-
Want to remove ads? Register an account and login to see fewer ads, and become a Supporting Member to remove almost all ads.
Solar Roof Option
- Thread starter theganjaguru
- Start date
-
- Tags
- Model 3
The question actually is, "Will it cost less than $500 more?"
On the S/X you have aluminum bodies, with expensive paint work, and in some cases a pano roof. Could you replace some or all of this, for less than the price of solar and its benefits?
I don't know the answers, I am just pointing out the solar could be replacing something, aluminum body work, that is on the expensive side of things and that has value.
Garlan Garner
Banned
I thought the M3 was supposed to be a car that is being designed for mass production. The more options available the less mass production it is.
The only way I would even contemplate a solar roof option is if the Tesla Glass ( better than panoramic ) option goes away.
This pic is just too beautiful to cover that roof with solar cells. That isn't even a picture of Tesla Glass which has not midpoint bar.
The only way I would even contemplate a solar roof option is if the Tesla Glass ( better than panoramic ) option goes away.
This pic is just too beautiful to cover that roof with solar cells. That isn't even a picture of Tesla Glass which has not midpoint bar.
Garlan Garner
Banned
Come on now.If you spend a lot of time hovering above your car
From what we saw of the Solar roof options Tesla unveiled I would think they could offer a very attractive looking solar glass roof.
Its the view from the inside out that is going to be even more spectacular than from the outside. You know that.
There are no see through cells yet.....so,... I don't care how clear the glass is... you will have a covered roof.
Garlan Garner
Banned
Now a car like the Electric VW Budd-e does not have a Tesla Glass roof option....so Solar works for it. However...the panels only contain the power of 1 solar panel ..... that is not facing south....
JRP3
Hyperactive Member
I also know that I don't spend any time looking up at my roof when I'm driving, and I've never been a fan of sun roofs. I know many are, but if Tesla is going to put glass over my head I'd rather have it covered with solar panels.
James Anders
Member
Garlan Garner
Banned
Not me....Its a total waste of space with yet another point of failure. if you had a 60jwh battery... it would take approx. 92.3 days to charge your car once with 1 solar panel ( which is the equivalent of the roof space of a Tesla) .
As I continuously state....its the view from the inside that I'm interested in...not from the top. That would be stupid.
JRP3
Hyperactive Member
As I continuously state, few people spend any time looking straight up in their car.
How long does it take for other expensive options to add any charge to your vehicle? How fast does leather interior add charge to your car, alcantara headliner, carbon fiber accents, multicolor paint job, etc.?
How long does it take for other expensive options to add any charge to your vehicle? How fast does leather interior add charge to your car, alcantara headliner, carbon fiber accents, multicolor paint job, etc.?
To think that the car could potentially gain 5 Kwh from a day's solar charge is pretty huge in my opinion. My daily commute is only 3 or 4 miles to the train station. I could legitimately not need to the charge the car for a very long time as a result. If it cost $1000-$2000 I may opt for it.
Really? Why? 3 to 4 miles per day amounts to $0.10 worth of electricity. So you would pay for that $1,000 roof in a mere 10,000 sunny days (27 years).
Thank you kindly.
p.s. Daily gain is closer to 2 kWh from a day's solar (only 5,000 sunny days to break even).
Garlan Garner
Banned
really? That's true because most cars have solid roofs. I can't believe someone said that.
Ask Model X owners....they would disagree.
If your routine energy usage is greater than the solar array output, there may be scenarios where it's logical to buy the option. Maybe the way to approach this is, "How cheap does the solar array option need to be to pay for itself?"
The "costs" are, potentially:
1) the array hardware...cost of the solar array option installed
2) additional maintenance costs
3) reduced functionality (nontransparent roof)
4) reduced aesthetics
The "benefit" is the energy that would otherwise need to be purchased.
Let's set some assumptions and run some (questionable) numbers:
10 year payback duration
300 days a year charging
6 sun-hours per day annual average
This is 18,000 sun-hours
If we assume $0.16/kWh recharging costs, then the array needs to be less than 2880 $/kW [18000*.16].
Let's simplify and assume the "costs" of reduced functionality and reduced aesthetics are zero, or counteracted by your increased "green" joy.
Let's also assume the maintenance costs are 10% of the installed option cost.
If a solar roof panel option costs $500, the total including 10% maintenance is $550. If it produces 200W, then the solar roof is 2750 $/kW [550/.2] and meets the criteria of paying for itself.
If a "deployable solar shield" costs $2000, the total including 10% maintenance is $2200. If it produces 800W, then this solar shield is also 2750 $/kW [2200/.8] and also pays for itself.
Then, given this scenario, the real questions are:
Is it reasonable for the solar roof option price to be $500?
Can that solar roof yield 200W?
Is it reasonable for the deployable solar shield price to be $2000?
Can this deployable solar shield yield 800W?
I don't see how these prices and power outputs are reasonable, so the solar array would not pay for itself from a strict economic perspective unless we change the payback duration, charging, or energy cost assumptions.
No where in the US will you get 300 days of 6 sun-hours per day.
see: http://rredc.nrel.gov/solar/old_data/nsrdb/1961-1990/redbook/atlas/serve.cgi
Thank you kindly.
How about to allow indefinite street parking with 0 vampire drain. Even that would be useful to some. This tweet reply almost confirms it.
Twitter
I'll leave esthetics to Elon to figure out.
I'll leave esthetics to Elon to figure out.
JRP3
Hyperactive Member
Believe it. I've had cars with sunroofs, didn't spend time looking at the sky when driving, hopefully no one else does either. Have you people never seen the sky before? You enjoy driving with your necks craned back in uncomfortable positions?
I've been in an X and found the extra glass to be annoying and the sun visor inadequate because of it. Not really a fan, though I understand others may be.
I love the all Tesla Glass roof, I would prefer that over a solar roof any day. I'm not a fan of panoramic or sunroofs especially when you have the option of the all glass roof, just another point of failure and I hardly ever open them when my cars have had them!
More on topic I just can't imagine the solar roof being worth it, it will just complicate production. Cool yes, realistic no. Keep it simple Elon and get me my car.
More on topic I just can't imagine the solar roof being worth it, it will just complicate production. Cool yes, realistic no. Keep it simple Elon and get me my car.
According to this data, I get ~7.5 sun-hours averaged over 365 days. Solar Insolation - Sun Hours Per Day
And unless I'm misinterpreting this chart, it looks like significant portions of the SW do have annual averages above 6 sun-hours. Maybe this data has south-facing assumptions or similar.
Either way, I infer from your statement that my assumption was too optimistic. Maybe 4.5 hrs over 365 days is a better assumption.
300*6=1800 annual sun-hours
365*4.5=1643 annual sun-hours
