Last week Friday, Elon Musk unveiled the third version of Tesla‘s Solar Glass Roof. According to the CEO, the new iteration should be cheaper, easier, and faster to install than its predecessor.
Musk had always expressed a belief that the solar roof, along with its giant battery, Powerwall, could help attain clean energy goals faster. However, three years after the first launch, Tesla still struggled with the product.
The first version suffered from issues that range from delayed launch to getting relatively few installations. The second iteration of the solar glass roof was no better.
According to Musk, it was so expensive to produce and install that the company was “basically trying not to lose money.” Furthermore, the process was very complicated and time-consuming.
As a result, Tesla was only able to install about 29 megawatts of solar power in the second quarter of 2019, rather than the quarterly high of 200.
Well, Tesla says that it has fixed these issues in the new version of its solar roof.
Tesla’s New Easy-To-Install Solar Glass Roof
Tesla’s latest version of the roof features larger tiles, new materials, as well as a higher power density. Also, the design is more straightforward and has more attractive aesthetics.
As a bonus, Tesla is adding a 25 years warranty, which includes power generation capability, and protective weatherization, to the tiles and roof installation.
The company intends to first release a black glass tile version of the roof. Then, new variants, including a clay roof-like version, should follow in the coming months.
At the moment, Tesla is installing the solar glass roof “as fast as possible,” and Musk hopes to install over 1,000 roofs per week in the coming months. Eventually, the certified independent installers should be able to sell and install the product themselves.
Also, the Tesla CEO predicted that its third version of the roof was suitable for 100 million houses across the world. He noted that the product was an obvious choice for anyone looking to install a new roof.
Musk explained:
“The solar glass roof is not going to make financial sense for somebody who has a relatively new roof, because this is itself a roof, that has integrated solar power generation.”
The new solar glass roof is already available for pre-order.
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