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Tesla's Highly-Anticipated Solar Roofs Go Up For Pre-Order Today (inhabitat.com)

Posted by BeauHD on from the ready-when-you-are dept.

Kristine Lofgren writes: Get ready: Tesla's ground-breaking Solar Roof tiles are available for order in the U.S. starting today. In typical fashion, CEO Elon Musk announced via Twitter that the anticipated tech would be available to order this afternoon with installation happening later this year. Tesla's tiles look like traditional roof tiles but they soak up all that delicious sunlight in order to power your home. According to the company, the tiles will be more affordable than typical roofing and can be paired with their Powerwall battery to power a home completely using solar energy.

3 of 143 comments (clear)

  1. Who the hell... by x0ra · · Score: 5, Insightful

    ... would sink USD$70 for a roof ? He's mentioning that it wouldn't cost more than an asphalt roof, but that's only assuming very optimistic energy savings, and government subsidiary. Quote I got for my roof are in the $5k range, for a 20 years lifetime. The tiles are only warranty over 30 years, so an asphalt roof would cost $7.5k over the same period of time...

    1. Re:Who the hell... by Jeremi · · Score: 5, Insightful

      It's just Elon doing what he does best. Creating novelty items for rich people.

      Didn't almost every new technology start out as a novelty item for rich people?

      --


      I don't care if it's 90,000 hectares. That lake was not my doing.
  2. Actual comparison for a 1500 sq ft ranch by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Last year I replaced my roof with a conventional asphalt shingle roof. These were timberland lifetime warranty shingles (really a 25 year warranty). Quoted roof size was 21 square (2100 sq ft) at a cost of $12,600. This is on a single story hipped ranch with 4/12 pitch, ice and water up 2 rows, 2 layer tear off (old roof) cutting in a ridge vent, and adding a chimney cricket (use google).

    Tesla quotes $68,700 for this same roof with a 30 year warranty. Run some numbers... (and I'm going to ignore government incentives)

    Tesla claims a $18,600 savings in energy. If I was able to take out a solo mortgage at 3.92% for 30 years on $50k for this roof it'd cost me $85k in the end, well offsetting the $18k savings and putting me $17k in the hole.

    Lets run the numbers the other way. Say I had the difference ($50k) laying around and I wanted to invest that at the rate I'd pay for the roof in the above example ($236/mo for 30 yrs) in a monthly compounded account you'd accrue $142k after 30 years.

    I love the idea of widespread renewables, but I can never get the long term financials to play out in their favor.