Installing a Tesla Solar Roof

By Eric Weddle · 4 min read

Tesla Solar Roof (v3): we installed one and here is how it went

Weddle & Sons Inc. is the first roofing company certified to install Tesla Solar Roof in the Midwest. In February 2020 we traveled to Tesla's headquarters in California and spent a week in training. Before we began installing a brand new product on anyone's home, we decided to start in our own backyard and did the first install on Allyn Weddle's home, our president.

"It was awesome to get to work all together. Our team does amazing work and this project was no different. I'm excited to see how Solar Roof can be used on other homes and how it performs on mine first. I wanted to make sure this lives up to the hype. When I recommend a product to someone, it's typically because I've used it on my own home. I definitely wanted to continue that trend."

— Allyn Weddle, President, Weddle & Sons, Inc.

Solar Roof is unique among solar options on the market. It is made of tempered glass, with the solar active tiles carrying built in photovoltaic cells. It incorporates the solar components into a sleek, well designed tile that replaces your current roof.

First and foremost, it is tough. During the installation we spent many hours walking, kneeling, and sometimes crawling all over the tiles. In the entire installation process we only broke three tiles, and even then it was because someone, who shall not be named, dropped a hammer.

How durable is Solar Roof?

Solar Roof is impact resistant to hail, which is enormously important in the Midwest. It carries a 130 mph wind rating and the best fire resistance rating on the market.

Installing a Solar Roof and a traditional roof have a few things in common. A few.

Mostly, the process is incredibly unique. First, brackets are installed onto the roof deck, carefully measured and nailed down. Then the tiles are snapped in place on top of the brackets. The panels are wired to each other and eventually tied into the home's electrical system. Since each roof is evaluated before installation, Solar Roof is delivered with the exact number of tiles needed, both solar active and inactive.

Not every tile is solar capable. Why?

1. The more solar active tiles you have, the more energy you can produce, but the solar active tiles are more expensive to make.
2. Solar active tiles do not interact well with metal. Some tiles placed right next to the valleys, which are all metal on Solar Roof, needed to be inactive tiles for the electrical system to work properly.

Our thoughts on Solar Roof

We are excited about this product. It looks phenomenal on any roof. There are definite limitations though. Not every roof is a good candidate because of roof complexity and sun exposure. It is important to keep those factors in mind. A simple roof line in direct sunlight most of the day is ideal.

Time is also a factor. A traditional roof in many cases takes one or two days to replace. A solar roof, because of the complexity of the installation process, can take four to six days depending on the roof.

All in all, Solar Roof is a great option for many homeowners looking to gain energy independence. The technology has come a long way and we are glad to be on the front line of installations and able to offer this product across the Midwest.

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