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Once Elon Musk, the inventor and entrepreneur, announced the advent of Tesla's solar roof, many Minneapolis homeowners came to us with questions on how the Tesla roof works, the costs related to the roof, and if it’s worth their investment.

The Solar Roof is an attractive option for converting sunlight into electricity. The glass tiles comprising the roof feature Photovoltaics (PV) covered with a colored louver film to match the non-PV tiles. The system utilizes an integrated Powerwall battery to collect energy produced during sunny days to make it available during the night or cloudy days. 

  

There are many purported advantages of the Tesla Solar Roof:

• Aesthetically, the roof looks great. Shingles are available in textured and smooth glass, with Tuscan Tile and Slate styles coming out in 2018. Compared to the bulky solar panels currently available for solar production, the beauty of the Tesla roof wins out. 

• The integrated Powerwall battery is sleek and relatively thin, unobtrusive to the home’s architecture.

• Initially Musk announced the roof would be comparable, and later clarified, less expensive, than a traditional roof after factoring in the energy savings. Although it’s unclear what kind of materials Musk is comparing to the solar tiles, his company developed a calculator to help homeowners estimate the cost of the roof for their home. Start here by adding your address. Only 35% to 50% of your roof will be covered in the solar tiles, depending on how much you need to offset your energy costs. The rest of the roof is clad with non-PV glass tiles.

•The estimate takes into account your monthly energy payments, loan payments for 30 years, any tax credits or deductions, estimated installation and old roof removal costs, and mortgage interest deductions. The calculator gives you a net cost per month for your new roof. 

• Tesla offers a warranty on the shingles themselves for infinity or the lifetime of the home, whichever comes first. The power and weatherization warranty end after 30 years, but then you’re responsible only for replacing those solar tiles on 35% to 50% of the roof, not the full roof.

• The glass shingles feature Class 4 ANSI FM 4473 hail resistance—the highest level.

• Knowing your roof is environmentally friendly and your home self-sufficient in terms of clean energy usage may bring peace of mind to homeowners.

At this point in July 2017, there are still many unknowns about the Tesla Roof. Although Tesla is taking deposits for roofs and manufacturing is revving up, no one is sure when installation will begin in Minnesota, how the tiles will live up to the diverse climate, and some speculators question the energy output of the PV tiles.   

It will be incredibly interesting to see if this new roof disrupts the industry that has ebbed and flowed with the seasons and storms in Minnesota. More homeowners buying the Solar Roof over time will show us how well the roof lives up to expectations.