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I am not sure this is the right approach to the problem, from the article: - While traditional solar panels can be installed in a day, it took a team of 10 to

I am not sure this is the right approach to the problem, from the article: - While traditional solar panels can be installed in a day, it took a team of 10 to 15 workers two weeks to install this roof. - Winds roofs cost him about $100,000, though he didn't need to replace his roof anyway: I don't think it will ever pay itself, honestly. - Tesla's goal is to make the tiles a cost-effective option. Partly by ensuring they're more durable than other rooftops. Tesla's promising 30 years of solar power generation. Yeah, the solar roof tiles look great. Yet, why wouldn't you go for solar panels instead?

radicalbyte 7y ago
The Tesla solar roof looks fantastic compared to sun panels. For the aesthetics you pay a large premium and take a hit in efficiency compared to normal panels.
- jackvalentine 7y ago
  The photograph doesn't look that good. His whole roof isn't even covered, just a section in the middle that clashes with the border! If that's the aesthetic 'improvement' offered then give me regular large slab panels please.
  - radicalbyte 7y ago
    It comes in a number of versions and some of them fit in with the American McMansion style. There are a lot of examples in this youtube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IVIf8UMg7Zg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IVIf8UMg7Zg
    - jackvalentine 7y ago
      If the guy in the linked article's install cost $100k, I can't imagine how much the house shown in that video cost. Elon truly is the pied piper.
- necovek 7y ago
  That seems to be a different problem. It seems some of the trouble and cost is with the size (miniaturization, electronic component duplication for each tile...). Why not simply create larger "tiles", a la sheeted roofs? If aesthetics is the only goal, you can take a bit more hit on efficiency and have different patterns on them that are not necessarily energy-producing (eg. you take a current-tech solar panel and paint and perhaps even sculpt anything on parts of it to make it look better). Since the efficiency hit is generally pretty big (your roof is unlikely to be inclined and pointed in a way to get the most of sun rays in your area), they need to be much cheaper than traditional panels per unit of coverage to be even cost-comparable. FWIW, I like this and would gladly install them on my roof. I've actually searched for "solar roof tiles" long before this was announced (didn't come up with anything :)). But perhaps this project needs a stepping stone to regular-looking tiles first (as I said, larger, sheeting-like solar panels for installation on commercial roofs, if designed in a nice way, perhaps even for residential use).
  - vladojsem 7y ago
    Larger tiles would probably help a bit. And to be honest, at the beginning I liked the idea of solar roof tiles. The more I think of it the more it seems as a not-so-good idea. You are solving some problems in a very inefficient manner.
- vladojsem 7y ago
  Exactly, that was my point. I don't know if it makes sense to pay a large premium for the roof aesthetics. From my point of view, it is just a bad design of the product. Maybe it will change in the future, but for now, I wouldn't put those tiles on my roof.
jackvalentine 7y ago
A hundred thousand dollars to be a beta tester. Indeed why wouldn't you let form follow function and just get regular panels?
_ph_ 7y ago
The most reasonable application for the solar roof tiles is when a roof is beeing built or renewed. I wouldn't expect them to be cost efficient when replacing an existing roof in good shape. As with electric cars, you buy them, when you would buy a new car anyway. And of course, they are great whereever people are hesitant to put solar panels onto their roof for esthetic reasons. What else is keeping people away from putting solar onto their roofs?
- hef19898 7y ago
  The answer to your last question still is, unfortunately, costs and return-of-investment. When we built our house a couple of years back the ROI would have been around the 10 year mark, not too great at that particular moment. The ROI can either be improved by subsidies or if you factor in EVs. In the latter case, assuming there is enough cash available, the investment improves a lot.

radicalbyte 7y ago

The Tesla solar roof looks fantastic compared to sun panels. For the aesthetics you pay a large premium and take a hit in efficiency compared to normal panels.

jackvalentine 7y ago
The photograph doesn't look that good. His whole roof isn't even covered, just a section in the middle that clashes with the border! If that's the aesthetic 'improvement' offered then give me regular large slab panels please.
- radicalbyte 7y ago
  It comes in a number of versions and some of them fit in with the American McMansion style. There are a lot of examples in this youtube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IVIf8UMg7Zg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IVIf8UMg7Zg
  - jackvalentine 7y ago
    If the guy in the linked article's install cost $100k, I can't imagine how much the house shown in that video cost. Elon truly is the pied piper.
necovek 7y ago
That seems to be a different problem. It seems some of the trouble and cost is with the size (miniaturization, electronic component duplication for each tile...). Why not simply create larger "tiles", a la sheeted roofs? If aesthetics is the only goal, you can take a bit more hit on efficiency and have different patterns on them that are not necessarily energy-producing (eg. you take a current-tech solar panel and paint and perhaps even sculpt anything on parts of it to make it look better). Since the efficiency hit is generally pretty big (your roof is unlikely to be inclined and pointed in a way to get the most of sun rays in your area), they need to be much cheaper than traditional panels per unit of coverage to be even cost-comparable. FWIW, I like this and would gladly install them on my roof. I've actually searched for "solar roof tiles" long before this was announced (didn't come up with anything :)). But perhaps this project needs a stepping stone to regular-looking tiles first (as I said, larger, sheeting-like solar panels for installation on commercial roofs, if designed in a nice way, perhaps even for residential use).
- vladojsem 7y ago
  Larger tiles would probably help a bit. And to be honest, at the beginning I liked the idea of solar roof tiles. The more I think of it the more it seems as a not-so-good idea. You are solving some problems in a very inefficient manner.
vladojsem 7y ago
Exactly, that was my point. I don't know if it makes sense to pay a large premium for the roof aesthetics. From my point of view, it is just a bad design of the product. Maybe it will change in the future, but for now, I wouldn't put those tiles on my roof.

jackvalentine 7y ago

A hundred thousand dollars to be a beta tester. Indeed why wouldn't you let form follow function and just get regular panels?

_ph_ 7y ago

The most reasonable application for the solar roof tiles is when a roof is beeing built or renewed. I wouldn't expect them to be cost efficient when replacing an existing roof in good shape. As with electric cars, you buy them, when you would buy a new car anyway. And of course, they are great whereever people are hesitant to put solar panels onto their roof for esthetic reasons. What else is keeping people away from putting solar onto their roofs?

hef19898 7y ago
The answer to your last question still is, unfortunately, costs and return-of-investment. When we built our house a couple of years back the ROI would have been around the 10 year mark, not too great at that particular moment. The ROI can either be improved by subsidies or if you factor in EVs. In the latter case, assuming there is enough cash available, the investment improves a lot.