Steel solar roof tiles?

[gigawatt1010]

My neighbor who ordered his Solar Glass install early January got that same email about his install as well. He doesn't have anything close to an install date yet, since it's only been 3 months, but he did get that same email.

Now, I have an install date of May 5 and I did not get that email. I wonder if this means I still get glass. They already dropped off a bunch of stuff in pallets on our driveway.

 

[bayareaever]

My neighbor who ordered his Solar Glass install early January got that same email about his install as well. He doesn't have anything close to an install date yet, since it's only been 3 months, but he did get that same email.

Now, I have an install date of May 5 and I did not get that email. I wonder if this means I still get glass. They already dropped off a bunch of stuff in pallets on our driveway.

I also didn’t get notified via email or otherwise but I asked my advisor yesterday and he confirmed the new metal tiles. My order is from August ‘20 but I don’t have an install date yet mainly because I need a panel upgrade first.

I’m considering requesting an all glass install (not that I’m actually hopeful they will fulfill any sort of special request, but it’s worth a try). ~80% of my roof will be glass anyway.

I’m fine with the metal ridges looking slightly different than the glass planes but if some planes look slightly different than each other (after many years), that’s not good. I have one second story room that looks down on the roof (~6’ above) so I have to consider that viewing angle too.

Of course light always hits different planes from different angles anyway, so maybe I’m over thinking all this...

 

[SoCalSolarRoof]

If you have kids, the less glass the better. The glass is very durable when installed, but if they get dropped or a corner gets bumped prior to installation they shatter. I had multiple glass panels break during our install, every time it rains or wind blows hard, more glass appears in my backyard, blown off of the roof. It's not safe for kids!

 

[wjgjr]

If you have kids, the less glass the better. The glass is very durable when installed, but if they get dropped or a corner gets bumped prior to installation they shatter. I had multiple glass panels break during our install, every time it rains or wind blows hard, more glass appears in my backyard, blown off of the roof. It's not safe for kids!

That seems poor installation if that is happening - we had some break, but they cleaned up the breakage (including borrowing a rake to clean up one that fell into a garden area.) We found a couple pieces in that area soon after install but nothing since, and certainly nothing coming off the roof. Also, the pieces we found seemed to have shattered in a way similar to safety glass, so hopefully not as dangerous (not that it would be good for kids to encounter it, of course.) And, given that most of the roof will probably still be the PV tiles anyway, I wouldn't consider the use of glass tiles for the non-PV portion a big deal in terms of glass risk.

 

[jimm01]

I received the following message in email today:

​ As we prepare for your Solar Roof installation, we wanted to let you know about an update to our equipment.​

​ Your Solar Roof will now feature steel tiles capable of fitting complex roof angles with no aesthetic compromise on non-solar portions of the roof. This design improvement can also help reduce installation timelines.​

Has anyone here seen these steel tiles yet? Have any been installed yet? Is it stainless steel to avoid rusting?

Interesting, since the existing flashing is already steel my guess is they are doing away with some of the glass. If so I don't like that, and personally would not have gone with a Tesla solar roof.


I don’t understand why Tesla choose steel over aluminum, aluminum it's easier to work with. Not choosing stainless is cost, and a cutting and bending issue, although it is the best choice. It wouldn't be heat, corrosion (unless a home is along or near salt water), ease of bending weight? I was a bit surprised by the use of galvanized drip edging. I'm about 18 miles from the Atlantic--along the shore galvanized steel can start to rust in 5 years.

 

[jimm01]

Interesting, since the existing flashing is already steel my guess is they are doing away with some of the glass. If so I don't like that, and personally would not have gone with a Tesla solar roof.


I don’t understand why Tesla choose steel over aluminum, aluminum it's easier to work with. Not choosing stainless is cost, and a cutting and bending issue, although it is the best choice. It wouldn't be heat, corrosion (unless a home is along or near salt water), ease of bending weight? I was a bit surprised by the use of galvanized drip edging. I'm about 18 miles from the Atlantic--along the shore galvanized steel can start to rust in 5 years.

Tesla is using galvanized drip edge on homes along the shore. In fact, after about 10 years hot-dip galvanized nails will almost disappear inside a wall. I've seen the best 50 year galvanized steel rust in less than 3 years. Steel, even if painted, does not fare much better, (unless it’s good stainless steel). Especially if it is nicked so care must be taken. Aluminum is also problematic. But of all the choices available galvanized drip edge seems curious to be polite.

 

[BGbreeder]

Tesla is using galvanized drip edge on homes along the shore. In fact, after about 10 years hot-dip galvanized nails will almost disappear inside a wall. I've seen the best 50 year galvanized steel rust in less than 3 years. Steel, even if painted, does not fare much better, (unless it’s good stainless steel). Especially if it is nicked so care must be taken. Aluminum is also problematic. But of all the choices available galvanized drip edge seems curious to be polite.

Yes, choosing materials for near salt water builds is...problematic...to put it mildly. Many items just plain aren't available in titanium. Silicon bronze is good, but 316 stainless is only stain-less, and anodized aluminum is great until nicked. Once you wander into other materials, other than plastics and many plastics can't deal with the seaside ozone levels, maintenance becomes key, and not many folks prowl their roofs looking for evidence of corrosion. I used to maintain a shore front property and it was 80-100 hours of touch up work annually, in addition to regular painting and caulking. Even glass etches.

I would look for plastic drip edges, or, if it were me, paint what you have with an asphalt or acrylic sealant. Anything that keeps the salt off the metal will help.

All the best,

BG

 

[jimm01]

Yes, choosing materials for near salt water builds is...problematic...to put it mildly. Many items just plain aren't available in titanium. Silicon bronze is good, but 316 stainless is only stain-less, and anodized aluminum is great until nicked. Once you wander into other materials, other than plastics and many plastics can't deal with the seaside ozone levels, maintenance becomes key, and not many folks prowl their roofs looking for evidence of corrosion. I used to maintain a shore front property and it was 80-100 hours of touch up work annually, in addition to regular painting and caulking. Even glass etches.

I would look for plastic drip edges, or, if it were me, paint what you have with an asphalt or acrylic sealant. Anything that keeps the salt off the metal will help.

All the best,

BG

I always disliked vinyl it crawls too much, has to be sufficiently lapped, and does to lay well. Nickle plating SS would help, but it would add to the expense. There are also spray on protectants, but they would have to be routinely reapplied. But as far as time to replacement goes a good corrosion resistant metal paint over the galvanized steel would help, which would probably be zinc based.

 

[PianoProdigy]

I am in the early stages of the solar roof process. I live directly on the salt water and am concerned about corrosion over time. I fear the metal will wear differently over time as compared to the glass and become visually different. My roof has a steep pitch and thus the tiles will be very visible both from the street and from the open water. I can actually see my house across the water from the road I drive on every day. I asked my advisor yesterday to do some research on all of this and will report back.

 

[woferry]

One thing to note, there has always (as far as I understand it) been metal in the v3 Solar Roof. There's just more of it now than there used to be. In a v2 roof like mine everything is glass, and they had to cut a lot of glass to handle the valleys, edges, etc. It also means there are non-tempered cut tiles on the roof, which ultimately aren't as durable as the tempered ones (while working on the roof during install they marked out the area they couldn't walk due to the weaker tiles). With v3 they eliminated the glass cutting and non-tempered glass tiles and replaced those tiles with metal ones. And that's even on the same plane as the PV Modules. So it seems to me that going all-metal on the non-producing planes only makes things more consistent (less mixing of glass and metal), and the concerns about the metal wearing differently then the glass has always applied to any v3 roof.

 

[BGbreeder]

Personally, between the intensity of your sun, the ozone, hurricane force winds, and salt water, I think you will be lucky not to have functional issues during the warranty period. You live in what must be a gorgeous location, but I have to admit that I think that mechanically and electrically, it is an extremely challenging site, at least based on my own experience.

That said, and despite all of the issues that have cropped up, if I were installing solar in your location, I would go with a Tesla roof. I would consider washing it weekly if It hadn't rained that week, but I would still choose the Tesla solar roof. And, yes, I would paint the drip edge with a roof sealant, along with every single bit of exposed conduit, metal or plastic, and make sure that every electrical connection had antioxidants on it. I personally would not expect it to last twenty years, and then if it did, I would be super happy. I would love to be wrong.

I hope it turns out well for you.

All the best,

BG

 

[PianoProdigy]

One thing to note, there has always (as far as I understand it) been metal in the v3 Solar Roof. There's just more of it now than there used to be. In a v2 roof like mine everything is glass, and they had to cut a lot of glass to handle the valleys, edges, etc. It also means there are non-tempered cut tiles on the roof, which ultimately aren't as durable as the tempered ones (while working on the roof during install they marked out the area they couldn't walk due to the weaker tiles). With v3 they eliminated the glass cutting and non-tempered glass tiles and replaced those tiles with metal ones. And that's even on the same plane as the PV Modules. So it seems to me that going all-metal on the non-producing planes only makes things more consistent (less mixing of glass and metal), and the concerns about the metal wearing differently then the glass has always applied to any v3 roof.

Right, I was under the impression that any flashing and valleys and ridge caps (?) were metal but not the tiles themselves. The fact that the tiles themselves might eventually begin to look different due to corrosion over time is more concerning than if those other pieces corroded uniformly since they look different to begin with.

Personally, between the intensity of your sun, the ozone, hurricane force winds, and salt water, I think you will be lucky not to have functional issues during the warranty period. You live in what must be a gorgeous location, but I have to admit that I think that mechanically and electrically, it is an extremely challenging site, at least based on my own experience.

That said, and despite all of the issues that have cropped up, if I were installing solar in your location, I would go with a Tesla roof. I would consider washing it weekly if It hadn't rained that week, but I would still choose the Tesla solar roof. And, yes, I would paint the drip edge with a roof sealant, along with every single bit of exposed conduit, metal or plastic, and make sure that every electrical connection had antioxidants on it. I personally would not expect it to last twenty years, and then if it did, I would be super happy. I would love to be wrong.

I hope it turns out well for you.

All the best,

BG

Right, there are a lot of environmental factors to consider. The house is 20 years old and has a concrete tile roof now. It appears to be in good shape other than it has a hint of green and I just repainted the house a modern white/black color scheme. No leaks to be seen in the attic, which is wide open, but this is a forever home for us, so probably within the next 10 years, it is going to need to be replaced.

So, my options are:

1: I keep the concrete tile roof and paint it black with special roof paint, which I was quoted somewhere just under 10 grand which would be warrantied for fading for 5 years and then replace the whole roof with concrete tile at a cost of around $60k. Total cost $70k.

2: Do the above but add traditional solar panels then remove and replace at time of replacement. Not really an option for me based mainly on aesthetics though the black painted roof would probably hide the panels pretty well.

3: Do the 28.9 kw solar roof now for $144k after credits including 4 powerwalls. We haven't lived here a full year yet, but I think my average bill (especially once pool is done) will be somewhere around $500/month) so if I offset $6,000 annually with solar, it takes 24 years to pay for itself.

Tesla is doing a site visit tomorrow. I'll report back on his thoughts.

 

[h2ofun]

Right, I was under the impression that any flashing and valleys and ridge caps (?) were metal but not the tiles themselves. The fact that the tiles themselves might eventually begin to look different due to corrosion over time is more concerning than if those other pieces corroded uniformly since they look different to begin with.



Right, there are a lot of environmental factors to consider. The house is 20 years old and has a concrete tile roof now. It appears to be in good shape other than it has a hint of green and I just repainted the house a modern white/black color scheme. No leaks to be seen in the attic, which is wide open, but this is a forever home for us, so probably within the next 10 years, it is going to need to be replaced.

So, my options are:

1: I keep the concrete tile roof and paint it black with special roof paint, which I was quoted somewhere just under 10 grand which would be warrantied for fading for 5 years and then replace the whole roof with concrete tile at a cost of around $60k. Total cost $70k.

2: Do the above but add traditional solar panels then remove and replace at time of replacement. Not really an option for me based mainly on aesthetics though the black painted roof would probably hide the panels pretty well.

3: Do the 28.9 kw solar roof now for $144k after credits including 4 powerwalls. We haven't lived here a full year yet, but I think my average bill (especially once pool is done) will be somewhere around $500/month) so if I offset $6,000 annually with solar, it takes 24 years to pay for itself.

Tesla is doing a site visit tomorrow. I'll report back on his thoughts.

wow, that is a lot of solar. I assume you have multiple EV's?

 

[PianoProdigy]

wow, that is a lot of solar. I assume you have multiple EV's?

Just a Model X for now, though I plan to get a Lucid Air trimotor if it lives up to the hype. We have 4800 sq ft air conditoned with 9 tons of capacity. Getting ready to put a pool in with at least 2 pumps and a hybrid propane/air source heat pump, so power usage will definitely go up with time.

 

[iorchii]

Here is the steel roof tile instead of the non-PV glass tiles.

M6 & M7 is the paint that scratched off the metal tile(it arrived like that).

 

[jimm01]

Here is the steel roof tile instead of the non-PV glass tiles.

M6 & M7 is the paint that scratched off the metal tile(it arrived like that).

My non PV panels are glass but some of the of the steel used on the gabled ends are scratched. Installing a metal roof takes a lot of care-even your shoes need to be clean. Also the equipment used and any rigging needs to be handle with care. I would suggest having a drone with a Hight quality camera take pictures and have the panel replaced before the bill is paid.

On another note, unless the method of attachment is different installing these panels, if done properly, are just as labor intensive as non-PV glass. They are lighter but do take a lot of care. Especially since they seem to resemble glass tiles. Having installed a few steel roofs, it's not something you want to rush.

 

[iorchii]

My non PV panels are glass but some of the of the steel used on the gabled ends are scratched. Installing a metal roof takes a lot of care-even your shoes need to be clean. Also the equipment used and any rigging needs to be handle with care. I would suggest having a drone with a Hight quality camera take pictures and have the panel replaced before the bill is paid.

On another note, unless the method of attachment is different installing these panels, if done properly, are just as labor intensive as non-PV glass. They are lighter but do take a lot of care. Especially since they seem to resemble glass tiles. Having installed a few steel roofs, it's not something you want to rush.

For your steel roof installs, are styrofoam used as the underneath between the decking?

As the solar roof continues, I begin to notice the non-PV metal tiles are installed with the styrofoam as shown in the picture. I'm curious of the longetivy, deterioration, withstanding weather conditions, etc...

Although I know styrofoam is harmful to the planet since it doesn't decompose.

 

[jimm01]

For your steel roof installs, are styrofoam used as the underneath between the decking?

As the solar roof continues, I begin to notice the non-PV metal tiles are installed with the styrofoam as shown in the picture. I'm curious of the longetivy, deterioration, withstanding weather conditions, etc...

Although I know styrofoam is harmful to the planet since it doesn't decompose.

Tesla only used exposed steel on the flashing and gable ends. There was no styrofoam. Styrofoam (polystyrene) can exist for millennia, is made from HFCs, and when it breaks down in sunlight produces CO2. What's next led paint?

This isn't going well for Tesla Energy--someone was asleep at the wheel--or at least the decision maker’s knew nothing about installing a roof (probably why Musk fired them). I'm really torn about this, I wanted Tesla's Solar Roof to succeed. However, it appears it was rushed out the door without much operations research. Or if there was the alternatives increased time, cost, and/or the number of components, which can effect both. I believe now is we'll have to wait for highly productive thin film photoelectric material, which potentially can be reapplied. Tesla solar roof was attempting to address two issues direct-to-deck and architecture--to this regard when compared to a traditional roof Occam's razor got in the way.

 

[aaronmagagna]

If you have kids, the less glass the better. The glass is very durable when installed, but if they get dropped or a corner gets bumped prior to installation they shatter. I had multiple glass panels break during our install, every time it rains or wind blows hard, more glass appears in my backyard, blown off of the roof. It's not safe for kids!

Hey SoCalSolarRoof, im in point loma and getting ready to sign my contract for my Tesla solar roof. I have been holding off trying to see one in person before I sign. Any chance you could point me in the direct of one here in SD to look at? Thanks! [email protected]