There is no denying how big the name “Tesla” has become. Known as the world’s leading manufacturer of electric vehicles, they occupy a revered position in the automobile industry, so it’s pretty unusual to think they’d be associated with roof systems one day.

In October 2016, the Tesla CEO opened up on his company’s intentions to purchase solar city, a company that produces solar panels. This statement wowed the public, and in less than a millisecond, it had spread all over the media already. However, it will take close to two years before we could see these trendy solar roofs in full use.

For about four years now, these sensational solar shingles have been the talk of the town, and in this article, we intend to justify if, indeed, Tesla’s solar shingles are worth the hype they’ve received and the lofty price that comes with it.

Before we delve deep into this solar roof’s specifications, let’s get to understand its concept and how it differs from regular solar panels.

What Is Tesla’s Solar Roof?

Solar as a natural source of renewable energy has always been a very safe, low-cost option to power up homes and workplaces, and solar panels have for so long been the best-known way to utilize this nature’s gift. However, Tesla has brought something a bit different to the table. Unlike traditional solar panels, Tesla designed photovoltaic shingles in the form of tempered glass, which would serve as a roof shingle and solar panel at once.

This means that homeowners didn’t need to buy extra panels, as they had already been factored into the shingles. This offers quite a good number of advantages, including that your desire to go solar wouldn’t cost you the beauty of your roof system.

Tesla’s solar roof comprised two types of textured glass tile; the active solar shingles- which contained the solar cells that produced the solar energy, and the regular shingles. So by ordering Tesla’s solar roof, you’re simply buying a mixture of the two different shingles, though you could hardly tell the difference.

How Much Does The Tesla Solar Roof Cost?

According to Elon musk, the goal was that the cost of these fascinating solar shingles would be much less than the cost of replacing your rooftop and buying solar panels put together. However, achieving this goal hasn’t been without numerous setbacks, and even the CEO himself acknowledges that it was a very demanding task. But as a very established and reputable company, they certainly can deal with minor setbacks, at least during the early stages of their solar adventure.

According to the estimator on their official website, the cost of Tesla’s solar roof was largely dependent on

• The complexity of your roof
• Average electricity bill
• Size of roof

The active roof tiles cost $2.04 per watt, while your roof’s complexity determines the price of the inactive shingles.

Using the estimator, here’s an estimate for installing a solar roof on a 1,500 square-foot one-story building with a moderately complex roof and an average electricity bill of $150 per month in Grove street New York USA.

Tesla recommended a 9.8 kW solar roof, which would cost about $49,784, but after incorporating the federal and New York solar tax credit, the total estimated price dropped to $36,215. It also estimated $15,964 savings over 25 years.

How Does Tesla’s Solar Roof Compare To Regular Solar Panels?

In terms of price, Tesla’s solar roofs are relatively costlier than conventional solar panels. The cost of purchasing and installing 10kW solar panels for the same building used in the above example will range from about $25,000 – $30,000, without factoring in the federal and state credit taxes. Many have also argued that the traditional solar panels still beat Solar shingles in electricity generation, making it quite an unreasonable decision to adopt the latter.

In the aspect of durability, Tesla deserves some credit for the beautiful work they’ve done. Made of notoriously strong tempered glass, these solar shingles can withstand virtually anything. The company boasts that the solar tiles are 3X stronger than standard tiles.

It has a tile, power, and weatherization warranty of 25 years and a Class A fire rating.

These solid shingles were built to withstand hail and wind of almost any magnitude, and our traditional solar panels are no match to them.

Is Tesla’s Solar Roof Worth The Price And Hype? Should I Make The Switch?

For all we know, Tesla is a very successful electric car company, but it seems like that success isn’t rubbing off on their solar roof production as much as it should. Undoubtedly, their solar shingles are modernized solar panels and far more good-looking than traditional solar panels, but their efficiency is still widely in doubt. Probably because they’ve not been in the market long enough, people find it hard to believe the long-term features of this glass tile. Recent findings have shown that Tesla’s customer service is quite appalling, and if you intend to go solar with a warranty of 25 years, then you’d probably choose a company that would be at your beck and call. Because Tesla is a big company, they find it challenging to keep up with their numerous customers. If you can’t get quality attention when there’s a fault, you risk losing out on such a considerable investment.

Whether or not you should opt for Tesla’s solar shingles depends on you. Installing Tesla’s solar roof entails changing the whole top. So if your roof shingles are still in perfect condition, then Solar panels are your ideal choice, unless you’re so obsessed about the aesthetics of your home and can afford to purchase the beautiful solar roofs. If you intend to move anytime in the future, solar roofs are pretty difficult to install, and removing them isn’t something you’d want to do. Whichever is your decision, it’s always good to do your findings and obtain quotes from solar companies around you. Compare and contrast, then make your final decision.

While considering the energy-efficient option for your roofing system, always remember that it takes a professional roofer to give you a roofing system that will stand the test of time. To get the best services while installing solar panels or solar shingles, call or visit Royal Renovators today at 118-35 Queens Blvd Forest Hills, NY 11375 (718) 414-6067 https://www.nycrenovators.com/.