The beauty of solar power is this -- you get a whole lot of it without having to do much. After all, the earth does rotate around the sun and for most of us out there, we would get a good amount of sun each day. Having solar panels to harness the power of the sun is always a good idea, and it is also promising to know that as each day passes by, solar harvesting techniques and technology continues to improve in order to increase the efficiency level. Tesla has opened up pre-orders for its solar roof, which would mark yet another positive direction in the eco-friendly company’s relatively short history. First revealed to the masses in October last year, Tesla showcased a new project that it had been working at for some time, the idea of solar roof tiles. These solar roof tiles will be different from the usual solar panels that adorn the roof: rather, they would replace your roof instead. Assuming everything goes according to what Tesla has imagined, it would resemble a regular roof, albeit with that extra bit of shine. The big question for Tesla’s solar roof? Just how much will it burn a hole in your pocket exactly, and what is the Return On Investment rate?

Tesla has not managed to provide an accurate picture on that, although they have furnished the public with general estimates as well as comparison numbers. No concrete figure has been put forth as of yet, since the energy needs of various homes fluctuate, due to the different kinds of structures and roofs, as well as different challenges available with the presence of chimneys, trees, and other topographical elements to take into consideration. Throw in the fact that each state has its own tax breaks, and you have got quite the complicated situation here.

We are glad to report that Tesla has opened up pre-orders for its solar roof already, asking for a $1,000 deposit which is fully refundable should you decide that a solar roof is not your thing before putting your John Hancock on the final contract. After all, we are not talking about just a few hundred dollars here, but potentially tens of thousands even. If the consumer has no idea on what the final cost will be, how can they agree to it -- unless they have extremely deep pockets, that is? If you are still interested in making sure that your home will be able to ride on the Solar Roof bandwagon from Tesla, why not check out an estimate of how much it will cost by entering your address. Again, do take note that this is but a customized estimate, and is not the exact and final amount.

According to Tesla CEO Elon Musk, after a pre-order has been placed, you would be part of a queue. As your number gets nearer and nearer to being called, an engineer will then check out your pad to see what are the exact needs such as total tile square footage required. There will be bits and pieces of your roof which will be regular tiles, and these will be mixed up with solar tiles, based on spots where there is sunlight. This will help maximize the efficiency level of the solar roof, while bringing the cost down for the consumer.