Buzz alert, Tesla solar roof is here
Newsblast; Elon Musk released the Tesla Solar program solar roof. The breaking news prompted an overhaul of the Tesla website. The solar roof is priced at $1,000 deposit to reserve your new solar roof. With this new buzz, comes scrutiny. There have been rumours that the Tesla solar tiles were more pricey than anticipated. Some in the solar industry, quite frankly, say it's overpriced.

Here’s a  breakdown of our findings of this product. Although Elon Musk and Tesla have a consistent record for successful product releases, his history of solar tile technology is still up in the air. Let’s take a look. 
 

Tesla’s cost 
To assess the value of the solar roof for your home, your roof size and  your monthly electric bill amount must be noted. The higher electricity bill originates from your electricity consumption. This in turn, means you’ll require a larger number of solar tiles on your roof relative to non-solar tiles. Tesla created a calculator to show upfront estimates for your roof to better understand the potential value of the solar roof. It doesn’t take all factors into account to provide a true comparison to the value of standard solar panels. It’s a bit questionable that the calculator doesn’t display your power ratings for the solar tiles. It only highlights the total system cost and the ratio of non-solar tiles to solar tiles to offset your monthly bill.
 

Federal solar tax credit isn’t guaranteed
Tesla claims tax credit can be applied to their entire solar roof through the Federal Investment Tax Credit (ITC). Is this a fact? This type of solar technology doesn’t fit into the structure of the current ITC. Determining the solar roof and its influence on the ITC will definately be a journey. The federal solar tax credit is also going to scale down in 2020 and phase out in 2022. Since these action items are pending on a deadline, there’s a possibility that homeowners who purchased Tesla’s solar roof may miss the chance to receive the federal solar tax credit. These homeowners may not get their system turned on before the expiration of the Federal Tax Credit. 

Your flat roof is disqualified
Homeowners with flat roofs, unfortunately won’t qualify for this product. The minimum roof pitch for a solar roof installation is 3:12 (or 14 degrees). This already places the Tesla solar roof at a disadvantage since other solar panels are compatible on all roof types. Solar panels are effective on flat roofs when using the tilted racking system. 

Durability is Tesla’s claim to fame
 
Elon Musk touts that the Tesla Solar Roof has a lifetime warranty for your home. Standard solar panels are usually warrantied for 25 years and last longer than the warranty. The lifetime of solar panels have been field tested. At this time, Tesla’s solar roofs have not been field tested. 
 
The initial draw towards the Tesla Solar Roof  targets wealthy and tech-savvy homeowners with a high interest for renewable energy & aesthetics. There’s no doubt that Elon Musk and Tesla know PR and how to build excitement into the solar industry. If you want to move into the future and join the solar revolution, or if you want to find out what solar panels are right for you, go to HahaSmart.com and try our price checker tool. You can see how much a system will cost, and how much you can save over the next 20 years. For more information relating to going solar, don't forget to visit our solar blog section for more handy guides and articles.