An energy leader raises the bar,
by lowering the costs.

Climate-prof your energy costs with Tesla's solar roofThe price of solar energy has dropped 58% globally in the last five years (and is expected to dip 40 to 70 percent more by 2040) so perhaps it’s no surprise Tesla’s upcoming solar shingles are reportedly cheaper than a normal roof. The odds you can climate-proof your energy costs just improved a lot.

The 2017 average gross cost of installing 5kW of normal solar panels to energize your home will range from $10,045 to $13,475 after tax credits, depending on equipment, permits and labor, and the characteristics of your home. Given that you can save probably quadruple this amount on your energy bills over 20 years (particularly if you’ll be using more air conditioning as America warms), this climate-proof investment in solar energy is already worth it.

But can Tesla’s new solar shingles take these energy cost savings a step further?

Tesla recently announced pricing for its photovoltaic tiles, and they come in at only $21.85 per square foot, nearly 20% cheaper than a standard roof (once energy savings and tax credits are taken into consideration). It was predicted in November that the solar shingles would need to drop below $24.50 per square foot in order to compete with standard roofing materials. Not only do Tesla shingles beat this price, they come with an infinite warranty, are suggested to be stronger than a traditional roof (which is excellent for climate change-related extreme weather events such as hurricanes and high winds), and will increase the value of your home.

If you’d like to climate-proof your energy costs by making the switch to a solar power supply, maybe you should hold off investing in a home or shared solar installation until Tesla’s solar shingles hit the market. You’ll be seeing these solar roofs pop up in early 2018.