Elon Musk’s push to put Tesla tech on your roof begins in April
Good old Elon Musk, he sure seems to enjoy enlightening quiet Friday news days.
Two weeks ago he pledged to solve the energy woes of an entire Australian state and now he’s dropping info bombs on when US homes will be able order Tesla’s solar roofs.
In a tweet posted on Friday, the Tesla founder and CEO said customers can’t start buying up their new roofing from next month.
https://twitter.com/statuses/845293825715154945
The new solar tiles, which replace the entire surface of the roof rather than simply adding panels, are designed to look like regular old roof shingles, but come in a range of glass styles.
The tiles, which appear transparent to the sun, but opaque to the human eye operate with 98% efficiency compared to a regular solar panel.
So, your home can look like everyone else’s on the block, while you’ll enjoy a much-reduced energy bill.
Musk has also promised getting the entire roof done will cost less than a regular old house-covering affair.
Back in November, Musk said: “
“Why would you get anything else?”
Related: What is Tesla Powerwall?
Musk estimates that much of the savings will come through the shipping of the lighter, tempered glass tiles compared with the cost of getting shingles to their destination.
He estimates the home owners could save upwards of $100,000 in energy costs during the lifetime of the roof.
Of course, all of this will tie in with Tesla’s Powerwall technology, the in-home batteries being pushed by the company.
The move into roofing comes after the Tesla’s multi billion dollar merger with SolarCity, which shareholders approved back in November.
Would you switch out slate for solar? Share your thoughts in the comments below.