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For the past few years, the call to live a more sustainable lifestyle seem to grow louder and louder.
One concern that has been repeatedly mentioned is the matter of energy, more specifically, electricity.
Until today, there are countries wherein electricity is limited and even not present. To help alleviate this problem, people and companies strive to work hand-in-hand by looking for ways to make electricity accessible to each and every person.
One solution that helped lessen the use of available electricity is the solar panel.
Bulky and somehow costly, solar panels have the capability to harness the energy coming from the sun and produce electricity that can power up cars and common appliances found in a typical household. Most, if not all, solar panels can be seen installed on top of a household’s roof.
But what if these solar panels can be more than just bulky panels that disrupt a household’s appearance?
A well-known company whose reputation is based on its innovative ideas and products pushed away from the bulky appearance of the solar panel and integrated the technology behind it in a single roof shingle.
Last 2016, Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla, introduced the concept of a solar roof—no, not a roof that has solar array attached to it, but a roof that is capable in harnessing the sun’s energy and transforming it into electricity that can power up your home.
From a bulky panel into a roof shingle, Tesla’s solar shingle is made out of fiberglass that can withstand hail, wind, and fire and comes with a generous 30-year warranty. It also comes in 4 different styles, so buyers can have the option to choose which design would suit their house more.
A roof that can protect and power up a home? It’s a big win-win for everyone. There’s no wonder why the moment Musk introduced this idea, thousands put their name down on the list with no second to spare.
One of the main reasons why a homeowner would choose to invest in solar panels is so that it can help cut down the electricity bill. So can you just imagine how much it would help if your whole roof is made out of that solar array?
But before you put down your name on the waitlist, it’s probably best to think if it is already the right time to invest in one now. And one of the best ways to know is by asking people who have already placed their bet on the product.
One investor shared that it took a year for Tesla to come back to him after he listed down his name during the product’s release. It took another year for Tesla to accommodate him as well after he paid a down of $1,000. And after everything else, it took two weeks for Tesla to properly have the right specifications needed to re-roof and had at least 20 men working on the installation.
Reviews after reviews also show how time-consuming and costly Tesla’s solar roof is, and to add to the fact that it is fairly new technology, people whose roofings are made out of it often note how unreliable it is at times.
If you think the waiting game and the cost are things you can easily bear, perhaps you should start thinking about how you can maintain the quality of the roof.
Since the solar roof’s shingles are integrated with technology that isn’t as well-known to everyone, it would be difficult to hire a contractor who can do simple maintenance or address minor problems that you might face in the long run.
You can argue that Tesla’s warranty can take care of it, but are you really willing to wait for them to get back to you again?
If you’ve got money to spare, we won’t stop you from reserving a spot on the list. But if you’ve got no time to waste and expecting a quick ROI, then it’s best to sit this one out for the meantime.
Although ahead of its time, Tesla’s Solar Roof is indeed an innovative product that promotes the sustainable lifestyle people strive to have, but the fact that it is the first of its kind makes it more costly and less available.
However, it being already out there gives hope that this particular kind of future is actually possible, and hopefully, in a few years’ time, be more accessible to homeowners. We won’t be surprised to hear if companies and industries are already looking at Tesla’s product as a prototype, a jumping point, that can be improved on.
Hopefully, when the time finally comes, more and more people can easily take part in creating a more sustainable planet by installing reliable and less costly solar roofings that can be easily maintained by typical roofing industries.
But for the meantime, why not look at other alternatives to sustainable roofing?
Roofing Journey has a list of qualified roofing experts who can help you find the right type of sustainable roofing for your home. All you have to do is simply click here or email us at [hello@roofingjourney.com] to take your pick!
