Tesla, the upstart electric car company, will be taking orders for solar roofs soon.
Tesla acquired solar installer SolarCity last year, and now the company unveiled solar roof tiles as well as new versions of batteries that store energy by the sun to later power buildings. If all goes as planed, these new solar roofs will be able to completely power a home or building.
The company has developed four roof tile styles: Tuscan glass, smooth, slate, and textured glass. Telsa hasn’t revealed how much it will charge or where the tiles will be first available.
Tesla’s tiles are made from an opaque, quartz-based tempered glass. The glass is coloured using a new solar film developed specifically for Tesla by 3M, and shaped to resemble solid shingling, and allow light to penetrate to a solar cell beneath. The tiles and the solar panels themselves will be manufactured in partnership with Panasonic at a plant in Buffalo.
When Will The Tiles Be Available?
Production of the tiles is slated to begin soon. The solar roofs will last longer and cost less than a traditional tile roof, according to the company. To support the manufacturing of the solar roof tiles, Tesla has partnered with Panasonic.
Aesthetics have always been a challenge for roof top, however Teslea’s new solar roofing tiles promise to make solar power sexy, just like it did with electric cars. Using see-through glass technology, Teslea’s tiles will look identical to regular roof tiles from the street, yet allow sufficient sunlight to penetrate in order to power the house underneath.
Telesa will begin to take orders in the USA but it’s unclear at how Canadians can order the products.
Will They Be Cost Effective?
Tesla founder, Elon Musk, has previously claimed his solar tiles will cost less to both produce and install than other comparable options. However exact pricing won’t be known until deposits for orders start rolling in. However, in saying the new tiles will be less expensive than other comparable options, it needs to be clarified that Tesla is comparing their terra cotta and slate lookalikes to the real thing, which are of course uber-high end materials. In comparison to traditional asphalt shingles, Tesla’s roof material may cost 20 times as much. The payback comes over time in the form of electricity savings. The company offers four styles, including smooth glass and textured glass styles in addition to Tuscan tile and slate.
What Does The Future Hold for Tesla?
When it comes to Tesla’s stock, the high-profile tech company has surpassed Ford in market value. Tesla’s market capitalization is at $48.7 billion, compared with Ford’s $45.6 billion. Investors see Tesla as a promising long-term investment. Because Tesla is first and foremost a car company focusing on electric cars and automation, there’s no mention of how its new solar roofs will contribute to market value.
In the near future, solar power and Tesla’s cars can be part of a package for homeowners, who could ostensibly power both their home and charge their car with solar.
