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Why I ordered 22+ kw solar glass roof for $134k

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I'm in Florida too.

I opted against tesla roof because it cost quite a bit more than shingle. And insurance companies tend to start jacking up rates as you approach 17 years of roof age. So even if tesla roof lasts longer than shingle, it might not be cost effective to keep it that long.

I opted against powerwall because I have net metering, so no cost savings with time shifting power consumption. The cost of the powerwall would be just for UPS backup and it's not worth anywhere near that amount to me. If I wanted standby power, a NG generator would cost less and have unlimited runtime without needing sun to recharge. If I ever NEEDED backup power, it would be because of a hurricane and extended power outage (longer than 2 days), which has yet to happen to me and I've been in the state since 1999. To store the excess power generation that can't go to the grid, I'd need at least 4 power walls. The cost of a NG generator would be at least half the price.

I bought a 17kw system + new roof for ~60k before incentives this Feb. My roof is over 5000 sq ft of shingles - covered area over pool cage and over garage too, so my roof only estimates were anywhere from 18k to 30k when I shopped. Panels are panasonic N330 with 25 years on both panels and enphase microinverters. Roof has 20 year workmanship and 50 year product guarantee. Tesla's current PV pricing is a bit less now than in Feb (actually lower than I paid for solar), but I don't regard their new solar panel mfg as highly as panasonic, and their inverters don't carry 25 year warranty anymore either. With their new lower pricing, if I were in the market, I'd strongly look at their PV offerings despite the lesser panel and warranty. It could well be worth it, but I'm happy with what I have installed. I've heard some people had luck asking for Panasonic panels as an optional upgrade. Guess that depends on what they have in stock.

PS: There is zero chance the new tesla roof adds 100k value to the home. By the time you sell, the prices will have dropped, and your stuff is older and will generate less efficiently. Your batteries will have degradation, etc. Even less if the old panels end up with a bad reputation due to longevity or other issues. Also consider what happens if Tesla goes bankrupt or sells off the solar portion of the business.

I would mostly value solar around 50-70% or so of the monthly power reduction multiplied by the expected roof lifespan remaining to get a value proposition for the house. Reason for the discount is that if the home didn't have it, the owner could install and pick quality, size, etc. And there is a fairly large cost involved with removing and reinstalling solar, so whenever the roof is redone, the solar becomes a headache they wouldn't have otherwise had. Using this logic, any PV system is more valuable than the tesla roof as tesla roof costs more per kw than PV. If you gain additional value above and beyond the power generation would only matter if the buyer REALLY liked tesla roof and other buyers in the market likewise were willing to pay more for it. This seems unlikely. Most people really only care that the roof is functional and isn't leaking.

PPS: Your ROI should factor in the solar portion only. Your house always needs a roof. There is never a payback period on it. It just depreciates. So if you go with tesla roof, subtract what a traditional roof would have cost from the price, and then figure your ROI on the remaining amount. Personally I'd also subtract the powerwall too, as it doesn't generate savings (unless you have time of use rates)

E7ZvRYa.jpg
 
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I opted against tesla roof because it cost quite a bit more than shingle. And insurance companies tend to start jacking up rates as you approach 17 years of roof age. So even if tesla roof lasts longer than shingle, it might not be cost effective to keep it that long.
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I agree with most of your points. There are definitely cheaper routes I can go other then solar glass. Battery back up is important to me, as it will allow me to store power during the day and use it at night. I also read that during an outage, solar will not turn on due to backfeed to the grid, but it will with powerwalls/other battery storage. Not sure if this is correct, as I assume you could just throw the main breaker (disconnect from the grid).
 
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I agree with most of your points. There are definitely cheaper routes I can go other then solar glass. Battery back up is important to me, as it will allow me to store power during the day and use it at night. I also read that during an outage, solar will not turn on due to backfeed to the grid, but it will with powerwalls/other battery storage. Not sure if this is correct, as I assume you could just throw the main breaker (disconnect from the grid).
That is correct. Normal grid tie inverters automatically shut down on loss of grid. You need a local generator of the 60Hz power frequency for the solar to generate power. The Powerwalls enable that for you. Islanding inverters do also (Outback and such), but you still need batteries.
 
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Very true. It's hard to put a price on aesthetics, but I think it's a better look then panels. Others may not agree, but to each their own. We live in a nice gated community and "curb appeal" is as important as square footage etc. I do have a nice home, but it is on the smaller side of this small (22 homes?) subdivision... biggest being over 22k sq ft.... takes a while to drive past it!

My understanding is it will take at least a week or two to install. I'll try and remember to post pics as it progresses from start to finish. I'm thinking start time may be end of August or September. Then again I thought my MY would be delivered around September (ordered 14 Jan and received it around 21 Mar).


I agree with your points. We have a solarglass roof and I have had neighbors I never knew before stop me in driveway and ask me about the roof. People have posted pictures of it and said "I have to have this roof!". The fire department stopped by several times and spent 30 minutes asking me about the roof and wanting to ensure they could get up there if there was a fire.

As far as installation goes, on a house as big as yours it might take longer that 2 weeks. It took a little over that on our and we have about 3,000 sq ft of roof. The important thing is they get the underlayment up. Once they do that the roof is watertight and the slower part of installing the tiles can continue. The underlayment just rolls out and has an adhesive to make it stick to roof sheeting so it installs fast. On most installations they have used Firestone Clad-Gard SA-FR .

One thing that can slow the installation is weather. SolarGlass roofs are glass, and water on glass makes it slippery as a sheet of ice. They could not work on the roof on days they needed to walk on the glass and it rained. Even morning dew or frost makes it very slick and they had to push back starting times until the sun dried things out.

But despite the installation issues, we love the roof and would definitely do it again. Here is a link to a document we wrote on the install. It also contains links to pictures of the installation process and final results.

Enjoy your new roof.
 
We have a solarglass roof and I have had neighbors I never knew before stop me in driveway and ask me about the roof.
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Wow, that was a great write up and the daily pics were a real eye opener for me. Thank you for sharing! I was looking forward to the install, but now I can't wait!! That was probably the most useful thing I have read on the solar glass install process.

Much appreciated!!
 
I was about to write a snarky remark on the wastefulness of creating a greenhouse in Florida that you then need to sir condition. Then I remembered you're installing 22kW of solar.

This transition is going to take some getting used to. Sustainable abundance is more of a reset than most think.

Pretty sure that is a screen pool enclosure. Keeps out all the bugs and blowing plant matter from getting in the pool, and lets the breeze through to help with heat and humidity. Without them pool area maintenance can be a pain.
 
As far as installation goes, on a house as big as yours it might take longer that 2 weeks. It took a little over that on our and we have about 3,000 sq ft of roof. The important thing is they get the underlayment up. Once they do that the roof is watertight and the slower part of installing the tiles can continue. The underlayment just rolls out and has an adhesive to make it stick to roof sheeting so it installs fast. On most installations they have used Firestone Clad-Gard SA-FR .

Yes - it will be interesting to see how long it takes. As I mentioned elsewhere, we took a full two weeks (plus) for our install, and that is for just under 1600 sq. ft. But they may send more than the 4-5 man crew we had. Also, probably over half the labor seemed to be all the hips, ridges, valleys, and flashing work. So a lot does depend on that - Tesla probably spent more time on the small, non-solar roof sections than on our main roof, which is a simple, gable style. (And it is clearly part of why Tesla is trying to avoid more complex roofs.)
 
I'm in Florida too.

I opted against tesla roof because it cost quite a bit more than shingle. And insurance companies tend to start jacking up rates as you approach 17 years of roof age. So even if tesla roof lasts longer than shingle, it might not be cost effective to keep it that long.

I opted against powerwall because I have net metering, so no cost savings with time shifting power consumption. The cost of the powerwall would be just for UPS backup and it's not worth anywhere near that amount to me. If I wanted standby power, a NG generator would cost less and have unlimited runtime without needing sun to recharge. If I ever NEEDED backup power, it would be because of a hurricane and extended power outage (longer than 2 days), which has yet to happen to me and I've been in the state since 1999. To store the excess power generation that can't go to the grid, I'd need at least 4 power walls. The cost of a NG generator would be at least half the price.

I bought a 17kw system + new roof for ~60k before incentives this Feb. My roof is over 5000 sq ft of shingles - covered area over pool cage and over garage too, so my roof only estimates were anywhere from 18k to 30k when I shopped. Panels are panasonic N330 with 25 years on both panels and enphase microinverters. Roof has 20 year workmanship and 50 year product guarantee. Tesla's current PV pricing is a bit less now than in Feb (actually lower than I paid for solar), but I don't regard their new solar panel mfg as highly as panasonic, and their inverters don't carry 25 year warranty anymore either. With their new lower pricing, if I were in the market, I'd strongly look at their PV offerings despite the lesser panel and warranty. It could well be worth it, but I'm happy with what I have installed. I've heard some people had luck asking for Panasonic panels as an optional upgrade. Guess that depends on what they have in stock.

PS: There is zero chance the new tesla roof adds 100k value to the home. By the time you sell, the prices will have dropped, and your stuff is older and will generate less efficiently. Your batteries will have degradation, etc. Even less if the old panels end up with a bad reputation due to longevity or other issues. Also consider what happens if Tesla goes bankrupt or sells off the solar portion of the business.

I would mostly value solar around 50-70% or so of the monthly power reduction multiplied by the expected roof lifespan remaining to get a value proposition for the house. Reason for the discount is that if the home didn't have it, the owner could install and pick quality, size, etc. And there is a fairly large cost involved with removing and reinstalling solar, so whenever the roof is redone, the solar becomes a headache they wouldn't have otherwise had. Using this logic, any PV system is more valuable than the tesla roof as tesla roof costs more per kw than PV. If you gain additional value above and beyond the power generation would only matter if the buyer REALLY liked tesla roof and other buyers in the market likewise were willing to pay more for it. This seems unlikely. Most people really only care that the roof is functional and isn't leaking.

PPS: Your ROI should factor in the solar portion only. Your house always needs a roof. There is never a payback period on it. It just depreciates. So if you go with tesla roof, subtract what a traditional roof would have cost from the price, and then figure your ROI on the remaining amount. Personally I'd also subtract the powerwall too, as it doesn't generate savings (unless you have time of use rates)

E7ZvRYa.jpg

You have a beautiful home. Your comments above are correct on the surface, but it ignores an important factor about the "value" of the solar glass installation that may appeal to some more than others. That is, the "curb appeal" of the installation for effective solar home output from solar glass vs solar panels.
It is hard to put a specific value on the curb appeal, but most can imagine that it may be easier to sell a home (and likely higher sale price) due to the clean look of solar glass alone vs that of irregular patterned solar panels on the roof (particularly those that are easily seen from the front of the home). I am not a real estate professional, but just the typical home buyer that has purchased more than few homes in my lifetime. The dynamics of home sale price with better curb appeal are more involved than just an accounting of the cost of materials put in the home. And I imagine, the relative value impact of solar glass vs panels may be more significant in higher cost homes than otherwise.
Just my 2 cents worth (and why I went with solar glass)....
 
Beautiful house. It really should be, "Why I installed a $134K solar roof? Because I can!" ;) I read your post, so yes, ROI is only part of it. It looks nice, it does two purposes, and it lasts longer than a traditional roof. I do believe insurance will not mess with you, as the roof is not like an asphalt roof. Lastly, you forgot to mention that this solar roof will keep your attic cooler. Should the solar roof stop charging in 25 years, you could probably install solar panels over your solar roof. I firmly believe the solar roof will be there over 100 years.
 
Sorry, why's that? Is there a published Solar Reflective Index? Obviously the active portions, when producing electricity, are turning ~20% of the light into electricity instead of heat, so that helps. But typically most of the roof won't be active.

Cheers, Wayne
There is an airspace under the tiles, so heat conduction from the first surface is mostly eliminated (vs shingles) and there is a natural convection through the gap to cool the roof deck from the back side's radiative heating.
 
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I agree with most of your points. There are definitely cheaper routes I can go other then solar glass. Battery back up is important to me, as it will allow me to store power during the day and use it at night. I also read that during an outage, solar will not turn on due to backfeed to the grid, but it will with powerwalls/other battery storage. Not sure if this is correct, as I assume you could just throw the main breaker (disconnect from the grid).

IQ8 will let you go without the grid and generate power without batteries. Here's a demonstration:


You won't need to replace all your IQ7+ units with IQ8, as you only need one downstream.

Note that the IQ8 is a year delayed and still not released. They are testing it last I heard, but I don't know if it's delayed due to running into technical problems or something else.
 
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You have a beautiful home. Your comments above are correct on the surface, but it ignores an important factor about the "value" of the solar glass installation that may appeal to some more than others. That is, the "curb appeal" of the installation for effective solar home output from solar glass vs solar panels.

I agree that solar roof looks nicer than PV. But when we're talking about buyers putting money towards that, you're going to have to assume you get back a fraction of whatever it costs, even if they end up giving it more value than traditional PV. I wanted tesla roof, but I couldn't make the numbers work. Also being cutting edge, there's a fairly large risk if there turns out to be issues. You only need to look at the people with model S and 85kwh batteries to look at what happens on a faulty design. They have to deal with decreased charge rates and decreased capacity.

Solar roof now also has fairly large tiles. And given its size and shape, if there is roof sag (which is typical), it may end up showing more than with shingle (which also show it)
 
IQ8 will let you go without the grid and generate power without batteries. Here's a demonstration:


You won't need to replace all your IQ7+ units with IQ8, as you only need one downstream.

Note that the IQ8 is a year delayed and still not released. They are testing it last I heard, but I don't know if it's delayed due to running into technical problems or something else.

There are off grid inverters that will function without a battery, however, the bigger issue with trying to operate a grid tied system off grid is that you also need a transfer switch.

A grid tied system will shut down when the grid is down to stop your system from feeding power back into the grid when it is down. This can create a dangerous situation for the linemen working on the grid as well as cause other problems.

A system that is designed to power the house when the grid is down, such as a backup generator or a powerwall will have a transfer switch that positively disconnects the system from the grid when the grid is down. This can either be an automatic transfer switch like the gateway that is used for powerwall installs, or a manual transfer switch that needs to be manually changed before you start a small backup generator.

I believe that there is no technical reason why an off grid capable inverter could not be used with an on grid system to provide power when the grid is down and the sun is shining, however, it would be more than simply replacing the inverter. You would also need to get a transfer switch and completely rewire your electrical system so that your loads were behind the transfer switch, similar to the way things are rewired when powerwalls are installed.
 
I agree that solar roof looks nicer than PV. But when we're talking about buyers putting money towards that, you're going to have to assume you get back a fraction of whatever it costs, even if they end up giving it more value than traditional PV. I wanted tesla roof, but I couldn't make the numbers work. Also being cutting edge, there's a fairly large risk if there turns out to be issues. You only need to look at the people with model S and 85kwh batteries to look at what happens on a faulty design. They have to deal with decreased charge rates and decreased capacity.

Solar roof now also has fairly large tiles. And given its size and shape, if there is roof sag (which is typical), it may end up showing more than with shingle (which also show it)

I think you need to go back to what Elon said was a target they set for the Solarglass roof. It was a person that had a tile (not composite shingle roof) and wanted to replace it with a new roof and solar. We were the perfect candidate for this. We were on our second 20 year tile roof in 25 years. When we priced another tile roof plus solar panels it was several thousand more than the Solarglass roof.

And no matter what was on the roof we wanted battery storage because of Public Safety Power Shutoffs which are becoming a thing with Power companies. We went through 4 days without power because there were fires 50-100 miles from us. We work from home and that dramatically cut into our billable hours. By going with Telsa for both the roof and Powerwalls the costs were thousands less than adding the Powerwalls to the a conventional roof, solar panels, plus Powerwalls since that would have been a separate install by a 3rd party contractor.

Roof sag is caused by weight on the roof. And solar glass tiles are dramatically lighter than an ceramic tiles covering the same area. So our roof now has less sagging then it did with the tiles.
 
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I agree with most of your points. There are definitely cheaper routes I can go other then solar glass. Battery back up is important to me, as it will allow me to store power during the day and use it at night. I also read that during an outage, solar will not turn on due to backfeed to the grid, but it will with powerwalls/other battery storage. Not sure if this is correct, as I assume you could just throw the main breaker (disconnect from the grid).

Well, I don't know about the payback, but Tesla tiles sure look cool!!!! What percent are active tiles vs inactive tiles??
 
My only concern is that your rates for electricity over time are going to go down...I'd guess to around 2c/kwh in 5 to 7 years. In Arizona we're at $0.03/kwh off peak from November to April. Makes me think for now that just powerwalls to fill up off peak then draw from during peak might make more sense. And who knows what's happening with efficiency of lighting and appliances!