Back in 2016, Tesla announced their latest product called Solar Roof. Unlike traditional solar panels that are built on top of rooftops, Solar Roof completely replaces the roof with solar panel tiles that look virtually indistinguishable from regular roof tiles.
Set to be made available in four different styles of roof tiles consisting of Tuscan, slate, textured, and smooth, not only are the tiles visually appealing, the Solar Roof tiles are also equipped with a patented louvered glass that makes the solar cells transparent from street level but opaque from overhead to allow direct sunlight onto the solar cells.
Made with tempered glass, the Solar Roof tiles are 3x stronger than traditional roof tiles and also has the highest possible resistant ratings against hail, wind, and fire. To showcase the strength of the Solar Roof tile, Tesla launched a 5 cm hailstone travelling 160 km/h (99 mph) on impact towards 3 roof tiles. As seen in the video below, the Tesla Solar tile on the left is unscathed while the 2 regular roof tiles break instantly.
In terms of affordability, the average cost per square foot of Solar Roof is $21.85 USD and Tesla estimates that installing a Solar Roof in a typical home in Maryland will cost around $52,000 USD. The estimated cost of the Solar Roof includes the solar tiles, removal of the old roof, Powerwall battery, supporting hardware, and installation costs. After tax credits and the value of energy that the Solar Roof will generate, Solar Roof is said to eventually pay for itself and save an additional $8,000 USD over a 30-year span.
To learn more about the Solar Roof, click the link below.
