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No One Saw Tesla’s Solar Roof Coming

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Re: No One Saw Tesla’s Solar Roof Coming

#231

Post by WalterBright »

foxylad wrote: post #214
jdcarr wrote: post #208

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Corrugated iron is infamously loud in rain. What type of metal roof are you considering that wouldn't be such an earsore?

Here in NZ most roofs are corrugated iron, and people love the sound of rain on them. Different cultures... There is another good reason for our love affair with iron - we get a lot of earthquakes. An iron roof provides a lot of structural bracing, and it's negligible weight provides much less moment than slate or tile alternatives.

Ceramic roofs are very heavy, and as you say, they don't do so well in an earthquake. The house structure has to be designed to support it.

Wood shingles rot, are slippery when moldy, are an ideal habitat for wasps, burn, and generate a demand for old growth cedar (i.e. not sustainable).

Re: No One Saw Tesla’s Solar Roof Coming

#232

Post by jaggederest »

maximilianburke wrote: post #212

I would really like something like this, however the roof of my house has a really shallow pitch which makes it unsuitable for tiled roofs, be it glass (solar), ceramic, or asphalt. I guess panels are still an option, though it would be nice to never worry about the roof again :)

A well made flat roof (for your low pitch) should last close to 50 years. They're commonly more expensive but much more durable than pitched roofing.

I'd probably consult with the solar folks before getting your roof redone though. You'll probably save money if you make sure the roofers and the solar installers are coordinating correctly before either goes to work.

Re: No One Saw Tesla’s Solar Roof Coming

#233

Post by douche »

jdcarr wrote: post #208
WalterBright wrote: post #197

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I had a ceramic roof once. Walking on the roof would break the tiles. It made it hard to do maintenance on anything up there. My preference these days would be for a metal roof.

Corrugated iron is infamously loud in rain. What type of metal roof are you considering that wouldn't be such an earsore?

If you factor in a couple thicknesses of plywood, insulation between your rafters and/or roof stringers, and the sheetrock on the ceilings of your rooms, that deadens out most of the noise.

Re: No One Saw Tesla’s Solar Roof Coming

#235

Post by ant6n »

sbov wrote: post #20
pfarnsworth wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I need to replace my roof and I've been quoted almost $20k. If these are within $5k of that price, then I will jump on it.

From my experience, the price of installing solar on 1/4th of your roof is more expensive than installing a full, brand new roof. Beyond that, not all parts of the roof are created equal for solar - some will generated much less energy than others. E.g. a neighbor's tree blocks a fair portion of our roof from the sun. You can already get a $0 electricity bill without having full roof solar. I can't see it being anyth…

Maybe they'll have solar and non-solar shingles that look the same, so you can have the solar shingles facing South, but the whole roof looks the same.

Re: No One Saw Tesla’s Solar Roof Coming

#236

Post by ClassyJacket »

robterrell wrote: post #77

Side topic, but I wonder if there's a pivot point coming where household appliances could be offered in DC versions. It would be great to avoid the inverter efficiency loss / point of failure. Could there be a standard DC interior wiring system with line voltage for the fridge / dishwasher / laundry machines and let's say LED lights, phone chargers, etc? The need for AC power is just an artifact of long transmission…

Interesting thought. It makes sense.

And if we do, we MUST make it a standard voltage and plug between countries.

Re: No One Saw Tesla’s Solar Roof Coming

#237

Post by caf »

robbrown451 wrote: post #62
amelius wrote: post #48

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I'm sure i'm not the only one who feels like this is possibly the iphone moment of Solarcity/Tesla: an old-ish idea, made sexy and tasty to consumers, together with technology reaching a tipping point Except one ingredient is missing: most people cannot afford one, even if they tried really hard.

He's pitching it as being basically break even, when electricity costs are factored in. My guess is an awful lot of people can afford this, especially for new construction. Certainly enough to keep up with ability to ramp up manufacturing and training of installers. And then the economies of scale (and hopefully competition) will kick in and it should reach a point where nearly every new house, and nearly every repla…

He's pitching it as being basically break even, when electricity costs are factored in. My guess is an awful lot of people can afford this, especially for new construction.

I think this is key - often the pitch that "sure, it's expensive up front but will save you money in the long run" falls on deaf ears when people don't have the disposable income to immediately absorb that large up front cost, but when you're buying a house in most cases you're already taking out a large loan to finance a big up-front cost.

Re: No One Saw Tesla’s Solar Roof Coming

#238

Post by tux1968 »

redcap wrote: post #195
tux1968 wrote: post #191

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You have to manufacture, distribute, and install tar shingles too. Is there some reason to think these costs would be higher for solar tech?

I presume there's a difference in manufacturing between these tiles and normal tiles. I also presume there's CO2 costs involved in manufacturing solar cells that aren't present in normal shingles.

Perhaps, although i'm quite skeptical about a difference in distribution and installation. And even in the case of manufacturing, one must only consider the delta between them rather than full cost of manufacturing solar.

Re: No One Saw Tesla’s Solar Roof Coming

#239

Post by fennecfoxen »

perilunar wrote: post #178
pbh101 wrote: post #93

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The government is not literally just 'us.' It's a contentious idea: "government is just the word for the things we choose to do together" was oft-repeated by Rep. Barney Frank. He was repeating it because not everyone agrees. I think the primary problem of government funding is waste and the potential for corruption. Waste because the government is more immune to profit motive and thus can throw good money after bad…

>"government is just the word for the things we choose to do together" Definitely contentious. A more correct formulation is "government is just the word for the things we are forced to do together"

More than contentious, tendentious. It's a choice about how to organize your ideology and world-view, but it's presented as an inarguable fact of existence.

It's also what a small left-leaning majority says to defend themselves and shut up their detractors while they inflict their will on the minority over an issue that's contentious (e.g. our recent health care reform).

And you'll notice that when legislation they don't like appears, you'll hear remarks to the effect of "that is not who we are!" (the standard obviously being relaxed when a government does something the speaker disagrees with).

Re: No One Saw Tesla’s Solar Roof Coming

#240

Post by Udik »

FireBeyond wrote: post #202
GregBuchholz wrote: post #42

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Very cool! It seems like it worked for my place: "0 sq feet available for solar panels Based on 3D modeling of your roof and nearby trees"

I tried an address in Cave Creek AZ. 2000 hours of usable sunlight a year. 4664 sq ft available for panels. Total 20 year savings: $1,000. Seems... underwhelming. Oh, this is for a lease. $2,000 if you have to borrow to install the panels. Still... $100/yr? The only worthwhile benefit is you can afford to pay $21,000 out of pocket.

Does it also give you how much you would have made if you had invested the equivalent of the roof panels cost on the stock market?
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