Tesla is now taking orders in Delaware for its Solar Roof that can be paired with battery storage.
According to Tesla, homeowners can enter information on the website’s cost calculator and a payment of $1,000 for a pre-order.
Potential solar roof customers can access a calculator on tesla.com/solarroof. That lets homeowners estimate the upfront price of Solar Roof, as well as the value of the energy it can generate.
The calculator is based on factors like roof size, the average local price of electricity, the number of Powerwalls (batteries) installed, and how much sunlight a neighborhood receives.
One calculation of a two-story house put the price of a soar roof and battery back-up system at around $40,000, with tax and utility savings offsetting those costs.
In many cases, the Solar Roof can pay for itself. The tempered glass panel roof is more than three times stronger than standard roofing tiles. The company is touting a warranty for the life of the house “or infinity.”
With the Powerwall, energy collected during the day is stored and used at other times.
The first tiles available will be gray smooth glass and black textured glass, with slate glass and Tuscan glass coming in 2018. The installation will be available on a first-ordered, first-installed basis beginning in the U.S. this year.Installation is expected to take five to seven days. The time needed to connect to the grid will vary.
The time needed to connect to the grid will vary, depending on inspections and paperwork.
Tesla merged with SolarCity as it ramped up production of the world’s largest battery plant in Nevada. SolarCity is also offering the solar roof.
The batteries will be used for the home Powerwall, as well as Tesla’s automobiles, including a $35,000 vehicle that is slated to be introduced this year.
The battery back-up is widely viewed as essential to efforts to get more people to install solar systems in their homes.
