Tesla Solar Roof Absorption Rate Shade Comparison [Video]

Tesla CEO Elon Musk first unveiled the idea of ​​a Solar Roof in the fall of 2016. In appearance, the new material its ordinary tiles, but in fact, this is a high-tech coating that can completely replace external power supply.

Solar Roof is based on glass ceramics, the production of which has long been established and doesn't cause difficulties. A special coating is introduced inside the material, which allows them to accumulate solar energy and transform it into electricity. Together with the Powerwall (home generator), which is offered complete, the roof allows you to effectively use all the sunlight that falls on the building.

Eric and Tara Neumann are longtime Tesla fans. They own Tesla Model 3 and Model X, and more recently, the latest version of the Solar Roof Solarglass V3. The roof installation, which comes with two Powerwalls, cost them $83,000.

Neumanns acquired the house in 2017, but it had an old roof that needed to be replaced in the next 5-7 years. Therefore, they decided to make a deposit, and ordered a Tesla Solar Roof. “When we bought the house, we knew we needed to replace the roof, and we knew we wanted to go solar,” Eric says.

Source: Eric Neumann/YouTube

In general, a solar roof is more expensive than a regular tile, but in addition to a roof, you get solar panels (beautifully and insensibly mounted in tiles) and two batteries that begin to save you money from the moment you connect.

Before setting up the Solar Roof, Neumanns planned to trim several trees because the foliage of them heavily foul the roof. But after installing the Solar Roof, they realized that it would be better for them to completely cut the trees. Although in their case the trees were almost dead, therefore they didn't have much value.

Thanks to this, Neumanns received information that is very interesting to a lot of people. They took data on the energy received, while the trees obscured their house and compared them with the data when the trees were already cut.

Source: Eric Neumann/YouTube

Thus, they got about a 29% increase in productivity from solar energy after they cut the trees. Data was collected in February, so Neumanns expect that they will generate much more power starting in April.