchase their products "locally". We shot ourselves in the foot a long time ago on this one, mostly because we've been stuck on political fly-paper, squabbling about extreme political identities that are largely social fabrications, that obviously serve a purpose. Meanwhile, the powerhouse, Chinese solar industry, who will be supplying 75 percent of solar products to most of the European and Asian markets, will be laughing all the way to the bank.

 

Look at the installed pricing for slate and tile roofing in California and it is in that range. An asphalt roof is much cheaper, less durable, and much more flammable than the tile or slate roofs.

 

And it was asphalt shingles over tar paper with a 20 - 30 year guarantee, correct?

 

They are not usually designed for storage, but to sell the excess power to the grid at wholesale and buying back any needed at consumer rates.

 

We are getting behind in this and will fall farther and farther behind as we try to keep a fossil fuel economy.

 

Wayne, my house is over 5800 ft. Cut up roof. Steel. Panels longer than the company ever installed. I built a "cradle" for the length of the steel to raise it without a buckle. 22$ per square foot is higher than giraffe pus. Still u need a batterry bank, inverter, and switches for solar.

I'm not against solar, it's just not not feasible without a lot of hand outs.

Several years ago, I got an unlimited supply LP water heater. It was expensive. But after federal, state, and LP association rebates for that year, I got it for next to nothing. However, our business buys LP by the 18 wheeler load.

Tax incentives don't work for everybody.

 

It's installed over synthetic underlayment, not crappy tar paper.

Certainteed Landmark Pro is the shingles, "Lifetime" warranty - "The Lifetime Warranty period is only available to individual homeowners. The warranty period for these shingles installed on premises not used by individual homeowners as their residence is limited to 50 years and the SureStart period is 10 years following the installation of the shingles. Roof tear-off, metal work, flashing and disposal expense, incurred during repair or replacement are covered or reimbursed by this Limited Warranty. Limited Warranty transferees during the SureStart™ period are limited to a 50-year warranty period (see section titled “Transfers During the SureStart Period” for details)."

 

I'm more of a metal worker, but at $22 a foot, I can nail or screw

 

Incentives were not the point, making the cost comparable to an existing roofing product was.

 

OK, still an asphalt product and one that is probably not expected to be acted upon in most cases. A friend of ours repaired the slate roof on their 1920's Tudor, which was on essentially the fourth floor (three living floors and an attic) which was the original roof and had been in place for 80+ years at this time. The cost was right at $19.00 per square foot for removal and replacement of the damaged tiles.

 

I agree. I suppose the question I ask myself is why the American solar industry has been continually politicized to such a degree that its proponents now fit into a readymade political narrative. When the technology of the personal computer arrived on the scene to transform the workplace, I never saw any politicized pushback whatsoever, save for a few Luddites uncomfortable with the "new" technology at that time. China, the pragmatic thinkers that they are, developed their solar market largely in an atmosphere devoid of polarized politics, something that we can't seem to do anymore.

 

Yeah I can nail & screw,, cheap, with rubber. Lol. Plenty of experience thru the years.

 

China, the pragmatic thinkers that they are, developed their solar market largely in a atmosphere devoid of polarized politics, something that we can't seem to do anymore.

Not that they are wrong but, you can get your ass killed by being "non pragmatic"