Forget about foregoing a Tesla solar roof to save money. Elon Musk said his company’s roofs will be cheaper than ordinary roofs. He also said the energy-generating roofs will last longer than typical roofs, so, said the real-life Iron Man, “Why would you get anything else?”
At first Tesla solar roofs will be a premium product, according to Bloomberg, as the company’s slate and terra cotta tiles are 20 times more expensive than asphalt singles. But that factor could become irrelevant because of reduced shipping costs. It’s expensive to ship traditional roof tiles because they’re so heavy and fragile. Musk said Tesla’s solar tiles are easier to ship and weigh around a fifth of what regular tiles weigh.
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Tesla’s tile roofs will be cheaper to both manufacture and install, according to Musk, and will provide savings to a homeowner even before energy bill savings. He said “Electricity is just a bonus.”
Not only could Tesla solar roofs ultimately save owners a wad of money, the sleek solar roof design could convince more people to go solar. Musk said, “The key is to make solar look good. We want you to call your neighbors over and say, ‘Check out this sweet roof.'”
The solar roofs will be made of tempered glass in four styles: Tuscan, slate, textured, and smooth. The innovative tiles come with solar cells invisible to a casual observer, a color louver film layer to enable the tiles to blend in, and a tempered glass layer. Tesla says the electricity from the roofs can be immediately utilized or stored in a Powerwall battery.
The company aims to have their solar roofs available by the summer of 2017; you can sign up for updates here.
Images via screenshot and Tesla
