Need new roof in 2-3 years. TESLA?

[Pizzabrewer]

We recently bought our house knowing it will need a new roof in a couple of years.  There's been a lot of buzz lately about the new TESLA roof.  Elon Musk has said it will cost less to install than a traditional roof even before including the free electricity:

https://electrek.co/2016/11/17/tesla-solar-roof-cost-less-than-regular-roof-even-before-energy-production-elon-musk/

Anyone else looking into this?  Do you believe the cost claim?  Anyone have any insights?

[MrGville]

Very interesting.  I can't provide any useful information, but I am curious to read other responses.  Definitely something I will look into next time I need to replace a roof. 

[homestead neohio]

I am following the news on this, which is scant on price or time details.  I'm on the facilities board at a non-profit and we're considering both adding solar and a large roof replacement project.  Two birds with one stone sounds grand, especially if it is cheaper than just one of those projects (the roof). 

Telsa has a lot of issues to work out, including training roofers to install (they don't know photovoltaic systems) or training solar installers (who don't know how to install water-tight roofing systems) at scale and in a whole bunch of separate local markets.  You can build solar roof cells in one place, but assembling them into solar roofs is brand new and requires new knowledge and skills, totally different from an electric car business model.  Roofers operate in distinct local markets, so how easy they make this and how well installers are trained will be critical.  We don't want to be one of the earliest installations, that is for sure.

[ShoulderThingThatGoesUp]

I'll also need a new roof in the next few years, and my roof shape and orientation is perfect for solar but panels can't be installed on it due to the rafter setup. I'm on the waitlist for the Tesla roof. We'll see.

I did get a call from them and they indicated I would hear more later in the year after the merger smoothed out some.

[Fishindude]

Anyone else looking into this?  Do you believe the cost claim?  Anyone have any insights?

I'd be hard pressed to believe these cost claims.  Most homes in the US have asphalt or fiberglass shingle roofs that go on fast, are inexpensive, and last about 20 years.
Guessing the only way they will ever get this off the ground is if the fed government provides a big incentive to lower costs for the homeowner.

[MrGville]

Any idea how long a 'solar' roof would last?  I"m curious if it would need more maintenance or have to be replaced more frequently than a typical roof.

[homestead neohio]

Guessing the only way they will ever get this off the ground is if the fed government provides a big incentive to lower costs for the homeowner.

I'm guessing this counts as a residential photovoltaic system installation and would qualify for the 30% federal tax credit on the cost of the system and installation.  Along the lines of, "It's a PV system that just happens to be water-tight and cover my entire roof."  This rebate is in effect through the end of 2019, stepped down after that:

30% for systems placed in service by 12/31/2019
26% for systems placed in service after 12/31/2019 and before 01/01/2021
22% for systems placed in service after 12/31/2020 and before 01/01/2022
There is no maximum credit for systems placed in service after 2008.
Systems must be placed in service on or after January 1, 2006, and on or before December 31, 2021.
The home served by the system does not have to be the taxpayer’s principal residence.

Source:
https://energy.gov/savings/residential-renewable-energy-tax-credit

[boarder42]

I've been followin gthis since he released it, we'll need a roof in 5-10 years at which time i'm sure the market place will be flooded with these.

My 2c.

1. i think when they say normal roof they are talking your high end slate or mexican clay tile roof not asphalt shingles.
2. according to videos these should be more indestructible than the high end roofs.
3. i think maint/replacement costs will be lower than standard roofing, but i think you will now need to clean your roof to get maximum solar power production
4. i think when he claims they are cheaper it also means your whole roof wont be covered in PV ... the parts with the most sun will get the PV tiles the rest will be normal tiles.
5. His claims have to include the 30% rebate i dont see any other way this is that cheap.

[KungfuRabbit]

The cost claims are based off slate or tile, which are 2-3 x the standard asphalt. He is also probably assuming tax credits and such to offset it.

For reference on my house new asphalt would be about $12,000, I got a solar system quoted  (not tesla of course) at $45,000. I'm guessing the tesla version is going to be about that $45,000 level.

In MN the economics suck. We have really cheap electricity, dark winters, and lots of clouds. My year round electric bill is about $1,000 total (not counting gas of course).  So even if that goes to zero the extra $25,000 will never pay off.

My two cents:
-lower your electric bill by living electrically efficient
-if they offer it, pay the slight surcharge to fund wind or solar through the electric company.

This obviously changes if you pay more for electricity and have more sun.

[Pizzabrewer]

The cost claims are based off slate or tile, which are 2-3 x the standard asphalt.

Yeah after doing a bit more googling I see that.  Rather disingenuous, when making comparisons to "normal" or "traditional" or "standard" roofs, most people would assume you're talking about asphalt shingles.

I'll be watching this unfold over the next couple of years.  No rush.

[boarder42]

the slate and tile roof are much more normal and traditional in peak solar regions like california and arizona b/c of the amount of sun houses get there.

[Roboturner]

Anyone else looking into this?  Do you believe the cost claim?  Anyone have any insights?

I'd be hard pressed to believe these cost claims.  Most homes in the US have asphalt or fiberglass shingle roofs that go on fast, are inexpensive, and last about 20 years.
Guessing the only way they will ever get this off the ground is if the fed government provides a big incentive to lower costs for the homeowner.

This shit really pisses me off. It's not cheaper if it's being subsidized by taxpayers.

[Dave1442397]

I'm keeping an eye on Tesla too. We'll need a new roof in around five years, and a normal asphalt shingle roof will be somewhere around the $15-16k mark. Local roofers have told me that the newer shingles can last up to 30 years.

We have the perfect roof for solar. The house faces North, so we get sun on the back of the house all day long, winter or summer. That's actually a big help in winter, as the sun will hold the house at 67-68F all day after 10am or so.

Our gas/electric bill maxed out at $362 in January. I have it averaged in the budget at $250/mo, so I'm not sure how long it would take to amortize a solar array.

[Syonyk]

There's so little data and so much (intentionally misleading) comparison that nobody can say much for sure about it.

Far as I can tell, the point was to get buzz for the merger.