As we become more defined by our daily impact on the environment and as the popularity of solar-powered homes has become all the more viable, it was only a matter of time before a company would come along to disrupt the solar roof market with beautiful, innovative design. In comes Tesla, known for their rapidly produced environmentally friendly automobiles that don’t skimp on style, to design and produce life-enhancing alternatives to what were otherwise eyesores you could see on roofs from miles away. Thanks to Tesla shingles, soon enough, we won’t be seeing any more of those garish (although nonetheless vital) oversized solar panels on the homes of savvy owners. Instead, our construction experts predict a new wave of powering your home with sunlight with innovative Tesla solar roof options that mimic the look and feel of traditional roofing materials.
That said, we aren’t saying that the development and innovations of solar products haven’t undergone innovative updates over the past forty years. Though the technology behind the first produced solar roof tiles hails from the 1970s, the look of them hasn’t changed much since then. In fact, over time, we’ve seen several companies attempt to design roof tiles powered by the sun to mimic genuine traditional roofing materials, but they’ve never come close replacing traditional roof-mounted solar panels in terms of aesthetics, cost, or quality. While building integrated solar mechanisms aren’t a new concept, the production of attractive solar tiles is soon to become all the more widely available to our clients since the debut of Tesla solar roof products.
Around two years ago Elon Musk unveiled his visionary “house of the future,” but it wasn’t until late that homeowners started to take note and contact us inquiring about the forward-thinking roof tiles for their own properties. Having been released for over a year, we’re here to report on the admirably sustainable, high-quality reality of Tesla’s techno-tiles, the steps to get them, and why they can make such a difference in your home.
SO WHAT MAKE’S A TESLA SOLAR ROOF SO DIFFERENT?
Solar power absorbing Tesla shingles are made of thin layers of quartz that have been proven to be virtually unbreakable, in fact, there’s even a meme that’s worth a look at to see how resilient they truly are. Tesla solar roof price estimates can vary depending on your location and the installation costs that are unique to the needs of your project, with their solar shingles ranging around $22 per square foot.
And though those estimates are higher compared to older solar roof tiles and panels, a Tesla solar roof is certain to last much longer than conventional roofing materials – meaning that in the long run, Tesla shingles may save you money as they’ll take less maintenance and will need to be replaced less often.
With eight different roof tiles available that are designed to mirror traditional and much-loved styles in both solar and non-solar varieties that use a tempered glass three times stronger than slate or asphalt, there’s more than plenty of reason to consider them. Unfortunately, the tempered glass makes them unsuitable for cutting down to a custom size, so Tesla also offers a variety of non-solar tiles with weaker glass. This also helps you fit roof tiles around the edges of your house, say by the chimney, and anywhere else where Tesla shingles need to be cut down to size. On the other hand, even classic solar panels don’t work on say a metal roof as no solar roof tiles can be placed over the top – that is, until Tesla roof shingles.
Which is why Tesla can offer their “infinity” warranty on their roof tiles with 30 years of coverage for its power-generating capabilities and weatherization elements.
THERE’S NO SUCH THING AS AN ALL-SOLAR ROOF
Think about all of the nooks, crannies, and turns various roofs can take, and the fact that some weaker Tesla solar roof tiles need to be custom cut to fit in place, and it comes as no wonder why Tesla does not suggest the possibility of installing an all-solar roof. To make your roof appear seamless and consistent, the company took great strides in making their two roof tiles appear identical to the untrained eye to create a single, flawless roof.
If you thought you could go full-forced and install a super-powerful solar roof, you should think again. Not that it would have been a substantially wise investment, to begin with.
YOU’LL NOTICE DRAMATIC CHANGES IN YOUR ENERGY USE
Before the process is finalized, Tesla will ask to survey your energy usage to take an average accurate metered rate and design a Tesla solar roof that’s unique to your home.
And with older solar roofing technology, energy storage was frequently expensive and difficult to store. To combat this, Tesla created sleek ‘Powerwalls’ or batteries that take little space and look great to boot.
After installation, you’ll notice just how much energy you do use and that goes to waste since depleting your solar Powerwall while the roof is inactive, such as overnight, means your system buys energy from a traditional electric grid. To combat that, you can easily add more Powerwalls after taking note of power discrepancies.
THERE’S AN APP FOR EVERYTHING – OF COURSE
To track usage and power available, Tesla created an easy to use app for checking energy usage in real-time. This shows how much power the roof has produced, how much your Powerwall is saving, and how much is available for use around the house, any time.
Soon enough you’ll notice that the Tesla solar roof app is somewhat like a challenging game, helping you use your energy where and when it matters most, so you’ll know exactly what’s happening so you can spread things out.
YOU WON’T BELIEVE WHAT’S BEEN TAKING ALL YOUR ENERGY
You may just be in for a shock when you realize how much energy is used by each appliance via the Tesla solar app. Soon enough, just like what foods have the most calories, you’ll have a new level of awareness and know exactly what appliances take the most energy, and which take the least.
Though it yield’s very little returns financially when your Tesla solar roof is amassing energy and your Powerwall is fully charged, you can send the surplus energy back to your grid to be shared.
TAX CREDIT
Best of all and never to be forgotten is that the national 30% Solar Investment Tax Credit applies to the cost of Tesla solar roof tiles and the necessary solar energy equipment needed including the cost of Tesla Powerwall batteries. Plus, additional state, local, or utility solar roof incentives may also help to benefit you.
