![]() The calculator includes the amount of tax credits customers could receive as well as the cost of a Tesla Powerwall storage battery. Palo Alto-based Tesla has a calculator on its sales site where prospective customers can input their address and see the cost of the roof and the amount of money it is expected to generate in energy over 30 years. “We want to look around at neighborhoods and see roofs that are beautiful and generate energy from the sun.” “I’m confident this is a compelling financial decision,” Musk said on the call. Musk said the solar glass tiles will be lighter and stronger than normal roof tiles, and that the roofs will come with a warranty that extends either to the lifetime of the house or to “infinity” - whichever comes first. Panasonic makes the photovoltaic cells used in the tiles.Musk said during a call with reporters Wednesday that the roofs could be made up of as much as 70% active solar tiles, though most houses would have about 40%. Tesla is making the solar tiles at its Fremont, California factory initially but eventually all production will move to a joint Tesla and Panasonic Corp. ![]() Over that time period, Tesla estimates, the homeowner would save $8,500. The roof would be eligible for a $15,500 federal tax credit and would generate an estimated $62,100 in electricity over 30 years, Tesla said. That price includes a $7,000 Tesla Powerwall, a battery unit that stores the energy from the solar panels and powers the home. It would cost $69,100 to install a solar roof with 40-percent solar tiles on a 2,600-square-foot roof in suburban Detroit, according to Tesla’s web site. But homes would only need between 30 and 40 percent of their roof tiles to be solar the rest would be Tesla’s cheaper non-solar tiles which would blend in with the solar ones. Tesla said the solar tiles cost $42 per square foot to install, making them far more costly than slate, which costs around $17 per square foot, or asphalt, which costs around $5. They can also put down a refundable $1,000 deposit to reserve a place in line. Tesla’s web site includes a calculator for potential buyers to estimate the cost of a solar roof based on the size of their home, the amount of sunlight their neighborhood receives and federal tax credits. It has been through the same hail, fire and wind testing that normal roofs endure. The roof is guaranteed for the life of the home, which is longer than the 20-year lifespan for a typical, non-solar roof, Musk said. The aesthetics are that good,” Musk said in a conference call with media. “When you have this installed on your house, you’ll have the best roof in the neighborhood. ![]() One of the drawbacks to home solar installations until now has been the solar panels themselves, which are often awkward, shiny and ugly, Tesla CEO Elon Musk said in a conference call with the media. The panels containing photovoltaic cells appear invisible from the street, designed to look like a traditional roof, with options that replicate slate or terracotta tiles.
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