An interesting new timelapse video of a Tesla Solar Roof installation in just 4 days has been released, but there are some caveats.
We have recently been reporting on the difficult rollout of Tesla’s solar roof tiles as the company is still trying to accelerate the installation process and figuring out the details of the new product.
Last week, we posted a report on a disastrous Tesla solar roof installation in Florida that has been going on for 2 months with no end in sight.
Now we can report on a more positive installation that has been completed in just 4 days near Topeka, Kansas.
However, the new installation was done by a third-party, Weddle and Sons Roofing, not Tesla, and they didn’t count the roof removal and underlay installation in the 4-day process:
Nonetheless, this is an impressive installation time and maybe Tesla could learn from this third-party installer.
As we recently reported, Tesla has started to partner with other roofing companies to install solar roof tiles and now they started delivering the tiles to those companies for projects like these.
They wrote in the description of the new timelapse video of the installation:
“Weddle and Sons Roofing just completed a 40 square (4000 square foot) 15kW Tesla Solar Roof installation near Topeka, Kansas. This time lapse covers 4 days of installing the PV tiles, glass tiles, and flashings. Tear-off of the existing roof and dry-in with double-layer Firestone underlayment took place the Friday before this time lapse starts.”
They noted the use of the double-layer Firestone underlayment.
In the horrible installation in Florida that resulted in leaks and having to redo the whole roof, Tesla decided to use a new underlayment that they later determined to be the cause of the problem.
In that case, Tesla was in charge of the installation itself with subcontractors only being in charge of the roof removal.
Since reporting on that project, several Tesla solar roof customers have reached out to Electrek to report lack of communications from the solar team and installation times 2 to 3 times longer than what Tesla is estimating.
Electrek’s Take
As I previously noted, solar roof tiles really seem to still be in beta and being tested by paying customers.
While the finished product is superb, you need to be willing to go through some issues if you want to move forward with an installation right now.
However, it looks like some existing roofing companies, who have more experience than Tesla with roofs, might have already figured it out.
Congrats to Weddle and Sons Roofing.
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