Tesla has finally announced that it will start selling its all-new solar roof this year. The announcement came in a letter addressed to investors for the fourth quarter. The idea of solar roofs could revolutionize how people consume solar energy. The roof was unveiled back in October just moments before Tesla announced the acquisition of SolarCity. The deal was thought to be somewhere in the range of $2.1 billion.
Elon Musk, Tesla’s CEO, said that the company had started to take orders as of May this year for the solar roof. The roof is designed to generate energy without having solar panels on the rooftop. Although the installation costs for the roof will be higher compared to an ordinary traditional roof, the design will look better and classier. Besides, there’s every chance that the roof will repay itself in a year or two through the reduced energy costs at home.
It’s not yet clear though whether the new product will have any appeal to the consumers out there. Tesla has already generated a lot of traction with its all-electric cars and the company is hoping to replicate this success with its new solar roof. The cost of the roof will be high and homeowners who want to have it must make a deposit of $1,000 through Tesla’s site. Other estimated upfront costs can also be calculated on the same website.
Just to give you a rough idea of how much the solar roof would cost, take the example of a 1,700 square feet roof located in California. The cost is already at $34,300 after tax credits with only half of the roof covered with solar tiles. One of the biggest selling points for the solar roof is its design. The roof allows homeowners to have a reliable solar energy source on their roof without necessarily affecting the aesthetic of their home or their roof.
No one can tell whether there are solar cells on the roof or not. Elon Musk was quoted at a conference saying that it was very important for Tesla to develop a solar roof that will compete in its appeal with the ordinary roofs. The roof needs to be more appealing than the traditional roof and it seems that’s exactly what Tesla has done.
Musk also noted that the process of designing and developing the roof is highly technical and a new Tesla glass tech division has already been created to provide the required technical support for the solar roof and its development.
The TCEO intimated during the launch of the solar roof that there was a possibility that in fact the roof could cost less than a traditional roof but failed to provide more details on how this would be achieved. Musk instead chose to assure potential customers that the company is seeking to offer the best battery cells for the lowest price.
The solar roof is a big invention by Tesla and we will have to wait and see whether it will live up to customers’ expectations or not.
