Tesla Solarglass Roof V3 Ramp is Starting and Will Disrupt the Residential Solar Market

The Tesla Solarglass Roof is the company’s flagship residential product, and it took a long time before it was ready for a serious ramp. Solarglass Roof V3, previously known as the Solar Roof, was perfectly described by Elon Musk as a "high-efficiency solar power seamlessly integrated into beautiful roof tiles.” Building solar panels that look like roof tiles was a brilliant way of integrating sustainable features into the home, and over the years, Tesla has developed ways to reduce costs, so its Solarglass Roof V3 is more affordable.

Elon Musk recently noted on Twitter that many Bay Area installations are ongoing now, so it will only be a matter of time before more and more homes are equipped with Tesla’s integrated solar products. Musk has also hinted at new Solarglass Roof designs being introduced soon after the company masters textured black roof tiles.

My wife and I love our Solarglass Roof! We just turned it on yesterday! https://t.co/Jm7XCuBFFt pic.twitter.com/mxRGvYmcL7

— Austin Flack (@austinflack) February 10, 2020

Similar to the Model 3 ramp, Tesla also encountered challenges with the full rollout of the Solarglass Roof tiles. Today, however, the company seems to be ready to start a serious ramp for its flagship residential solar product. Tesla, after all, has already redesigned the Solarglass Roof to be cheaper, more durable, and easier to install. These, at least in the residential solar market, are a key combination for a product to be very competitive in the market.

Some customers have shared their Solar Roof stories online. For instance, Youtuber Austin Flack posted a video in late January 2020 about his experiences and thoughts about his Tesla Solarglass Roof V3 installation.

For Flack and his wife, deciding to install Solarglass Roof V3 tiles on their home was a matter of numbers. The couple had wanted to install regular Tesla solar panels to their home but found out that their roof needed to be replaced first. So the couple considered the cost advantages of the Solarglass Roof instead.

According to Flack's estimates, replacing their home's roof with regular tiles would cost between $9K to about $12K. Tesla advised that Flack's family would need a system size of about 9.09 kW to meet their energy needs with some room for more consumption--if needed--in the future. Tesla gave him a quote of $33,749 for a complete Solarglass Roof V3 installation.

Yes, but we want to focus on textured black first, then move into Earth tones & convolutions

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 10, 2020

Flack considered his options. Installing a conventional premium roof would be around $12K. If he installed solar panels separately, it would cost an additional $18,700 for the same system size, which would bring the total cost to $30,700.

Ultimately, Flack decided that the difference of $3,049 was worth it for the Solarglass Roof V3 because of its "enhanced aesthetics," and more notably, the value it would add to his home. Flack’s Solarglass Roof was recently just activated, as per an update on Twitter, and he expects the system to zero out the home’s electric bill when it’s fully operational.

Eric Neumann also discussed his family's Solarglass Roof V3 installation, and it perfectly encapsulates Tesla's journey with it as well. Neumann and his wife had purchased a home that would require a roof replacement in a few years, so the couple opted to put a reservation for Tesla’s Solar Roof tiles. However, the Neumanns ended up waiting quite some time for their Solar Roof because of Tesla’s long development cycle for the product.

When Tesla finally contacted the Neumanns, it estimated Solar Roof installation for their home would be a steep $135,000. The couple took some time to deliberate before approving the Solar Roof installation.

Hard to believe that is high efficiency solar power seamlessly integrated into beautiful roof tiles. Great work by SolarGlass engineering, Giga NY factory & Tesla installation teams!

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 9, 2020

The couple opted to wait some more, until October last year, when they received another call from Tesla. The Neumanns learned Tesla had a new version of the Solar Roof available, and it was significantly cheaper. By this time, the tiles were dubbed by the company as the Solarglass Roof V3. The estimate for the Neumanns’ home was only about $85,000 with the V3 tiles, which was $50,000 less than the cost of the previous tiles.

Ultimately, the Neumanns had to wait years to get their Solarlass Roof installation, but considering the savings that the system will likely give, as well as the more affordable price offered by the V3 tiles, it appears that the family’s long wait was worth it. Just like Flack, the value of the Neumanns’ home will likely increase in value thanks to its Solarglass Roof system. 

Related Links: Austin Flack and Eric Neumann

Featured Image Credit: Tesla

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