The Solar Roof That Makes Every Shingle a Solar Panel

By Cass Jacoby, RCS Reporter.  

New type of solar roof is backed by Tesla, the electric car maker, and looks like any other normal roof.  

Jake Hermeling is one of the first in Central Oregon to have a Tesla solar roof built on a house, but you would never be able to tell by the look of it. Tesla solar panels are designed to look like a normal roof.  

According to Tesla’s website, “The Solar Roof is one of the first fully integrated solar and storage systems. With a seamless design, each tile looks great up-close or from the street, complementing your home’s natural aesthetic styling.” This kind of solar tile is meant to look like shingles instead of the typical panel.  

“I think the beauty of the product is that you can’t tell it’s solar,” Jake told KTVZ. The roof is made of tempered glass panels that replace your standard shingles, providing the same protection you'd expect from a traditional roof while also capturing solar energy. 

It may look like any other roof, but this project certainly doesn’t have a similar price tag. The Verge reports that the price of a solar roof can scale from $30,000 to $75,000. The roof was installed by Greenlee Roofing after receiving clearance from Tesla in January. 

According to Greenlee, “The Solar Roof is the only roof that can help pay for itself with the energy you produce.” Jake told KTVZ that owning a "net positive house," including the opportunity for a tax rebate, is worth the cost. “As I was factoring it into my build cost, it was not a difficult decision for me, on the financial side.”  

Jake clarifies that the amount of sun his house gets makes him confident he made the right choice. “Tesla has an app that shows what the roof is producing, in real time. It shows what the house is consuming, and how much is going to the grid.” With 300 days of sun in Oregon, it is estimated that the solar roof had essentially eliminated Jake’s typical monthly energy cost.  

As the Tesla Solar Roof becomes more popular, the upfront cost for such a highly efficient system becomes more accessible. Could this new solar roof be the future of seamless integrated solar power? 

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Photo Credit: KTVZ