Conventional Solar Panels Or The Tesla Solar Roof?

Are you a technophile?  Do you have a subscription to Popular Mechanics? Do your friends call you when they are looking to add to their modern techno-life upgrades?  Is your favorite part of a Bond movie when Q makes an appearance because you know the cool device is coming?  Then you might be ready for a home-based energy tech upgrade.   Recently, Tesla proclaimed the actual cost for one of its latest releases, the Tesla Solar Roof.  Along with this release has come the price for their new solar roof product, a roof replacement for your house. And as of January 2018, Tesla has declared they are now constructing the roof product at their Buffalo Gigafactory. Installations have begun for the top of their wait list although the greater market reach remains unclear.

This latest product from Telsa requires that you replace your existing roof with a company unique blend of non-solar glass tiles and solar-enabled glass tiles. It is an excellent new product, created with renowned aesthetics, and due to its enormous acclaim, we wanted to investigate this product and figure out if installing this new roof makes economic sense for your home? With a small amount of contact with homeowners, we’ve found that for the majority of them answer “not yet.” Unless you’re ready for that roof replacement, Tesla’s new solar roof is simply too pricey for the common American homeowner for simply making a home energy upgrade.

How Much Does The Tesla Solar Roof Cost?

To easily explain Tesla’s solar roof cost and its price premium, we’ll detail three different scenarios below –  read on to see which describes you best! We’ll be using a 3,000 sq. ft. home in Southern California with a $200 monthly electric bill in our example, although we ran this analysis for several different states and home sizes and the results remained similar.

A Potential Scenario Where A Tesla Solar Roof Seems Cost Efficient

You have finally arrived at the conclusion that the solar revolution could use one more member.  You have decided, it's your turn.  You have taken a holistic look at your home and financial situation.   You are curious about going solar, but don’t need to replace your roof. Not surprising, this example the most prevalent scenario for the wide majority of homeowners currently in the U.S. You’ve been curious about installing solar panels for a long while, and recognized that prices have come down enough for it to be a possible home upgrade. Being that technophile known in your social network, you've been hearing a lot of media murmur surrounding the Tesla solar roof as of late.  However, you aren’t sure if it’s deserving of the cost. Most notable, you don’t need to replace your roof for the next few years. 

If you are reading this article, and finding a common thought stream, then the candid answer is that Tesla’s solar roof doesn't make a lot of sense in your current situation. The main reasoning behind this judgment is that the Tesly Solar Roof is both a new roof and a solar installation. If you don’t need a new roof, you risk getting taken financially on a commodity that you weren’t even shopping for in the first place. The price tag of this upsell is substantial. While the owner of our 3,000 sq. ft. home in California would on install an 8.5 kW solar panel system for approximately $26,030 before discounts, Tesla’s roof calculator shows that only a 6.25 kW solar roof priced at $50,900 is possible. The conclusion is that Tesla’s solar roof will cost nearly $25,000 more than installing solar panels.  Also, it will deliver only 77 percent as much solar electricity (remember it's smaller system size). You’re spending more for less, and that doesn’t make good economic sense.

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.