Since the introduction of the first version of Tesla solar shingles in 2016 we’ve seen a lot of talk, but not much action unfortunately. Homeowners in Canada have been inquiring about this product for some time now and have even been able to make reservations on the official website www.tesla.com, but still, there are not very many installations happening, even down in the US.
In one of the previous articles we discussed a few challenges that Tesla is faced during this work-in-progress. At the last month’s press conference Elon Musk indeed confirmed that “with versions 1 and 2 Tesla was still figuring things out”, and “version 3 is finally ready for the big time”. Turns out to be that Tesla has installed solar shingles in eight states already and plans to “get to 1,000 roofs per week”, said Elon Musk.
We are still very anxious to see, test and install this revolutionary product in Canada, but for now have to stick to the proven solar PV technology and therefore offer conventional solar panels.
Cost of Tesla Solar Shingles in Canada
We believe that Tesla solar shingles will be more expensive than a new roof combined with regular solar panels. Just like Tesla electric vehicles on the roads, Tesla roof is considered a luxury product with a premium added to it for its exclusivity, aesthetics, and one-of-kind design.
Regular asphalt shingles still remain the most versatile, affordable, and easy to install roofing material in Canada with an average price of $4.5 CAD/sq. f. Depending on the type of equipment used, a typical 6.5kWp Net-Metering solar panels system may cost you around $17.000 CAD. If you were to replace 1,000 sq.f. of shingles PLUS install solar, you would be looking at a min $21,500.00 CAD investment. At the same time, if Tesla sells its product as advertised at 21.85 US/sq.f. ($28.50 CAD/sq.f.), the total would come up to $28,500.00 CAD, which is 30% more expensive. Is it worth the premium? Let’s wait and see…
