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Tesla Solar Roof is on life support as it pivot to panels

electrek.co

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Re: Tesla Solar Roof is on life support as it pivot to panels

#251

Post by pjc50 »

freetime2 wrote: post #115

> The economics never worked either. An average Tesla Solar Roof costs approximately $106,000 before incentives, compared to roughly $60,000 for a traditional roof replacement plus conventional solar panels — a $46,000 premium. The payback period stretches to 15-25 years, compared to 7-12 years for traditional panels. Yikes that’s a lot of money. For most people buying solar, I think payback period is probably the bi…

Meanwhile in the UK, the Future Homes standard mandates it on new build: https://solar4good.co.uk/blogs/solar-property-developers-uk-...

> "requires on-site renewable electricity generation for new homes in England — solar PV covering around 40% of ground floor area where feasible"

As well as an end to new gas boilers, replaced with a heat pump mandate.

> The estimated build cost increase is around £4,350 per dwelling. FHS-compliant homes are projected to save homeowners around £830 per year on energy bills compared to a typical EPC C home

That .. looks rather different to a $100k gold plated roof.

Re: Tesla Solar Roof is on life support as it pivot to panels

#252

Post by usrusr »

Gigachad wrote: post #220
1123581321 wrote: post #167

My thoughts are generally in line with the conclusion. The growth in the rooftop solar market has come from right-sized installations that can be put up in a day or two by a small crew. Minimizing crew and paperwork costs is important when quoting solar competitively; plus it reduces the complexity of operations at headquarters. Cheaper installations generally win, especially when the homeowner receives a credit on t…

In Australia solar panels are so ubiquitous I don't think you'd even notice them. They just blend in as much as any other functional part of a house.

My perception has long reached the flipping point where sun-facing roof without any solar installed makes the house look like a house in bad maintenance.

Re: Tesla Solar Roof is on life support as it pivot to panels

#253

Post by imtringued »

gtowey wrote: post #180
freetime2 wrote: post #115

> The economics never worked either. An average Tesla Solar Roof costs approximately $106,000 before incentives, compared to roughly $60,000 for a traditional roof replacement plus conventional solar panels — a $46,000 premium. The payback period stretches to 15-25 years, compared to 7-12 years for traditional panels. Yikes that’s a lot of money. For most people buying solar, I think payback period is probably the bi…

It's even worse than that. They're making the comparison of a solar roof to a new standard roof plus solar panels, but most people absolutely do not replace their roof when they get panels so the cost difference is more like 106k vs 30k.

There are companies that will install solar shingles into your roof and they only need to remove tiles in the places where the panels will be installed, so the Tesla Solar Roof is expensive even compared to an aesthetically pleasing roof.

Re: Tesla Solar Roof is on life support as it pivot to panels

#254

Post by pjc50 »

AtlasBarfed wrote: post #204
1123581321 wrote: post #167

My thoughts are generally in line with the conclusion. The growth in the rooftop solar market has come from right-sized installations that can be put up in a day or two by a small crew. Minimizing crew and paperwork costs is important when quoting solar competitively; plus it reduces the complexity of operations at headquarters. Cheaper installations generally win, especially when the homeowner receives a credit on t…

Rooftop solar should be more heavily incentivized. From a disaster situation/civil defense perspective, it provides offgrid durability to communities, and it could be life or death in cold waves or heat waves. For all the utility companies complaining about EV and alt energy infrastructure adaptation... well, fine, then let consumer PV do a large part of the work. Oh wait, did someone say consumer choice? The utility…

> it provides offgrid durability to communities

This needs a small asterisk that many systems are deliberately not "islanding" capable. Mine isn't, but in the ten years I've had my panels I've only ever had a couple of power cuts, one of which was at night.

Re: Tesla Solar Roof is on life support as it pivot to panels

#256

Post by youngtaff »

anthomtb wrote: post #154
t1234s wrote: post #113

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Regular solar panels work well but are an eyesore on a nice home.

Eyesore? Maybe on well architected multimillion dollar custom homes. On the average suburban tract home in my corner of the USA, panels are no more ugly than the shingled roofs they sit atop.

I’ve never understood why so many houses in the US have felt shingles rather than a longer lasting alternative

Tiles on my house are at least 150yrs old

Re: Tesla Solar Roof is on life support as it pivot to panels

#257

Post by rob74 »

Marsymars wrote: post #133
t1234s wrote: post #113

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Regular solar panels work well but are an eyesore on a nice home.

A subjective eyesore shouldn't stop them from getting installed if they're functional. I tend to think garages are an eyesore, and yet, basically everyone (including me) wants one included with their home.

...and don't get me started about all those tin cans with wheels parked all over the place outside of garages! I consider myself lucky to have several windows in my apartment where I usually don't see one of those eyesores when I look out of it...

Re: Tesla Solar Roof is on life support as it pivot to panels

#258

Post by jofzar »

batiudrami wrote: post #152
Marsymars wrote: post #133

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A subjective eyesore shouldn't stop them from getting installed if they're functional. I tend to think garages are an eyesore, and yet, basically everyone (including me) wants one included with their home.

Similarly the real eyesore in neighbourhoods is all the cars and the assorted infrastructure dedicated to them. 40% of Australian households have rooftop solar. You get used to the look very quickly, and well-installed ones look perfectly fine.

It's so common for me I literally don't think I see them anymore (because it's just part of the roof)

I know they are on every second house, but gun to my head I could not tell you how many have it on my street.

Re: Tesla Solar Roof is on life support as it pivot to panels

#259

Post by pjc50 »

usrusr wrote: post #252
Gigachad wrote: post #220

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In Australia solar panels are so ubiquitous I don't think you'd even notice them. They just blend in as much as any other functional part of a house.

My perception has long reached the flipping point where sun-facing roof without any solar installed makes the house look like a house in bad maintenance.

I like this perspective and we should propagandize it in the lifestyle magazines.

I've long thought of them as a visible signifier of prosperity and cluefulness, but since they've become standard on new build they just fade into the background.

I've not seen solar-over-thatch yet. I wonder if that exists in the Highlands somewhere.

Re: Tesla Solar Roof is on life support as it pivot to panels

#260

Post by zdragnar »

pjc50 wrote: post #251
freetime2 wrote: post #115

> The economics never worked either. An average Tesla Solar Roof costs approximately $106,000 before incentives, compared to roughly $60,000 for a traditional roof replacement plus conventional solar panels — a $46,000 premium. The payback period stretches to 15-25 years, compared to 7-12 years for traditional panels. Yikes that’s a lot of money. For most people buying solar, I think payback period is probably the bi…

Meanwhile in the UK, the Future Homes standard mandates it on new build: https://solar4good.co.uk/blogs/solar-property-developers-uk-... > "requires on-site renewable electricity generation for new homes in England — solar PV covering around 40% of ground floor area where feasible" As well as an end to new gas boilers, replaced with a heat pump mandate. > The estimated build cost increase is around £4,350 per dwellin…

You're comparing apples to oranges, at least a bit. $60k for a roof plus solar is going to be for a larger US home compared to a UK home- probably in the 3000 sq ft range, unless it's a very steep roof with lots of dormers or corners. Also, the cost savings for the UK home are due to much higher energy prices- the cost savings would be much smaller in the US.

With that said, Tesla's Solar Roof is definitely the gold plated unreasonably out of touch option.

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