Tesla Solar Roof

Tesla Solar Roof is a building-integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) roofing product sold by Tesla, the US electric-vehicle and energy company. Rather than mounting solar panels on top of an existing roof, the system replaces the roof covering with a mix of active glass solar tiles and matching non-solar tiles, so that the whole roof has a uniform appearance. Each system is designed to work with Tesla's Powerwall home battery.

History

Tesla unveiled the Solar Roof in August 2016, shortly after announcing on 1 August 2016 its all-stock acquisition of the solar installer SolarCity, valued at about USD 2.6 billion. The SolarCity deal closed on 21 November 2016. Limited tile production began in August 2017 at Tesla's factory in Buffalo, New York (Giga New York). By July 2019 only around a dozen roofs had been completed. Tesla introduced a redesigned version later in 2019, after an earlier design proved too costly to make in volume, and began volume production in March 2020.

In January 2021 Panasonic, Tesla's manufacturing partner at Buffalo, withdrew from solar production. In April 2021 Tesla notified customers who had pre-ordered roofs of price increases of about 30 percent, and Elon Musk acknowledged significant mistakes in the project. A March 2023 estimate by Wood Mackenzie put total US Solar Roof installations since 2016 at about 3,000, far below early projections.

Product

The roof combines tempered-glass solar tiles with architectural-grade steel tiles that are visually matched in colour and trim. Because the tiles are smaller than conventional panels, the active area can be laid out around vents, skylights and other roof obstructions. Tesla offers separate module, product and weatherisation warranties.

Context

Solar Roof is one of several solar-shingle approaches in North America, alongside nailable solar shingles introduced by conventional roofing manufacturers. Installation involves both roofing and electrical work, since the tiles form the weatherproof roof covering as well as the generating surface.