Elon Musk’s Tesla has finished installing their first solar roofs, sparking excitement among homeowners around the world who are eager to follow suit.
“Wait, isn’t Tesla an automobile company?” Yes, but the technology flows seamlessly from car to home and a lot of the heavy lifting comes from SolarCity, now a subsidiary of Tesla after a merger totaling $2.6 billion.
You would expect the first customers to be high rollers, however, Tesla employees have the honor of being early adopters, similar to what Elon did with his first Model 3 electric cars.
And it makes sense - employees will be able to sport their creation in the real world and feedback with any issues before it goes to the mass market.
About the solar roofs
The solar tiles (also known as solar shingles) have a tough class exterior, and if covering roughly 40% of an average four bedroom house, should be enough to offset a house’s current electricity bill.
Much like the cars, a huge amount of investment has gone into design and aesthetics. Customers will have a choice of four different textures/finishes:
- Slate tile
- Tuscan tile
- Smooth modern tile
- Textured tile
The intention was to mimic current roofing looks in order to appeal to the majority.
Depending on where you live, prices can vary dramatically. Tax credits, locality, contractors, and upsells all go into the final cost. Only a handful of companies manufacture solar shingles so prices are much higher than they will be in a few years when competitors have jumped on board.
When can we get ours?
Tesla has been collecting deposits since May and has started to give buyers with detailed estimates and advice.
Those living in Australia or the United Kingdom (and some other specific places) can expect to get theirs in mid-late 2018.
Get started by requesting a call with Tesla or, if you have seen enough to make a decision, placing an order by clicking here.