Tesla Solar Roof vs Solar Panels: Which is Worth It?
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 18 มี.ค. 2024
- Tesla Solar Roof vs Solar Panels: Which is Worth It? Take your personal data back with Incogni! Use code UNDECIDED at the link below and get 60% off an annual plan: incogni.com/undecided Some of you may have seen Marques Brownlee’s video from a few months back about how he hasn’t paid for electricity in a year because of his Tesla Solar Roof. But…this got me wondering why I’m still not seeing a lot of Tesla Solar Roofs around. I first hit on this issue in a video two years ago, and since then I’ve only seen one Solar Roof in my old neighborhood in Massachusetts … compared to dozens and dozens of homes with solar panels. I’ve also been asked a lot as to why I didn’t get a Solar Roof on my brand new house.
Well, I thought it might be interesting to compare my house to another house from here in New England that does have a Solar Roof. A friend of the channel, Paul Braren, invited me into his house to check out his setup. Both his system and my system were installed last year, so I thought it’d be really interesting to compare the two, the reasons why we did what we did, the costs, and our initial thoughts. By the end, maybe we’ll be able to figure out an answer to my question…why aren’t we seeing more solar roofs?
Special thanks:
Paul & Margaret Braren for inviting me into their home. Check out Paul’s work over at TinkerTry - tinkertry.com/tesla-solar-roo...
Robert Brickley from Close Jensen & Miller, for the drone footage and photos of Paul’s house.
Watch Is a Geothermal Heat Pump Worth It? My Net Zero Home • Is a Geothermal Heat P...
Check out the Still To Be Determined Interview 208: The Solar Net Metering Dilemma • 208: The Solar Net Met...
Marques Brownlee's Tesla Solar Roof Review: Was it Worth It? • Tesla Solar Roof Revie...
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A German solar company has better solar roof tiles than Tesla
@@user-pt5dm2zd2w yes! Aleos solroof system looks great and is more efficient its comparable to standard panels
My lord. Going Solar in the USA is so expensive. In Australia you can. Get a high quality 13kw system installed on an existing roof for around $10,000 AUD or the equivalent of $6,500 USD. By professionals with a fantastic warranty.
@@thorpie2206 yep, about 800 euros per kw in spain/portugal
If you have the space for it, neither. Go for a ground mount. It is easily accessible, runs cooler and more efficient, you can seasonally change their angle, and shield crops growing below them from sun. Agrivlataic for the win!
I spoke to 2 installers in the Ohio area about the Solar Roof. Both quoted me prices around $180k which is about half the value of my home. So there was just no way to justify that cost.
This was for a 24kw system. I still considered it, BUT ran into an issue where I could not find ANY solar loan companies that would go over $120k as maximum loan amount.
180k!!!! I’m an installer / owner in Cincinnati. For 180k, I could power my neighborhood! What in the world were you having quoted?
@@MGiosparky don’t forget people often times put bad information out there to try and suit their narrative
@@MGiosparky In the video, it costed him 150k, so seems like its in the correct ballpark
@@MGiosparky This reminds me of the time I got a quote from a body shop for dent removal. I wanted them to do it “paintlessly” - no respray after pulling out the dent. The quote was really high so I passed on it. Later on I found out that this was their way of saying they didn’t want the job.
As a solar service technician, you absolutely nailed it with your reasoning. Servicing is a huge consideration that would make me steer people away from Tesla products by default. Non-standard parts combined with only being able to get service from a single place is an enormous gamble.
I think there is still a trade off in upkeep. The Tesla solar tiles can be replaced individually. If I got panels than had to redo my roof that's a much bigger issue.
@@ageofdoge As a service guy, you absolutely want to have something that more companies are able to repair. A repair to a Tesla roof will not be fast, and it won't be cheaper out of warranty.
And regardless of how divided the different branches of the company might possibly be, one of the things I think of when I hear "Tesla" is the utter piss poor repairability of their cars. The struggle to find a service center that can do the work, and the insanely long wait to get parts in to perform the work. And that's assuming they will even do the work at all! That is absolutely *_NOT_* the experience I want when it comes to my roof. I'll definitely take a standard roof serviceable by any quality roof company along with solar panels also serviceable by any quality company. Tesla can go pound sand.
Yep. I work in tech, and I immediately became suspicious of Tesla's lofty stated goals when I saw that everything is so proprietary and vertically integrated and Apple-like. If you actually wanted something to be widespread, the n.1 thing you would do would be massively standardizing everything to the utmost degree. Companies clearly don't like doing this given that they only became serious about it when the European Union threatened to pull out the legal nukes (and eventually did).
@@Blaze6108 The same problem exists with solar companies like Enphase and SolarEdge, too.
That point about being an early adopter Matt brought up was a VERY VERY GOOD point. Roof stuff isn't a phone or a game console, it's a very long term "investment" (it's not REALLY an investment, but you get what I'm going for here). It has to be reliable, it has to be easy to either replace or maintain, it has to last a long time.
Same idea with smart home tech. Way too many stories of businesses going under, servers going offline, older equipment no longer receiving support. Suddenly your thousands in smart tech turns into a dead brick overnight which is bad enough but depending on what you had connected you might not be able to turn on lights, open your garage, or control your thermostat etc. Way too unreliable.
Anything that earns or saves you money over time I could consider an investment, but you need to do your comparisons and lifecycle analysis first.
@@Alfaomegabravo Was going to say that the term investment isn't strictly for finances. It's anything you do improve the value of something else. Eating right and exercising is an investment in your health. School is (supposed to be at least) an investment in your future work capabilities which affects both financial opportunities and health.
@@grn1 Sure, I'm just saying a poodle is a dog not that dogs are poodles.
I put a Tesla solar system in last year, and because I went through Tesla's site for a quote, but worked with a local roofing contractor I was done in 5 weeks from initial contact, including PTO for a 20 kW system with 4 powerwalls and 3 inverters. The whole install process took about 10 days and the rest of the time I was waiting on PTO and a few final touches. I cannot stress enough what a difference it made to have a wonderful, quality local contractor that did a fantastic job. The whole thing has been running flawlessly since they completed it and I never had to deal with Tesla directly.
How much did you pay?
This guy? Why type all that without sharing your cost?….
I think it is because the Solar Roof wing of Telsa is terrible. I signed a contract for a roof, heard nothing for months, then got an email saying the cost was increasing by more than 50% without anyone ever coming out to my house. I decided to just cancel.
A lot of tesla is terrible, and it starts at the top of the company.
@@causaestmalleus4605Rot from the top or is it fascism?
The entire solar operation inside tesla is dogshit awful.
@@justinfowler2857not everything you disagree with is fascist, a dictionary would help with that.
Much of this is because of local regulations and codes. You have to go with licensed installers, and not many companies are willing to go through that process since demand is low. Tesla cant send the same team all over the country installing roofs because of those local regulations. Could they help make things easier? Yes. But it’s not nearly as simple as you think it is.
After watching Mr. Brownlee's video, I contacted Tesla and received the contact information of a local installer. Our house is much smaller than Mr. Brownlee's home, so I figured we might be able to afford it. The quote came back at about 25% more than what Mr. Brownlee paid! It was over a half of the value of our house. Needless to say, it immediately fell outside of our budget.
Mr. Brownlee seems to be a less than reliable representative for any information I have ever checked referenced sources for. One wonders how the information presented can be considered reliable from any standard that I have been able to verify from actual sources.
That is heartbreaking to hear, I'm so sorry things turned out that way for you. I can only hope prices fall again someday for your property, or that more competition springs up with similar offerings that suit your needs and budget soon.
- Paul Braren from TinkerTry
@@TinkerTry How did you get such a large system installed with net metering caps in MA?
@@phlogistanjones2722 that's because he gets paid to advertise. If you show interest in the product or better yet, buy it, he's done his job.
@@jeffrocheleau3346 I think the size of the actual pannel array is only limited by input voltage limit on the inverter. It’s the inverter power output that’s regulated. You can hook nearly 9kW of panels to a single MPPT input on even cheaper model inverters. If it has 2 inputs, You can hook up to 18kW of solar to it. You would still be limited to whatevee the inverter’s output is rated at. For net metering likely around 10-12kW max, but You’d get those 10-12 for longer duration during the day from morning to late afternoon, not just during midday.
Also, with a smart inverter and battery storage, You can pull more power from the roof that does not go to the grid, if You can use it up before it there’s a surpluss.
EXCELLENT report Matt! 100% agree on all you said! I did not get because they are opaque about performance (besides no installers in my area).
To add, your comment about "very personal decision" is key. I tell anyone interested there is NO "one size fits all".
Very interesting. I didn't know the prices were so similar.
Matt Ferrell got scammed if you ask me, he is basically and almost desperately trying to justify his choice. Maybe hes right about the longevity of his metal roof but I doubt that has much merit when looking at the Tesla Solar Roof material. Also he got less KWh than Paul? And therefor basically paid more for an, in my opinion, an uglier roof.
They've both been scammed - the cost is a complete joke. ~$100k for those systems and medium quality roofs is an absolute rip off.
@@charedj I think it depends on where you live but you might be right.
I was surprised too, but it’s going to vary a lot depending on where you live, local labor costs, etc.
@@UndecidedMF Matt, honestly, you overpaid by an incredible amount.
In another video you state you have:
43x400W panels
IQ8 Inverters
4x Batteries?
Cost: ~$55,000-88,000(with batteries)
I can purchase in Germany:
50x420W JA solar Bifacials -5000 EUR
SMA 25kW Hybrid inverter -2400 EUR
3x 12.8 kWh BYD Batteries -17200 EUR
Mounting/cabling ~-5000 EUR (estimate)
That's around 30,000 EUR plus labour. I've installed hundreds of systems including batteries and this would take less than a week to install, so I'll go crazy and call it 10,000 labour.
That's ~40,000 EUR.
What on earth did you pay for dude?!
I can tell you why I didn't get a Tesla solar roof. They didn't deliver.
They quoted me and gave me an estimate of 13-18 weeks for install. 12 weeks in they cancelled my order and told me to resubmit through a local roofer they contracted with. The price went up 325% and the installation timeline was then estimated at 48-52 months.
So my system price went from $110k with install in 2021 to $365k with install in 2024-2025.
I got a standing seam metal roof for $35k installed within a month of contract signing. My solar system was $65, installed 12 weeks after signing, 2 weeks early. Installation was completed in 3 days, and PSE approved tying it into the network only 9 days later.
Damn, can you let me know what company sold you a solar system for $65? Sounds like a great deal!
(haha, I assume you left out the k there)
***BINGO***
I have zero idea how anyone represented in this video can seem happy with the amount of money they were charged for the products and services they received. At every step of this video I found the prices, wait times, permitting, installation and performance of the systems to be less than half of what I can personally verify as "reasonable".
The fact that EVERYONE in the video was "happy" with their systems and experiences was baffling. TLDR: They paid 1.5-2x what a high-end charge would be expected to be and waited 2x-4x what a very delayed and drawn-out installation time should be.
365K to install or even 110k to install, how much power could you spend using the grid to equal to that???? Not to mention the environment and the human rights issues surrounding the manufacturing and procurement of the materials and minerals it requires. I suppose by not looking into these things can allow you to sleep better at night believing you are doing good in the world.
musk is selling science fiction, believing it can be real if you want it bad enough 😂😂😂
Solar prices in the USA are insane! You know those huge 400W panels are $60 in the UK? I don’t get why anyone would bother, your electricity is so much cheaper too.
We have 12 year old panels. 4 have hail damage. Even though they are still working, we decided to replece the entire array. We use bet metering rather than batteries and are net $0. We are upgrading to new and fewer panels for the same kw this spring. The older panels paid for themselves ib 7 years we expect the new array to do so in 30 months. Love them. Can not imagine doing this upgrade with roof tiles.
No no no, just no! Don't you see you're doing it wrong? You need to buy everything in one neat, hermetically sealed packaged, because ✨ _aesthetics_ ✨.
@@jfolz lol
@@rogerjohnston9545 /s in case that want clear. Our installation will have paid for itself twice over next year or so.
@@jfolz panels or tiles?
@@rogerjohnston9545 panels. I don't think tiles were an option in 2011 ;)
I made the decision 11 years ago to go with a metal roof with standard sized frameless panels.
I saw these advantages:
1) fewer connections in each string
2) larger gap between roof and panel, giving better ventilation, cooling and therefore efficency
3) more choice in the market using standard sized panels and better efficiency.
4) fewer panels and therefore easier to replace/maintain. I bought 85 panels + 2 spares. One panel shattered on install - not a problem, had a spare on site so i now have 1 spare panel.
5) the metal roof below is more like factory roofing with a repeating trapeze ridge/trough profile. Cheap, lightweight, long lasting and you don't see it because its behind the PV array.
In terms of aesthetics i chose a south facing monopitched roof at 35 degrees. Basically a large rectangle covered by a 5 x 17 PV panel grid with no through entries (chimneys, windows, ventilation etc.) Looks great. The house is also box form below the roof - better for surface area to volume ratio and easier to acheive passive house rating than a complex H shape with a correspondingly complex roof shape.
The panels were 220 Watt. Modern panels of the same size are 440 now. I will replace them in 4 or 5 years - the replacement will be easy - we can use the existing aluminium subframe and external fixations - no new drilling into the roof will be required.
Your setup sounds great to me, I'm very happy things sound like they worked out very well for you. FYI, I wasn't allowed ground mount in the towns I wanted to live in, but that's just me, so many others would love to do what you've done. Building new (with a way more efficient design) was quickly ruled out during pandemic due to local construction prices, and lack of small lots to build on.
- Paul Braren (the guest on this podcast episode)
Incredibly Informative!
Well done, Sir!
One thing that isn't considered is the Home Owner Association rules. Currently, our area has legislation drafted that will restrict HOA's from preventing Solar installations. We'll see if it passes.
Most HOAs allow for Tesla's solar roof since they're indistinguishable from normal roofs from the outside.
@MCPicoli that restricts the homeowners to one brand and style of renewable energy. It's not the best solution for global change that's needed, in my opinion.
@@ricoma6037 true, just saying that at least there is one option instead of none.
Check state laws, several states have prevented HOA's regulating any solar installations
Check the laws in your state. Many limit how HOAs can regulate solar panels
In South Africa, our 2.9Kw 48v system, with 105A Lithium Battery and Inverter, cost us R56 000 in total, about $2,500. Granted my brother in law and myself did all the work, excluding the installation of the electrical switch board, linking our system to the grid and checking/certification of our system by a certified electrician, required by our local municipality and for insurance purposes, but paying for that is included in the cost above.
Took us two years to fully pay for the system out of our savings
That sounds amazing! I appreciate learning a more worldly perspective, one of the advantages of reading these comments. Thank you for sharing!
- Paul Braren, owner of the Solar Roof featured in this video
I’m absolutely shocked with the prices you quote. In Ireland, a 400w panel (with 25 year warranty etc) is equivalent to $200. May 16 panel 6.4kWp system was €11400 and I paid over the odds due to supply/demand issues. It generates twice as much power as I use annually. I get credit for the power I export to the grid. It will cost €5000 to add a 5kWh battery if I choose to in future. What in the name of the baby Jebus in his crib are you paying for over there???
@@flyingalexf68 how is a 5kWh battery €5k?!? Look into server rack LFP batteries, they're $1,200-$1,600 for 48V 5kWh units, though right now prices are headed down due to a glut of capacity due to slowed EV demand in China causing the market to be oversupplied.
Wow. That's awesome 👍
@@andrewfidel2220I've just ordered a 15KWh LFP system (cells plus Seplos BMS/case) costing £1450 DDP to the UK.
Hi! Very interesting comparison between solar options. We needed a new roof two years ago and also wanted to upgrade to a premium roof. We got our Tesla Roof installed two years ago and are very happy with it. We are driving about 10k electric miles and have paid under $100/year since we signed up for the tesla plan. We're in Dallas TX.
EXCELLENT vid, as usual Matt. Thank you! Cheers from Australia!
I used to work at Gigafactory 2 manufacturing the solar roof. Great product, shoddy execution
I worked for the tesla superbeam team (half the line was welding robots, shorts proof) same, great product but the machines constantly broke, or jammed, especially the ones using weld robots.. humans never caused the delays robots constantly did (also honda robots even more, did that also for honda crv bumpers, same factory)
Very interesting! Always nice to hear inside knowledge.@@dertythegrower
no NDAs in revelation? @cman2270 @dertythegrower
Why doesn’t Tesla sell solar roof shingles direct to consumer?
@@triforcelink If you research fertilizer, for example, sometimes a person will overwater or forget to water, but then leave your fertilizer a bad review... they blame someone else for their misuse.
I already went with standard solar panels. Only a 3 bedroomed house in old England with a 4 kWp system but I have not paid for any electricity in almost two years now.
@@BobDevVOff-grid equals you control everything so your investment return can be calculated and is assured. Grid-tie means you have no direct control, and you have no assurance that you'll even see a substantial return of your investment much less all of it.. See what just happened in California- that can be you too.
I installed the traditional solar panels back in 2017. I am very happy that I had gone that route as my home was built in 1941 and also my panels on my house are not seen and are hidden as I have a 1 1/2 story Cleveland Bungalow with a detached garage. A little more than half my panels are on my detached garage. I have two separate inverters (grid tied) and no battery backup. I owe a little cash during the low production time , December, January, and February. Our Northeast Ohio grid has been pretty reliable which makes it kind of nice. Electricity isn’t as expensive for our area as other states. Very happy with our solar panel system. So far so good.
So nice to see Paul! Love him and his website :) great website
I live in the UK and a 7KwHP array with 13kwh storage can be done for about £13k. Your numbers are mind boggling...
Also it might have been nice to find someone with an in roof system to compare that.
Great channel!
we have large tariffs on imported panels, especially those made in china
I was thinking the price seemed crazy eye for that set up compared to the ones you can get in Europe.
I know there are tariffs on imports from China in the US, but surely that's not making up such a high price tag.
To be fair, solar is getting dirt cheap now that the installation and inventor is the highest cost, not the panels, but I do have to wonder what kind of set up I could do in the UK for the cost they paid for their set-up.
Anyway, is a solar set-up really that much more expensive?
$153k in the UK could buy a field AND a solar farm! 🤣😂🤣 (Ok, maybe a bit far fetched, but it could buy you a house!)
Same here in Germany, 17.7 kWp Panels with 20 kWh battery is 20k€ (self-installed). With professionals installing everything that would be 30 - 40 k€ (depending on the local market situation). The American prices seem crazy.
I work for a solar company in Sweden. I could probably sell a 17 kWp roof installed solar plant for less than $15k. Adding a 20 kWh battery would probably be another $15k. You'd get a $9.5k tax deduction, so the whole installation would cost approximately $20-21k...
Finally, a video on a subject that isn’t always 10 years away.
Thanks for this. Dang, Matt. Your work is so, so helpful. You really hit that sweet spot of where accuracy, succinctness, main points, important trivialities, and overall takeaways converge. I'm always super thankful for your videos.
For me, I'll probably go with a Tesla solar roof when I get around to it. I do love the way they look. And I live in San Diego, so the need for a really good roof which can withstand real weather isn't as much as a factor for me. Btw, I also agree with you that more conventional solar roofs look good, too.
If there's one thing that bothers me about all of the solar roof installation processes I've heard about or watched in videos, and especially from Tesla, it's the ambiguity and problems that the installations seem to run into. I totally get that installing a bunch of new electrical products into a house can be daunting, but also, that's exactly what these local installation companies are supposed to be experts at. I feel like this entire process should go way more smoothly than it ever seems to go for anyone.
I installed a solar system on my roof myself and found that the efficiency goes down a bit when it is warm out. Thus, June produces more power than the hotter August, with the same amount of sunny days. My next system will be ground mounted to get around this, with cooling from crops growing below.
I wonder if the heat killing efficiency is any more significant on the solar roof vs regular panels as they suffer the same fate in heat.
@@Chopped86 I think they will be pretty close, but the solar panels will have some airflow below. Ground based gets the most.
Solar panels are silicon chips essentially, more heat = higher resistance = lower energy output.
PV efficiency goes up in the winter but shorter days reduces total energy output.
@@einarmikkelsenPNW yeah that’s what I’m suspecting as there is also flow below the roof, though a bit less. If you’re in the PNW the effect is so minimal as well. I’ve lived in the PNW and in the opposite environment in Phoenix where the panels get crushed 8 months out of the year with heat. Ground based would be best but I do not know if I would want to commit having panels in my beautiful backyard especially since where I live we are capped at a 10kw inverter which becomes 7.7kw in the real world.
This is why vertically installed, north-south orientated, double sided panels are a better option for very hot countries. In the extreme heat of midday the panels are not facing the sun and therefore don't get as hot.
I live in Arizona - fabulous conditions for solar. My house will have a traditional clay tile roof, so solar on the roof is no bueno. I plan to put an array in the back yard on short stilts. The panels will shade my chicken coop, and have a water cachment set-up. Capturing water is just as important as capturing sunlight. A 10Kw array will capture a couple of thousand gallons of water during our monsoon season with the simple addition of a gutter with the downpipes directed to a cistern.
Clay tile roof looks to be better for solar install if you want to avoid leaks. They lift the tile, put the anchor in which extend along the facedown side of the tile, at the end theres the proper anchor for the panel itself. Look pretty sturdy, its been done for a long time in europe. Seen many install in UK and germany like that and you cant tell me that EU country have lower standard and regulation when it come to solar install. You should check it out, theres plenty video online about it.
I would never put panels on my roof unless I had too. Build a porch or something and put your panels on that or like you said cover a coop.
My town doesn't allow ground-mount solar, but that arrangement sounds awesome and very logical, thanks for dropping this comment!
- Paul Braren, owner of the Solar Roof featured in this video
@@TinkerTry Thanks! That's a major reason that I chose Arizona - they have intelligent water and energy laws. In Colorado, capturing rainwater that falls on your own property is illegal (?!?). Many jurisdictions restrict or ban roof-top bladeless turbines, ground-mount solar, and any number of other solutions. Arizona, which is running out of water and has an aging and unreliable power grid, quite sensibly allows (and offers tax incentives) for anyone who disconnects from the public power grid and collects their own rainwater. It's possible to live completely off-gird in the heart of a nice suburb. So, suburban Prescott, here I come. 🙂
@@gorak9000 Yes, I've seen them. For me it's an aesthetic choice. I'm building a Spanish Colonial Revival with as many historic details as I can afford. I think that sleek black modern solar panels spoil the romantic antique look of the roof. Since I have the space, and can use the panels to create shade for my hens and a rain roof for capturing more water, I see no reason to put solar on my roof. So, it's not a technical installation issue, I chose an off-roof installation due to other considerations. But thanks for offering that tip 🙂
Great article Matt. I went with a Tesla solar roof after looking at four companies. The total system took 4 months to install, all due to local utility refusal to allow me to install the two Powerwall Plus batteries with the solar roof. I eventually had to go to the city council to request approval to install. We had companies say the solar roof would not work on my home. The real problem with most of the systems is the installers.
Well done analysis/comparison, thx Matt!
Glad you liked it!
I'm in the UK with a similar sized house. If I put $150'000 in a high interest account, it would pay may annual electric bill entirely, with enough left over to compensate for inflation.
Can't rely on having high interests forever though.
To be fair, you wouldn't need to spend anywhere near that amount for that kind of set up.
@@Edramon53 When have high-interest accounts not been high interest? The clue's in the name.....
@@Edramon53 A 30 year bond in the US is paying around 4.46%. $150K * 4.46% = $6690 per year. That's more than $500 / month. My electric bill averages around $100-$150 / month.
Some people have money to burn. I am not that lucky....
We learn so much with your videos! thank you! Your quality is sublime! 😉
I think you are right Matt, Any system that doesn't use readily available parts is asking for trouble if your goal is to have an easily maintainable system. Cutting edge products are fun to play with, but I have all the headaches I need just trying to build maximum reliability.
Standard. I'm currently extending from 25 to 40 panels on my end. After a year of use, with a Tesla at the house, it is clear I need a bit more juice. Pretty straight forward adjustment, but installer and permitting challenges once again of course. Great video again Matt. Thanks for sharing.
These USA prices are eye watering! In the UK you can pick up the all the gear with 20kw of panels and 20kw of storage for well under £20k and a new tiled roof on a large house would similarly be around £15 to £20k. Embedding the solar panels in trays on is a good option if reroofing because then you don't pay for the roof tiles just to then put solar over the top of them (effectively paying twice to cover the roof). I'm looking at 10kw panels, 20kwh of battery and reroof (part embedded) for £30k fitted. I can't get over these $100k+ prices, particularly given that is after massive subsidies!
Probably depends on who is installing the set-up, but yeah, I've checked many times over the last year and a setup like that in the UK would be a lot cheaper, and I do wonder why is it so much expensive in the US? Some will say imports on China but I can't see that inflating the price by that amount.
USA has large import tariffs and also expensive permitting before anything can be done so USA laws make solar expensive. Look at lockdown laws and solar laws to see how stupid American government can be.
Payback for a simple solar on a metal roof in the Philippines can be less than 2 years now. 50% annual investment returns!
Yeah. its a big problem here. installers over charging and getting wealthy out of the process. its ridiculous.
@@nottelling41 Hardware is a fraction of the overall cost of an install although batteries are expensive as hell. The issue is installers charging a mint and the fact that they know we get a subsidy and price higher because of it. The financing people make it even worse as they pretty much take the entire subsidy! My next system will be done in cash to avoid this and I'm glad my current system was done before the finance vultures went crazy.
Yeah, they're idiots for buying them at that price to be honest, it makes no economical sense whatsoever.
The solar roof looks lovely, I was interested in it a few years ago. I think I feel the same as you do about the newness of the product and being able to replace it as needed in the future. Putting on a solid good quality roof to start and having standard, replaceable panels feels like the best balance.
Those prices are crazy expensive when compared what Im paying over here in the EU. Im getting next week 10 KW solar panels with 11 KW EV charger with installation for 10k EUR. On top of that Ill get 50% off of that price subsidized from the government by the end of this year. Im really happy with this deal :)
Various things can be more costly in the US. Wages are also generally higher.
He's also in a particularly expensive part of the US as well.
@@chickenfishhybrid44 true that but overall Im getting a sweet deal and executing. Bueno :)
But it is not just Europe. Last December (summer in Australia) I had a 6.5kW system put in for $A3.5k (after about $1.2k in government rebates). That's about $US2.7k. And because of our weak currency we are used to most things costing a bit more here than in the US.
Surprising results and great video comparison!
Experience has taught me with expensive, complex technologies, COTS works better in the long run (COTS: common off the shelf technology).
Open Source always works better in terms of maintenance, both in Software and Hardware...
In Florida, they won't insure your roof if it's a solar roof. That's killing the market with all the hurricanes we get.
Florida and California’s loss is my gain because I’m getting a killer deal on solar ($2.89/watt) because of lower demand this year. I priced the same system out a couple of years ago and it was about $3.20/watt.
do it yourself in the back yard using smaller cheaper systems... the roof ones are no longer priced even close to diy solar, which can power most peoples stuff in the home, esp florida... the battery systems now are so cheap and many market them with stackable options.. he had ads for them here 2023
also ,☝️ to add, and what i mean is.. dont tell them at statefarm or whatever that you have diy solar, its not going to be recovered by their policy as its NOT locked down, you can move it when the inspection guy comes, so it has zero do with them of its portable diy solar.
@@dertythegrower thanks, I'll look into that.
Pretty soon it will be very hard to get ANY insurance in Florida, regardless of what's on your roof.
We put down the $100 deposit on a Tesla Solar roof in January 2021 when we closed on a new construction deal for our house in western MA. The configuration changed a few times and the cost jumped when they instituted complexity tiers (many peaks and valleys on our roof) but eventually came down a bit. We paid $99K for the 20.88KW roof with 3 Powerwall batteries. Although communicating with Tesla initially was not great, once the install was scheduled the team was terrific. We didn't get into the house until this past September (almost 2 years later than our contracted date). We had some permitting delays with the town (do we need bollards in front of the batteries and if so how far out -- 3 feet was the eventual answer). Finally got permission to export once the sun had left the Berkshires for the season, but we are starting to see net positive production for our all electric house in recent weeks. Long time viewer; love your channel.
You need to do a video walkthrough all of Paul’s home energy setup. He’s living my dream.
Like how off the grid can he be?
What types of monthly costs does he have between charging the car and the house energy needs?
I am so glad you are making the point that each decision for energy is a case by case basis. So many people have one idea and think all should go that way (governments operate that way too). Each situation is unique.
Two years ago we tried to get a Tesla solar roof installed... it was a horror story of "no refund for you" and incompetent installers. They still owe us for preparation costs.
They doubled the cost of the roof AFTER we had a signed contract, so we are now part of a class action to try and recover our preparation costs. At one point Tesla told us they would reimburse us, but that was two years ago.
I drive a Model 3 and have plenty of Tesla stock, but the solar roof is not a product I would recommend.
I think Matt’s roof has a bigger advantage in that’s it’s white. Meaning it’s reflecting light so should stay cooler in the summer months. It’s also stay cooler which is best for the solar panels.
Thank you for using the SI unit system 😊
Leaning towards regular solar panels.
diy solar and portable batteries (which he has shown here many episodes) is becoming clearly a better more portable option... and simpler to run..and not locked down perma solar which insurance and home suburban areaa disallow... diy is becoming so simple with the plug and play solar.. about time
Yep, ecoFlow has just about swayed me into thei whole house UltraPro lineup. @@dertythegrower
@@dertythegrower Where are you seeing PnP 10+KW systems and 20KW or more batteries? Those little "solar generators" are a joke in comparison to a fixed install.
Solar roofing could have changed the world if Tesla had not squirreled their attention elsewhere.
Looking forward to your fall update after the summer’s generation status are in!
I disagree. Solar City, which it was originally, was failing. Elon basically saved the company by wrapping it up under Tesla.
People who think Elon Musk is anything but a liability 😂
If you're American, Elon showed us just how in bed our government was with Twitter. Just like banning TikTok, the government wants no competition with their prescribed narratives. They're after Elon, and have many different ways to neuter him. @@frederickheard2022
Oh bugger off. Tesla didn't invent the solar shingles. They've been used in europe for a decade already with new houses. They just did an Apple and hyper marketed to the uninformed US market who are behind the solar news by like 20 years.
7KW with 10KWh of battery would cost here 12.000€ on my country. It's still hard to believe these crazy prices from USA :O
Laboir and insane profits. They make the permitting and inspection a PITA enough that most people hire it out and there's few enough doing it they charge crazy rates. My system in rural VA compared to a near identical system in Florida was close to double the price. Why? Competition in Florida vs here where few companies operate. I look forward to moving South and nearly off the grid soon!
Love your vids, how you examine lots of numbers and make great breakdowns.
I just wanted to clarify: Marques didn't get the software bug fix until he reported it to Tesla, and this was long after Paul got his fixed, is that right? As in, Paul and Marques got the bug fix individually applied, but only after individually reporting it, rather than Tesla rolling out a bug fix for all users?
I've never even seen a slate roof.. we consider metal to be the budget option in Australia. The other big issue with solar on the roof is the heat and the gap between the roof and the panels. My solar is sitting 100mm off the tile roof, the tile roof can hit temperatures of 80 degrees C. The solar panels also get heated at a loss of 1% per degree past 25C. Thats a 55% loss on hot days over 35 C. However we should have the option to increase the gap between roof and solar panels to help keep the panels cool. How does the Telsa panels keep cool?
a metal roof company ironically ran ad yesterday.. it is because rich people get them as they are protected by 50 year warranty and low maintain factor
Solar has so many unknowns, I've heard of 0.4%--0.5% and 0.75--1% loss above 25*C. So what is it? I purchased panels that are rated for 455 watts, and one day they were cranking out 570 watts each with reflection from snow on the ground. I installed ground mount panels to avoid the roof top eyesore, and that may be the coolest location with grass underneath rather than a hot roof.
@@carlwest859 If the panels are shading the roof, how is it getting hot (except from heat from the panels)? Also, how would grass grow if it is shaded by the panels. More likely to get patchy weeds.
Anyone building a new home (or completely new roof) should put an air gap under the top layer of roofing. Similar to a rain screen behind the siding on your walls. Venting that top layer will help dissipate the heat soak from the panels. Regarding slate roofs, they're very popular in the Northeast USA, for people that can afford them. Slate was historically easy to get and obviously extremely durable, but it's VERY heavy and requires robust framing underneath.
Tesla Solar Roof has a 1" air gap underneath the panels, and some vents along the bottom and top edges for passive venting upward. This may help some, but I won't know for sure until we get into this summer of 2024, my first full summer with the system fully operation. Also worth noting that my town doesn't allow ground-mount solar, and my yard is pretty small anyway.
- Paul Braren, owner of the Solar Roof featured in this video
Rich people things.
Get rich.
No... fossil fuels are cheap because humans (IE your a-hole politicians) have decided to subsidise that source (either through lobbying or corruption), it's a choice not to support renewables, not some sort of "law of nature " like gravity
Which is unfortunate because over the long run solar panels reduce your costs (at least in states with net metering).
Rich or poor, as solar generation technology evolves, becomes more durable, and drops in price, it’ll become further integrated with traditional roofing materials. And,, eventually every home needs a new roof. So, whether you rent or own, in the future, your roof will likely be solar.
Word. I'd like the idea of getting solar panels and paying a monthly price that's half of the electric bill. I feel like that'd be the easiest way to get people to start purchasing them
Edit watched the rest of the vid yeahhh nevermind the roof and everything 😅
Awesome video and very insightful. I would love to see a video on the difference in cost for solar between countries and what’s driving it. My 6.6kw system was about $4000 AUD after subsides etc. Everytime I hear about solar installations in North America or Europe it’s seems there is large price differences. I nearly fell off my chair when you said how much your install was
Great vid, thank you!
Any chance of doing a follow up in a year?
Wow!! That’s a lot of power to break even and that’s if you pay cash.
That’s what I was thinking. On the low end of my power bill, it’ll be 35 years to break even. Yes it looks amazing, and I wouldn’t have to worry about blackouts. But 35 years? The technological advancements over that time to finally break even. I’d want upgrades by then.
@@matarael Definetly not worth it. I had my conventional solar system installed in 2015, and I'm about to break even already. In a few months, I will have free electricity. Anything Tesla is a money pit. I bought a Tesla Y in August 2023 for $58K, after all taxes, today you can buy the same spec Model Y for about $49K - the depreciation is crazy.
I have looked into Solar for my house in the middle of Illinois. It would take between 10 to 15 years to see a complete return (5-year span is dependent on style of panels and changes in energy rates). Thus, making the potential of a decent return as long as my family doesn't need to move over the next decade.
Nice video! Imma watch this till the end even though I ain't gonna be able to afford no house
Glad you liked the video, but yeah ... housing prices are out of control.
Holy CRAP! I'm glad I don't live in a cold area, that electric consumption is mind blowing to me. 500kwh is super high for me.
Appreciate your channel thank you!
Matt Ferrell your system also offers other benefits like for instance I think you would have an easier time to upgrade your system then your friend would and you would have a better chance of getting parts for it from other locations and providers if needed as opposed to what your friend has since he must deal through Tesla.
Nice work Matt. Your videos do not feel so informercial like some other TH-cam channels. Many get sponsors and gifts, but many dance around if they are sponsored or if they got something gifted. I know it take money and resources to run a channel, but pretending your an unbiased reviewer when there is clear reason for bias and it is not acknowledged is just unprofessional. You seem to make a clear effort not to hide any possible bias and love that while you are comparing products, you are keeping as much opinion out and going with data driven results.
Keep up the great work Matt.
@@gorak9000I do not read the comments, I watch his videos. I have seen 30 of them and never once heard him say "this is the best choice ever" or anything like that.
Can you show an actual example of Matt pushing a product in the comments or is this just something you are pulling out of your...
Great video, Matt. I'm just a bit ahead of you on the install time line. I needed to replace my asphalt roof in late 2018. I'm in central Texas, so a metal roof was an easy choice to make aesthetically. I also wanted a roof that would outlive me. I settled on an 11.4 kW conventional solar panel system that was installed as soon after as the weather permitted, in Nov, 2018. I started looking at batteries after the 2021 freeze here. I finally added 2x Tesla PowerWall 2 in Sept, 2023, using the same installer that did the solar panels. If I was building a new house I would definitely consider Tesla roof tiles.
Really great to see how both you and Paul came to different decisions in terms of which solar roof you decided to get. One issue I would’ve liked to have seen more info on is the software integration differences between the Tesla set up that Paul had with the integration of batteries and EV chargers And your situation and what are the differences in what your two different systems offer in terms of software integration and usefulness?
Solar in the US is really expensive. In Australia I have a 13.2kw system for a total cost of just under $8000 ($5223 US) installed about 5 years ago after rebates. I'm installing a single 13.6kw battery which will cost $7,000 ($4,570 US) after rebates. The rebates for the solar are falling year on year, and would still be about $4,600 ($3,000 US) for a similar system today though the same size system after those rebates is now less than $7,000 ($4,570 US). The battery rebates are new, and will be $3,000 ($1,958 US). Of note, i can book in and have another 6.6kw to 10kw installed within a couple of weeks, as the red tape was solved a long time ago. The rebates on the batteries are more complicated due to the applying for rebates process (about 4 weeks), but they can also be installed fairly quickly.
So for $15,000 (9,793 US), you can get a 13.2kw system with a single 13.6kw battery system all fully installed. As for a new roof, some quick research shows it's about $80 ($52 US) to $120 ($78 US) per m2.
This is exacly what is so remarkable to me. I paid 3,500 euro for my 4 kWh system. Of course it's not as much as the 17 kWh, but still if you multiply by 4, you're nowhere near the 55.000 dollar. And the 3.500 euro includes panels, installation, wiring, additional switchbox and an inverter.
@@rba42 yes, mine was completely installed too for the $8,000 Australian, and now its even cheaper with less of a rebate. I don't understand why it is so expensive in one of the biggest markets in the world. Perhaps this is something Matt can do a video on, because it makes no sense to me.
Yup. Same reaction. I paid $11,500 AUD ( 7,501 USD ) for a 7.7 kW system - 6 kW Sunny Boy inverter and Sunpower Maxeon 3 panels 2 years ago. Something is badly wrong with the US market.
He's also living in one of the most expensive areas in the country.
There is a push in the US to not allow renewables to replace too much of other methods as well as profit motive getting in the way of progress
As you said, your metal roof (sorry, I put floor?) should never need any maintenance & solar panels can reasonably be replaced + how long will the tiles last. Although 27kw is quite impressive.
The guaranty of the solar roof is 25 years, same as many other roof options have, some only come with 20 or 15 years even.
In what world does metal not need maintenance? Even pure stainless steel rusts eventually. Humans are kinda weird. Willing to believe anything if a salesperson is nice enough when they say it. Only after the deal's done do y'all turn on your brains to think about it.
@@TysonJensen People are speaking in general. Yes, metal roofs, even stainless steel will corrode; however, the lifespan of a metal roof is SIGNIFICANTLY longer to the point where it essentially doesnt need maintenance.
Its not that it literally doesnt need maintenance, its that these costs are so spread out that it feels like it doesnt.
@@TysonJensen Metal roofs are extremely rare in the colder European nations. It's mostly ceramic shingles and those roofs can last 100+ years if there isn't major storm damage. So maybe not ideal for tornado counties, but otherwise it's great, easy to replace individual shingles if necessary, easy to add solar and pretty cheap.
@TysonJensen some of them offer a 25 year warranty or even lifetime.
I went with a ground mounted panel system; easy to remove the snow in the winter using a foam squeegee. Love that setup.
Sounds great, and far more affordable! My town wouldn't permit ground mount, unfortunately.
- Paul Braren, owner of the Solar Roof featured in this video
@@TinkerTry that is just crazy! The permit was really easy here. My roof would not have worked, as I have those nice shade trees.
I like your vidoe comparison. Its honest and fair on all sides. I have owned 10 kilowatts of standard solar panels on my roof for 11 years now. They are working fine, and I have always appreciated that the aesthetics issue is really not even an issue in the case of my house because people cannot even see them from the street out ffromt where people go by. The street is on the north side and the panels are on the south and east and west sides of the roof, but the roof angles are such that most people will not even notice the solar panels are there. One bonus that many people do not mention is that having the standard solar panels about six inches above the roof helps considerably to keep the roof much coller in summer than it otherwise would get, and therefore extends the life of the asphalt shingles underneath much longer than they would otherwise last.
People spending 100k-300k on solar is patently insane and is a reminder that solar is anything but "affordable".
Solar should be affordable, but the installers are price gouging like crazy in the US, even on standard panels
My current thinking is I am going with panels, but where I am building has a lot of trees and the array won't be on the roof. I plan on free-standing panels at the southern edge of the lot where there is open ground and a lot more direct sunlight. I also plan on owning all the hardware and not contracting with a company.
Your option is the best IMO. I have also been looking at getting an array to put on my parent's farm and I can get them started with a 14Kw array, 12Kw of AC output, and 15Kwh of battery for about $15k and there's no restrictions on the roof directions, cleaning the panels is easier, and you'll see a return much quicker. It's also expandable. I can easily add batteries down the line, which is likely better since the batteries are the pricey bit. Also getting them over time means replacing them over time when they wear out.
Net metering sucks for them though, it's an energy credit that expires so there's literally zero incentive to feed back to the grid making the inverters I choose cheaper. I'd be using the grid to top off if the battery is low.
I think you should do a video on why you state a metal roof lasts so much longer. I would love to know the facts behind it.
Very informative. Thank you.
In WA, only a few have Tesla roofs been done and cost was exhorbitant. Went with metal roof and Solar Panels / Enphase microinverters. Very happy. No need for batteries since have net metering and very few power outages.
Thanks for your interesting content
All I know is what I read on the Internet, and my impression is that the Tesla equipment is in frequent contact with company mainframes, and that if there is a prolonged widespread outage and internet fails, after a period of time the Tesla system will shut itself down. So to me, there's an issue of control. I would also have a concern about repair and replacement of equipment if Tesla should suspend their roofing business. Standard solar panels and equipment are more likely to maintain availability.
That is not how it works.
Just cause there is no Internet access it doesn't mean the Tesla cars will refuse to turn on or the Solar will refuse to produce electricity.
Like wtf ????
That is valid for products that need to be turned on/off remotely and goes through companies servers to do so.
Like IoT devices. In which case they will not work.
Like Automated Lights/Cooling, etc if not made sure to run Offline, they will stop working if internet goes out.
Not the Car or Solar Panels.
@@MarcSpctr Good to know.
I always love your videos so thanks for the content you put out. I think this is all situational, if you need a new roof and maybe you can get the insurance company to pitch in some portion that would be one way; or depending on your house's alignment and roof pitch, will it be effective enough to go with the Tesla roof. Of course money is the big issue and what can you afford. I would love a Tesla roof with enough battery backup to get me through a bad situation if required.
It’s cool what you did and great analysis. For the average person it’s way too much to deal with both from a cost and a complexity/patience standpoint.
if it takes a public person reporting on a bug x 2 -- it's not a good sign imo
It probably wasn't a bug, considering it's Tesla we are talking about.
FYI my 10kW Tesla Powerwall+ overloaded and shut down because a 500W gas furnace's blower motor turned on. That's what their tech support told me. A 2000W UPS never had a problem with it. Powerwall is NOT recommended.
500w? Lol, my cheap DYI setup can handle a 4,8 kW load off of battery power. That's pretty standard if you use BYD batteries.
Thanks for the commentary on that other video. I was shocked that he was somehow using 8k kwh/month. 4K still seems like a lot but that's a lot more reasonable.
I really like to see this comparison of two real cases to compare situations!
I am impressed how expensive solar power in the USA is. I have paid 20.000 € for 9,66 kW and a small battery in Germany.
Yup and your contractor still easily made a 6k profit for ~40 man-hours of work. 150 an hour isn't bad for a handyman, lol.
Now imagine how much the contractors in his video made...
He's also living in one of the most expensive places in the US.
Its still pretty expensive, here i can get 36 560wp solar panels with all the cables and roof mounting gear for €7200, an 15.6kw deye inverter (sol ark eu equivalent)for €2000, 4x15kwh lifepo4 48v for €10k/ that makes like 19.2k or 21k USD. not including labour but that woul likely add around 6k USD
If memory serves correctly 15 kWp cost roughly 30k installed --- back in 2011 that is.
He's also living in one of the most expensive places to live in the US. McDonald's workers where I'm at in the US, start at $16 an hour.
We have a 50 panel 17.6 KW system on the shore of CT, and love it so far, (a little under two years, so I don't have enough hard data to offer true numbers, IMOHO), two Tesla batteries.
12:46 I'd be proud of that garage - well done, sir
That bug not getting fixed for everyone one all at once, or making a come back is very "convenient"...
Yeah it is convenient...but it's also completely realistic for software bugs. You wouldn't be able to tell if it was sloppy programming, a random mistake, or intentional. It could be any of them and there's not enough information to judge that (as far as I know, but I could be wrong).
For mass adoption it's still one very simple issue: upfront cost vs long term benefit.
I know literally everyone in my family want to install solar for years- but no one has done it yet. And everyone I talk to have the same sentiment: upfront cost is way too high, and change in market in the future makes it so people don't see it as a big investment. You may throw down 100k for solar on your roof, but it actually won't add long term value to your house because if you decide to sell it in 5-10 years, chances are things have become much cheaper/better by then, so your heavy investment is now more a burden than a benefit.
Every single time, people who want solar hear the upfront cost, and get immediately discouraged. Pricing vs efficiency just is not there, and it's been fairly stagnant for almost 10 years now which is crazy to think about. I mean, we aren't really much further now, than we were in 2016, at least from an individual citizen perspective. Solar is still extremely expensive and not that efficient, it still has very long-term break even potential, and it's still something extra you add to your home where you have to consider reliability and maintenance/tech support if things don't work as intended. Just a lot of extra steps to commit to something that to many people doesn't even make financial sense in the first place.
For solar to be relevant, there needs to be much bigger government incentive to provide tax credits for green adjustment of energy on a personal level rather than just mass grid level.
Solar needs to be cheaper, the end.
That is a USA problem though. Elsewhere people dont move as much, and also have way cheaper options for solar. It‘s so cheap that 1 kWh of solar power costs about 0,02-0,03€ (if it were sold at its own price)
@@kkon5ti I'm not from the US tho, and I have family/friends in over a dozen different countries both in NA, Europe, and Middle East. Everyone say the same. Upfront cost vs long term gain just isn't beneficial, it's financially more sound to just invest that money into something that actually grows in value, rather than the opposite.
Great video with amazing breakdowns. I would go with the Tesla roof personally.
Nice video, I spent 59k on my 12kw system before tax credit in 2021. Hybrid system. Qcell panels with enphase micro inverters, Tesla gateway, two powerwalls, and separate EV 60amp breaker box and Tesla wall charger. Spent 9k on new asphalt roof. It's saving me 2k a year but still have to pay during the winter months. This was a partner installer in Michigan that Telsa works with. I really like the combo solution this company provided. I feel like I have the best of both worlds. Tesla software is amazing and the integration with the car is really nice. Charge on Solar feature is great in the summer to fully utilize production.
I recently got a quote for a Tesla solar roof, and my decision to not do it was based on two factors: cost (200k) and the low confidence/trust in the installer. 18kW system with 3 powerwalls & Span...$200k! 😢 The installer is the only option in the area. Ended up continuing the dream without taking the next step.
Holy cow, these costs are eye watering! Paul's setup cost as much as an entire house in a whole lot of places. Your setup would be a good chunk of an entire house though.
Essentially, normal folks aren't going to be getting anything like these setups anytime soon. Ha! And that was Pauls *downsized* home? Love it!
The cost of standard solar panels (incl. installation) in North America is rediculous. For example a medium sized 10KW system *installed* in Australia costs around $10K AUD (or about 0.58c USD / watt). And that's before any government rebates. The panel markup and labor cost the installers charge in North America is extortionate.
@timblanche4153 USD580 per 1kW is very cheap. Does this price include storage batteries as well? I am in Malaysia and recently installed mine at equivalent rate of USD 786 per 1kW (no batteries - sell excess power to grid).
@@timblanche415310k aud = 6k €That's around what I payed for a 9kw system 2 years back as DIY in europe. Panel prices have dropped significant since then. Would probably be able to do the install for 1-2k€ less today.. No way in h'*ll I pay the prices announced in this video, nor for solar roof or the small battery's.
For couple of grand and you can get a used examplebig leaf battery and hook it up to the inverter, software is on github how to.
Well, Matts system is premium with batteries. You could easily cut that in half by just installing a more basic system with nearly the same kw.
Just his solar panels and batteries cost exactly as much as my single home rambler... wild.
Id like to see your channel cover residential level wind turbines. Where i live we have very consistent winds that would seem to be a good candidate for wind power
Like Paul, I needed a new roof (old asphalt one was 20 years old and losing shingles) and wanted a sturdier one (very high winds in my area), and my home also faces south (didn't want panels on the front). I like my solar roof, but it took over a year between order and installation. Since then I've had no issues with it.
I actually could have done without the powerwall since I have 1:1 net metering and can use the grid as my storage, but I guess the battery backup could come in handy (though we hardly ever have outages here). Tesla would not install the solar roof unless I also installed a powerwall.
.....my entire house cost $168k.......
I wish I could get a place at that cost here, hahaha.
What a convenient "bug" for Tesla
Never contribute to malice that which can be attributed to spaghetti code.
I like your white metal roof adding black bifacial solar panels and it looks great at a fraction of the cost of the Tesla roof.
I got a Tesla roof in 2021 and love it so far. They were a tough company to work with but the products are very good. Prices for them have gone way up since then.
Tbh I should think it would be also important to include long term cost comparisons such as the comparitive life spans of your respective battery solutions and how much they will cost to replace when that time comes. Also including the life span of your panels to his "shingles" which I would assume have a particular life span of their own and how much that will cost him compared to your replacement costs.
That would be great info, but nobody knows the real answers.
I`m not sure wth are those material prices in US.
For 155$K you build the whole damn house here in Europe.
Yes seems crazy to me.
I did a 10kwc with 10kwh battery DIY installation for less than 25k euros.
They call it ‘land of the free’ because installers are free to charge whatever they want lol
Wages are often higher in the US as well. The minimum wage is $16 an hour where I'm at in the US. He's also living in one of the most expensive areas of the country.
Really really great video! I’m thinking someday in the next 10 years about solar on the next home I buy which I’m hoping will be the forever home. This info helps with future decisions:)
We recently installed a 10kWh solar array on our house downunder to virtually manage our power bills in the long run. We also went with Enphase micro inverters and panels on a rack system. After monitoring the system output for a while, we are having a Tesla wall 2 battery installed to cover our evening and overnight power consumption. I was keen to go with readily available system components to minimise the risk of installing an orphan system that may be more effort to maintain in the future. Yes, the Tesla roof looks sharp, but I'm more of a function over fashion type of person and more interested in viewing the installation in the life-cycle of the system, cost, and maintainability. Our home is over 20 years old, and the existing roof is fine. Great video.
Friend of mine had leased solar panels for the last 20 years. The company he'd been leasing from had been bought out by Tesla, and they called and said it was time to replace the panels. Which they did. But a couple months later, his electric bills are back up over $400 because Tesla didn't rewire the new panels correctly so they weren't sending any power to the grid. Then he tried to call Tesla, but... Tesla doesn't have any customer support. He finally decided to stop making the lease payment until Tesla called to ask about it and he could explain the issue. I personally would never buy or lease anything from Tesla.
Not a word about pay back time !
you are reserving a place in heaven for the whole family 😊
Why is ‘payback time’ such a consideration in these projects, when it is never considered when purchasing a car, a household appliance, or even a holiday? ……… not to speak of the 1,000’s of gallons of gas consumed by your vehicle. 🤔. Surely motivation for the purchase is the consideration here 🤷🏻♂️!
Probably never or pretty damn close. I built my 12 kW installation with a 10 kWh battery myself at a total cost of 15k and it will still take around 8 years to ROI.
So if it takes me this long at $1.25 per watt and they paid $4 and $3.22 per watt, doing pretty much anything else with that money would've been smarter.
@@brianharries because 120k gets a lot of electricity?
@@brianharries manufacturing these product is not without an environmental impact.
I was really interested in Tesla's solar roof, but after finding out about hybrid photovoltaic-thermal panels those are my new favorite. They increase the efficiency of the PV while generating such inordinate amounts of heat energy that installers recommend only a portion of your panels be hybrids since they can overwhelm just about any use case for that heat.
Matt, another great video. I would take the path that you chose. Your brought up some very good points on the longevity and damage or fault replacement concerns. The Tesla Roof product seems too expensive in the end as the rebate programs won't last forever. Reading many of the comments below also show that the Tesla Roof product might just not be the best choice for other very good reasons. Perhaps, Elon & Team need to put some serious time on the clock at Tesla Energy to get the many issues resolved. Just a thought though....