{"id":11202,"date":"2017-05-23T15:27:02","date_gmt":"2017-05-23T04:57:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/?p=11202"},"modified":"2025-07-29T09:49:54","modified_gmt":"2025-07-29T00:19:54","slug":"tesla-solar-roofs-expensive-warranty-far-infinite","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/tesla-solar-roofs-expensive-warranty-far-infinite\/","title":{"rendered":"Tesla Solar Roofs Are Very Expensive And Their Warranty Is Far From Infinite"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"elon

Infinity Warranty?\u00a0As Chuck D<\/a> once said. Don’t believe the (Tesla) hype.<\/p><\/div>\n

In October last year, Tesla announced they were making tiles with built-in solar cells<\/a> that would allow a roof to generate electricity without the need for solar panels.\u00a0 Installations of these solar roofs will start in the United States in June and you can go to Tesla’s Australian site<\/a> and slap down a $1,310 deposit to reserve one.\u00a0 Tesla says they will be available here in 2018 and, given their record of meeting their own self-imposed deadlines, they should definitely arrive before the heat death of the universe.\u00a0 Just so long as they don’t get cancelled like the DC Powerwall 2<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Tesla’s solar tiles generate electricity like solar panels but are indistinguishable from normal tiles, so it will look as though your roof isn’t doing a damn thing about global warming.\u00a0 I don’t really see how that’s an advantage, but I’m sure it will appeal to people such as Coalition politicians (but not Malcolm<\/a>), coal company CEOs, and those who simply think their roof would look better without solar panels.<\/p>\n

Because Tesla over hyped the original Powerwall<\/a>, has delayed installations of the Powerwall 2 and cancelled<\/a> the DC version, and hugely exaggerated the the return<\/a> a Powerwall 2 can give, they have developed quite a reputation for bullshit.\u00a0 Connoisseurs of the finest bovine fecal material will be pleased to hear the tradition continues with their solar tiles.<\/p>\n

Tesla’s CEO, Elon Musk, said he expected a Tesla solar roof to cost around the same or less than a regular roof.\u00a0 Its actual cost is 4 times as much as a regular Australian tile roof and 2 to 3 times as much if the regular roof has a conventional rooftop solar system of similar capacity.<\/p>\n

Elon Musk also said the solar tiles will have an “infinity” warranty for the life of the house or forever, but this only applies to the glass that the individual tiles are made from and not their ability to produce electricity or function as a roof.\u00a0 Their actual warranty when it comes to providing power or preventing a down pour from becoming an in pour is 30 years.\u00a0 A 30 year warranty for resisting weather is not exceptional.\u00a0 In Australia Monier has provided a 50 year warranty for their tile roofs since 1997.<\/p>\n

Americans build roofs very differently from Australians and their tiles are quite different from ours, but the Australian Tesla site makes no mention of how they’ll be installed in this country.\u00a0 There is also no mention if they meet Australian standards, either as tiles1<\/a><\/sup> or as a solar system2<\/a><\/sup>.\u00a0 We also still have no information on how the solar tiles will be wired up or what kind of inverters they use.\u00a0 We don’t even know if inverters are included in the price.<\/p>\n

I would say I’m disappointed, but higher than promised prices and inadequate information is exactly what I’ve learned to expect from Tesla.\u00a0 It’s fine to have dreams and aspirations that you can’t quite meet.\u00a0 That’s not the problem.\u00a0 It’s important to aim for the stars, even if you sometimes fall short and hit London.<\/p>\n