Solar Roof Sets Tesla Grand Unification Into Motion

Tesla has begun taking orders for its transformative new solar roof, according to Bloomberg. The pricing is competitive, and it marks the final piece in Elon Musk’s vision for a grand unification of his clean-energy ambitions, combining solar power, home batteries, and electric cars.

“These are really the three legs of the stool for a sustainable energy future,“ Musk said. “Solar power going to a stationary battery pack so you have power at night, and then charging an electric vehicle ... you can scale that to all the world’s demand.“

Tesla opened up its online store and began taking $1,000 deposits for two of four options unveiled in October: a smooth black glass and textured-glass roof tiles. From most viewing angles, the slick shingles look like standard roof materials, but they allow light to pass through from above onto a solar cell embedded beneath the tempered surface. The first installations will begin in the U.S. in June, though orders are being accepted from countries around the world for 2018.

The cost of Tesla’s solar roof is critical for determining whether it will be a niche product for the wealthy or the key to unlocking a residential solar market that has been slowing in the U.S. The pricing is less than many analysts were expecting. But the solar roof still comes with a considerable upfront price tag. Replacing the roof of a 2,000 square-foot home in New York state, with 40 percent coverage of active solar tiles and battery backup for night-time use, would cost about $50,000 after federal tax credits. It would pay for itself with $64,000 of energy produced over 30 years, but that requires a bigger mortgage and some long-term planning.

Production will begin at Tesla’s Fremont solar plant in California and then shift this summer to its new factory in Buffalo, New York, with additional investments from Tesla’s partner Panasonic. Musk said initial sales will be limited by manufacturing capacity. As production ramps up into 2018, sales will begin in the UK, Australia, and other locations, along with the introduction of sculpted terracotta and slate versions of the solar roof.

"What is the future that we should have?" Musk asked on a call with reporters. "What do we think the world should look like?"In the future, he declares, every rooftop should be beautiful, and they all should produce electricity. The pricing must come down further to make that vision a reality. But it's not so far off, and the price of both batteries and solar cells continues to plummet as those industries scale up globally. If these new solar roof prices are simply Tesla’s opening bid to its early adopters, glass solar shingles may indeed be the asphalt of tomorrow.