- [Narrator] This video is brought to you
by Dandelion Energy.
- Well we haven't heard
much about the Tesla
solar roof since it's
unveiling in October of 2016
until the Model Y event just
recently where Elon said this.
- This is definitely going to
be the year of the solar roof.
- So great, possibly,
we're gonna start seeing
more solar roofs and
batteries and everything else
form Tesla this year.
So I though it was a good
time now just to have a look,
see what it might cost
you, and how that stacks up
against your other options out there.
Let's go.
(upbeat music)
The Tesla solar roof
replaces your regular roof
with these tiles that have the
solar cells built into them.
The idea is that you can
have a normal looking roof
that also generates energy,
and this is pretty innovative
in this space because to make a material
that allow lights through
but is also durable
and will withstand
everything that a roof takes,
is kinda difficult.
In fact, they even report
that these are stronger
than normal tiles and should
last quite a bit longer.
So this is the first time
that we've seen someone
integrate the cell into the tile itself.
But it's not the first
time we've seen someone
try to integrate solar panels
into a flat, kind of flush
mount on your roof.
The tiles come in four different styles.
A textured glass tile, a slate glass tile,
a Tuscan glass tile,
and a smooth glass tile,
which allows them to fit
almost any style of home.
So as far as getting a Tesla solar roof,
they kina have you covered for tiles.
But most homes in the United
States have asphalt roofs,
which all be it, aren't as good looking,
they are a lot cheaper
and still very durable.
So what's a Tesla solar
roof really gonna cost you?
Using data from a few
different sources I found,
it looks like your typical
asphalt roof will range
from one to two dollars per square foot,
plus around three dollars
per square foot to install.
So for a 1500 square foot
home, you'll spend around $8000
for an asphalt roof with
all the extra materials
and everything included.
Now this is the cheap stuff.
If you wanted to do a slate
tile, which is similar
to the solar roof tile
that Tesla's offering,
you'd end up paying
around $15,000 to $20,000
for that same 1500 square foot home.
So even in the regular roofing options,
you can spend quite a bit of money
on your different choices.
And while pricing on the Tesla solar roof
is a bit elusive, we
do have some data here
to see how it actually stacks up.
Previously Tesla had a
calculator which quoted me
just over $75,000 for a
2800 square feet of roof,
which is for a 2000 square foot home.
Now the energy breakdown
in this showed essentially
over 30 years, I'd be
making almost $60,000
due to the rising cost of energy.
But let's be honest here,
there are a lot of assumptions
in this calculation which
may be why they took
that calculator down.
Now what they're looking to
do is ask you to get a quote,
which does make more sense
because every roof is different,
every home is different,
and the install process
is kinda unique.
And another thing to consider
for plopping down the money
or even getting a quote
for a Tesla solar roof
is that the Gigafactory 2 in New York,
which produces these
tiles and the power walls
and a bunch of other energy products
has been having issues
the past couple years,
grow their scale and their
manufacturing process.
And Elon says it's for kind
of one specific reason.
- We have to basically
allocate all resources
to model three production because
otherwise we're gonna die.
- Which really makes sense right?
If Tesla didn't figure out
how to make the model three
and make that a success,
then they wouldn't exist,
so there would be no solar roofs.
There would be no batteries.
There would be none of
this stuff even possible
for us today.
So let's run through a couple
different scenarios here
and just see a side by side comparison
of how these options stack up.
So the first option is, if
you don't need a new roof.
Let's assume you have
a 3000 square foot home
in California and you want
to install an 8.5 kilowatt
solar panel system.
Current prices put that
at just over $26,000.
Now compare that to the Tesla solar roof,
you're gonna spend almost
$51,000 for that same replacement
that same unit, but it's
also gonna only deliver
77% as much electricity
with a 6.25 kilowatt system.
So you're gonna spend quite a bit more
and not even get enough energy.
So in this case, it
really doesn't make sense.
So let's see what happens
if you did need a new roof
in our second scenario.
In this one, we're gonna add about $8000
to do an asphalt roof at about
five dollar a square foot
and that would come to $34,030.
That is still 33% cheaper than the $50,000
almost $51,000 you'd be
spending with that Tesla
solar roof and again, you're
getting 23% more energy
from your system.
This brings us to option
three, that you just want it.
You just want this on your house.
Now, there are some risks
here, because it's still
very early days and they're
ramping up production
and delays and the time
of install and all that
kind of thing, may take
a lot more than a typical
system would, so you're
gonna need not only to spend
quite a bit more, you're
going to need some patience,
some endurance here.
If you have a family with small children,
this might be more than
personally I would be willing
to swallow, but it is
definitely one that will spark
up some interesting
conversations with your neighbors
when they see what appears to be a normal
but very stylish looking
roof, which also generates
energy for your home.
So as far as a solar roof
goes, I'm really not sure
it makes financial sense.
Right now, if you were building a new home
or if you just want it,
hey more power to you.
Spend your money how you want.
It's not a bad idea right?
But clearly you can get
better, the same functionality
for a lot cheaper using
other options out there.
Which incudes Tesla themselves.
They offer these really cool solar panels
that are really slim and
lay flat on your roof,
and appear very aesthetically pleasing,
and are just as functional
as regular solar panels.
So even they offer a good alternative
that is quite a bit cheaper.
So I'm curious what you think.
Are you in the market for this?
Are you looking to kind of turn your home
into one that's more sustainable?
If so, I have something else
I want to tell you about.
And this brings up today's sponsor.
Dandelion Energy is a
Google backed startup
that is making it easier
for people to switch
to geothermal heating and cooling.
Now this technology's been around forever,
but like solar panels in recent years,
the price is dropping fast
making it a much better
proposition for home owners.
In fact, currently home
owners are saving about 50%
a month on heating and
cooling by making the switch.
In addition, Dandelion is
bringing all the smart home
features we've grown to
love from products like Nest
into this new part of your home.
So if you want to save
money on a fuel oil furnace
and those high heating
bills in the winter there,
check out Dandelion Energy.
I'll put a link to their website
in the description down below.
I also did an interview
with Kathy, the founder
of Dandelion Energy which I'll
link to in the description
down below, it was really
interesting to hear her story
how she used to work at
Google X, the group that did
the moon shot ideas,
came upon this and left
and brought another guy
from Google with her
to really kind of bring
geothermal heating and cooling
into the current modern
tech appliances and things
that we're used to in out homes.
So there's some really good insights there
if you're interested in that.
Go check it out.
So that's all for today.
I'm very curious to know
what you guys are gonna do
when it comes to solar
or any of the stuff,
so please leave me a comment down below.
Don't forget, when you free the
data, your mind will follow.
I'll see you guys back in the next one.
(upbeat music)
- So just as a demonstration video,
show what happens when
you drop a big weight
on a conventional roof tile
and one of our glass tiles.
(clapping)
