Author Topic: EEVblog #938 - Tesla Solar Roofs - Are They Viable?  (Read 55324 times)

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Offline coppice

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Re: EEVblog #938 - Tesla Solar Roofs - Are They Viable?
« Reply #100 on: November 18, 2016, 02:43:14 pm »
Yeah, he has GOT to be comparing this to tile/slate roofs.  There is no way this statement is true for asphalt shingles.
He was showing tiled roofs. On the other hand he was showing fake homes in a Universal Studios movie set. I don't know how much a movie set roof costs. :)
 

Offline Fungus

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Re: EEVblog #938 - Tesla Solar Roofs - Are They Viable?
« Reply #101 on: November 18, 2016, 02:44:44 pm »
Yeah, he has GOT to be comparing this to tile/slate roofs.  There is no way this statement is true for asphalt shingles.

I guess it doesn't matter. So long as it's cheaper than some types of roof that some people are installing then he's got a sales pitch.
 
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Online Marco

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Re: EEVblog #938 - Tesla Solar Roofs - Are They Viable?
« Reply #102 on: January 01, 2017, 09:22:32 pm »
I don't think you can make the glass for the tile even as cheap as an entire traditional tile.

Unless they use induction connecting everything electrically will make installation take a hell of a lot longer too.
 

Offline coppice

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Re: EEVblog #938 - Tesla Solar Roofs - Are They Viable?
« Reply #103 on: May 12, 2017, 07:41:00 am »
Tesla appears to have put their solar roof system on sale. There is no new technical information, beyond the original vague presentation, as far as I have seen. They have talked prices, but again in a pretty vague way. They are taking $1000 deposits, though.

Telsa say regulations prevent more than 50% of the roof being solar. Does anyone know what those regulations might be, or their rationale?
 

Offline djos

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Re: EEVblog #938 - Tesla Solar Roofs - Are They Viable?
« Reply #104 on: May 12, 2017, 07:59:53 am »
We are certainly getting to the pointy end of this saga!  :popcorn: It'll be interesting to see what the efficiencies are like and how it actually hangs together.

Personally I'd rather have solar tiles than Solar panels - my roof is only good for a few more years as the concrete tiles are not in the best shape. I'd either go solar tiles or Colourbond Steel with panels but would prefer the terracotta tiles when available (current tiles are orange too).

Offline thm_w

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Re: EEVblog #938 - Tesla Solar Roofs - Are They Viable?
« Reply #105 on: May 12, 2017, 07:25:40 pm »
Tesla appears to have put their solar roof system on sale. There is no new technical information, beyond the original vague presentation, as far as I have seen. They have talked prices, but again in a pretty vague way. They are taking $1000 deposits, though.

Telsa say regulations prevent more than 50% of the roof being solar. Does anyone know what those regulations might be, or their rationale?

I found this: "Residential Systems—Single and Two-Unit Residential Dwellings: Plan review is required if a system is to be installed that will occupy more than 50% of the roof area of a residential building."
http://osfm.fire.ca.gov/pdf/reports/solarphotovoltaicguideline.pdf

I can see some reasoning, you need to be able to access the roof and if the whole thing is covered with panels you can't walk on that would be difficult. But, of course these are more tiles than traditional panels, so its probably straddling some weird mix of regulations.
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Offline james_s

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Re: EEVblog #938 - Tesla Solar Roofs - Are They Viable?
« Reply #106 on: May 12, 2017, 07:31:16 pm »
Well it certainly seems more viable than a solar roadway at least.

I didn't watch the video so I don't know how much the cost will be but from what I have seen it looks nice, a lot nicer than conventional panels mounted on a roof. Also if you need a new roof anyway it seems like this might make sense, it's a nice looking and durable roof that also happens to generate electricity.
 

Offline james_s

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Re: EEVblog #938 - Tesla Solar Roofs - Are They Viable?
« Reply #107 on: May 12, 2017, 07:33:53 pm »
From a home owners perspective:
Will I get a replacement shingle in 20 years?
Good traditional shingles have a lifetime up to 80 years here.

Wow, 80 years? One is lucky to get 25 years out of a roof out here, even one claimed to be a "50 year" roof and well maintained. Tree leaves/needles cover it and keep it moist, moss gross and the roots deteriorate the roof. Snow/rain/ice, freeze/thaw cycles, it all ends up being really brutal.
 

Offline tronde

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Offline james_s

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Re: EEVblog #938 - Tesla Solar Roofs - Are They Viable?
« Reply #109 on: May 13, 2017, 07:35:14 pm »
... moss gross and the roots deteriorate the roof.
Copper or zink will get rid of the moss problem. Even a rather thin bare copper wire is sufficient.

http://structuretech1.com/zinc-strips-prevent-moss-growth-on-roofs/
http://www.sigroofing.co.uk/why-copper-wire-is-the-solution-for-a-moss-free-roof/

It helps, but even with the zinc strips I still have to get up there and pick the moss off some areas. I spread moss killer on it occasionally too, moss is tough stuff though, there's a lot of hardy native moss around here.
 

Offline coppice

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Offline Koen

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Re: EEVblog #938 - Tesla Solar Roofs - Are They Viable?
« Reply #111 on: August 14, 2018, 12:52:07 pm »
According to nearly a dozen sources familiar with the factory wooden crates, including one who recently left the company, mildly.
 

Offline b_force

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Re: EEVblog #938 - Tesla Solar Roofs - Are They Viable?
« Reply #112 on: August 15, 2018, 12:52:39 pm »
From a home owners perspective:
Will I get a replacement shingle in 20 years?
Good traditional shingles have a lifetime up to 80 years here.

What type of shingles are "traditional" in your area?

Here, the standard is asphalt shingles that are labeled as "30 year", but you'd be lucky to get 20 out of them.  You can buy premium "40 year" shingles.  I have never heard of 80 years, so you must be talking about some kind of slate tile shingle or something like that?

At any rate, other than physical damage from micrometeorites or a stray fly ball from a neighbor's baseball game, the durability of these shingles is something I wold expect to far EXCEED the standard shingles installed in my area.
Well, in Europe, houses usually built with ceramic roof tiles, bricks and they last lifetime.

You are supposed to order some excess, so it can be repaired.
A lifetime?
Let's make it many generations  8)

Offline Fungus

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Re: EEVblog #938 - Tesla Solar Roofs - Are They Viable?
« Reply #113 on: August 15, 2018, 05:29:51 pm »
Well, in Europe, houses usually built with ceramic roof tiles, bricks and they last lifetime.

I've been in ordinary-person European houses that were built in the 15th century.

(and in quite a few pubs from the 16th/17th century)

I bet there's houses older than that if you look hard enough.
« Last Edit: August 15, 2018, 05:31:58 pm by Fungus »
 

Offline CatalinaWOW

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Re: EEVblog #938 - Tesla Solar Roofs - Are They Viable?
« Reply #114 on: August 15, 2018, 06:37:31 pm »
Well, in Europe, houses usually built with ceramic roof tiles, bricks and they last lifetime.

I've been in ordinary-person European houses that were built in the 15th century.

(and in quite a few pubs from the 16th/17th century)

I bet there's houses older than that if you look hard enough.

And I'll bet you find that they have all had numerous repairs over the years.  In addition to the modifications to bring them into usability by modern standards.   Things like heat, plumbing and electricity.  At least here in the new world where there is a significant stock of 300 year old houses and buildings that is the case.  Those repair jobs include such things as taking chimneys apart and re-setting the stones.

 

Online nctnico

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Re: EEVblog #938 - Tesla Solar Roofs - Are They Viable?
« Reply #115 on: August 15, 2018, 07:24:03 pm »
15th century homes are a bit over the top but there are many older building with ceramic roof tiles which are over a century old. Over here concrete roof tiles came into use since around 1910 and these don't need mass replacement even after 50 years. Needing to redo a roof with ceramic or concrete tiles is unheard of in the NL.
There are small lies, big lies and then there is what is on the screen of your oscilloscope.
 

Offline james_s

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Re: EEVblog #938 - Tesla Solar Roofs - Are They Viable?
« Reply #116 on: August 15, 2018, 09:08:45 pm »
In some parts of the US, ceramic and tile roofs are common, but out here cedar shakes are the traditional material with asphalt composite shingles becoming a lot more common. The house across the street from me actually has a tile roof but that's very unusual here, I think the much higher cost puts a lot of people off, even if it does last longer people are notoriously short sighted. That and with all the trees it's not uncommon for a tree to fall or drop a heavy branch that would cause considerable damage to brittle tiles. That may be why they're less common. The places that do have a lot of roofs tend to be the more desert-like regions where >100' tall evergreen trees are not everywhere.
 

Offline Fungus

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Re: EEVblog #938 - Tesla Solar Roofs - Are They Viable?
« Reply #117 on: August 15, 2018, 11:59:52 pm »
15th century homes are a bit over the top but there are many older building with ceramic roof tiles which are over a century old. Over here concrete roof tiles came into use since around 1910 and these don't need mass replacement even after 50 years.

A good slate roof can last a lot longer than that.

 

Offline coppice

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Re: EEVblog #938 - Tesla Solar Roofs - Are They Viable?
« Reply #118 on: August 16, 2018, 02:03:45 am »
15th century homes are a bit over the top but there are many older building with ceramic roof tiles which are over a century old. Over here concrete roof tiles came into use since around 1910 and these don't need mass replacement even after 50 years.
A good slate roof can last a lot longer than that.
A good slate roof can last a long time, but most sources of good slate have been exhausted. Much of what is available now starts to delaminate after 20 or 30 years as a roof tile.
 

Offline EEVblogTopic starter

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Re: EEVblog #938 - Tesla Solar Roofs - Are They Viable?
« Reply #119 on: August 16, 2018, 04:57:25 am »
15th century homes are a bit over the top but there are many older building with ceramic roof tiles which are over a century old. Over here concrete roof tiles came into use since around 1910 and these don't need mass replacement even after 50 years.
A good slate roof can last a lot longer than that.
A good slate roof can last a long time, but most sources of good slate have been exhausted. Much of what is available now starts to delaminate after 20 or 30 years as a roof tile.

My terracotta roof tiles have lasted 30 years and are still fantastic. And I'm still able to buy the same original matching tiles now.
If you can buy those Tesla tiles in 30 years time I'll eat my hat.
 

Offline CatalinaWOW

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Re: EEVblog #938 - Tesla Solar Roofs - Are They Viable?
« Reply #120 on: August 16, 2018, 03:46:18 pm »
Terra Cotta tiles are virtually permanent in the southern tier of the US.  In my current location they last less than five years.  A wet climate with regular freeze/thaw cycles turns the to powder rapidly.  In Colorado, where I grew up the drier climate allows them to last until the next hail storm with golf ball or larger size hail.  Mean is about thirty years, but it is just three luck of the draw.  The lifetime of all roofing materials is heavily dependent on the match to local conditions.
 

Offline rrinker

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Re: EEVblog #938 - Tesla Solar Roofs - Are They Viable?
« Reply #121 on: August 16, 2018, 06:27:40 pm »
 Interesting, my Uncle had terracotta tiles on his house in New Jersey, which would definitely subject them to frequent freeze/thaw cycles - North Jersey, not near the ocean or down in South Jersey. No idea how long they were on the house before he bought it in the 70's, but he never had his roof replaces and they sold the house int he late 90's. House was built in the 1920's.
 
 

Offline SeanB

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Re: EEVblog #938 - Tesla Solar Roofs - Are They Viable?
« Reply #122 on: August 16, 2018, 07:10:55 pm »
Yes, depends on the tile and how it is fired, and the clay base used for it. Fire for a long time, and then glaze it, and it will last virtually forever, or till it is hit by large hail. Make it cheap and cut the firing time down and it will be softer, slightly more hail resistant but will turn back to clay with time and rain. However here there is almost universal tile roofs along with having some of the heaviest hail around in the high country, and there you might have a tile every few years to change, at $1 per tile if you are unlucky, and have the discontinued types that are sold as demolition recoveries. Otherwise you have a choice of ceramic, brick, concrete and even composite.

There are also a lot of houses with steel corrugated roofs, and they vary in age from brand new, made from the thinnest steel you can think of ( thinner than a regular spray can for the cheapest ones) to 3 century old ones, made from 1/16inch hot zinc dipped corrugated steel, still in service on listed monuments. Slate is rare, and wooden shingles even more so, as the insurers like them even less than they do thatch, which is common enough, though most of them are getting corrugated outer layers, to reduce insurance rates from stray embers.

Common to have a thatch roof in rural areas, as it is both low cost, as literally you get the entire roof structure locally grown, aside from steel strapping, steel wire for binding and nails, and the number of people who can lay them, and maintain them, is quite large.
 

Offline james_s

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Re: EEVblog #938 - Tesla Solar Roofs - Are They Viable?
« Reply #123 on: August 16, 2018, 07:27:19 pm »
Wow, thatch, that certainly isn't something you see in these parts. Maybe 150 years ago.
 
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Offline SeanB

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Re: EEVblog #938 - Tesla Solar Roofs - Are They Viable?
« Reply #124 on: August 16, 2018, 07:42:53 pm »
Wow, thatch, that certainly isn't something you see in these parts. Maybe 150 years ago.

Pretty good material though, just have to do the modification that Benjamin Franklin discovered, and put in a good lightning earth on it.

but then i still remember watching CNN during Gulf War 1, and them popping to a US segment of a California wildfire, with the usual vista of lots of empty burnt out lots, sporting burnt out cars, piles of bricks that were chimneys, and in the middle of it a single house standing proud and white walled. Cut to the talking head speaking to the owner, an immigrant to the US of A from Korea, and an engineer. They ask him why his house is still there, when all around are mere heaps, and he explained " I though everbody know wood BURN", as his house was built from brick, had a tile roof and protected eaves, so the fire risk to it was minimal. He also had trimmed his yard, to keep flammable brush clear of the house.
 


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