Solar panels at the moment are not super-affordable, and they are not yet at a position where homeowners could replace their regular roofs with only solar panels. However, Elon Musk, the man behind Tesla and SpaceX, is hoping to make some big changes in this field.
Not long ago, Tesla merged with SolarCity, and 85 percent of the shareholders approved the deal. Now, after a meeting with SolarCity's engineers, Musk believes it's possible to produce solar panel roofs at a cheaper cost than regular roofs, and that's before energy production.
It's a bold claim, because if it turns out to be true, then in the future, homeowners would have little reason to choose regular roofs over solar panel roofs.
Tesla revealed the new products a few weeks ago, and since then, Musk and officials from Tesla have been saying the price of the panels will be less than a regular roof. Despite that, no information was released as to the quality of the panels and whether or not they can power an entire household.
"So the basic proposition will be: Would you like a roof that looks better than a normal roof, lasts twice as long, costs less and — by the way — generates electricity?" Musk said to Bloomberg. "Why would you get anything else?"
Bear in mind, the new solar powered roofs will still be a premium product, at least for the first couple of years. Furthermore, Musk speaks of his plan to have his new solar roofs be less expensive than regular roofs, he's not talking about the ones made from asphalt, must the more expensive roofs.
How Will Tesla Cut Down On Cost?
Well, it's all about shipping. According to a report from Bloomberg, shipping a regular roof is more expensive due to the size and weight. Furthermore, one must also take into the account the possibilities of regular roofs breaking while being shipped to consumers. Apparently, the Tesla roofs are the complete opposite, but only time will tell if they work as advertised.
Those who are interested should keep an eye out for the roofs to hit Tesla store shelves in 2017, for that's when the company plans on producing the roofs in volumes. According to a report from Electrek, Tesla unveiled four different solar roof products, and the plan is to release them one after the other come 2017.
Tesla has been making several moves as of late. One of the recent acquisitions is of German firm, Grohmann. Tesla hopes to use the company's expertise to increase its manufacturing.
