Energy
Tesla’s solar roof cost calculator validated by Consumer Reports
Consumer Reports has double-checked Tesla’s math behind its solar roof tile calculator and confirmed that estimates provided by the company are accurate. The consumer ratings agency notes that pricing varies depending on where the individual lives, as geography dictates available sunshine and utility rates which ultimately determines if the innovative solar roof tiles makes sense as a purchase.
Tesla’s new solar roof tiles are warrantied for 30 years against weather and ensures that the new roof doesn’t leak after installation. The roof tiles themselves are physically warrantied forever or as long as the home lasts, “whichever comes first” per Tesla.
It’s important to note that conventional solar panels will almost always come in at a lower total installed cost, a faster “breakeven point” and ultimately generate more value for the homeowner over their useful life than a home with a Tesla Solar Roof. On the other hand, the new roof tiles do come with a very impressive warranty that adds value beyond just their solar energy production value.
Consumer Reports starts off with a huge admission that it did not factor in any solar incentives or rebates in their calculations. In the US, this is a 30% rebate at the federal level alone and represents an inexcusable omission in their calculations. With Tesla’s numbers coming in below the target price of $24.50 per square foot without the rebates, it is clear that the new solar roof tiles met the financial requirements of Consumer Reports.
To see what the payouts look like in a few areas in the U.S., Consumer Reports pulled the numbers from Tesla’s website to see if the new solar roof tiles would be a good investment in three very different area: New York, Texas and California.
The value of Tesla’s Solar Roof ultimately hinges on the amount of energy the solar roof tiles will generate. Sunny California tops the list as the state that will provide the most return for a solar roof investment, while Texas rounds out a close second. New Yorkers looking to purchase a solar roof will see the least value purely because of its northern location which receives less face time with the sun. This dictates the volume of energy the tiles can create, and thus how much money it can save a homeowner.
The other contributing factor to the equation is the price of electricity in the area. If the price of electricity is high, the value of the energy produced by the tiles is effectively worth more. In New York state, the average price of electricity is above the national average of 12 cents per kilowatt hour, coming in at 17.5 cents per kilowatt hour. Texas is at the opposite end of the spectrum at 11.41 cents per kilowatt hour and represents a less lucrative home for a solar system while California takes first place with the highest price at 18.68 cents per kilowatt hour (per EIA data from Feb 2017).
After running the numbers through Tesla’s Solar Roof calculator which you can do for yourself, Consumer Reports found that the installation in New York would payout and save the homeowner money over 30 years, largely due to the high price of electricity in the area. Consumer Reports also noted an additional state incentive to install solar in New York that would potentially slash another $5,000 off of the total purchase price.
Installing the solar roof tiles on a home in Texas would not payout due to the lower cost of electricity in the area. Finally, the home in California was a shoe in with high electricity cost and abundant sunshine.
The Consumer Reports analysis highlights that Tesla’s Solar Roof already makes sense in many areas of the nation. Even if the tiles don’t make sense on your home, it is worth checking to see if a traditional solar panel system could save you money as they are much easier to install and generally have better payouts. You can easily check to see if solar makes sense in your area by getting a solar cost estimate.
Energy
Tesla launches Cybertruck vehicle-to-grid program in Texas
The initiative was announced by the official Tesla Energy account on social media platform X.
Tesla has launched a vehicle-to-grid (V2G) program in Texas, allowing eligible Cybertruck owners to send energy back to the grid during high-demand events and receive compensation on their utility bills.
The initiative, dubbed Powershare Grid Support, was announced by the official Tesla Energy account on social media platform X.
Texas’ Cybertruck V2G program
In its post on X, Tesla Energy confirmed that vehicle-to-grid functionality is “coming soon,” starting with select Texas markets. Under the new Powershare Grid Support program, owners of the Cybertruck equipped with Powershare home backup hardware can opt in through the Tesla app and participate in short-notice grid stress events.
During these events, the Cybertruck automatically discharges excess energy back to the grid, supporting local utilities such as CenterPoint Energy and Oncor. In return, participants receive compensation in the form of bill credits. Tesla noted that the program is currently invitation-only as part of an early adopter rollout.
The launch builds on the Cybertruck’s existing Powershare capability, which allows the vehicle to provide up to 11.5 kW of power for home backup. Tesla added that the program is expected to expand to California next, with eligibility tied to utilities such as PG&E, SCE, and SDG&E.
Powershare Grid Support
To participate in Texas, Cybertruck owners must live in areas served by CenterPoint Energy or Oncor, have Powershare equipment installed, enroll in the Tesla Electric Drive plan, and opt in through the Tesla app. Once enrolled, vehicles would be able to contribute power during high-demand events, helping stabilize the grid.
Tesla noted that events may occur with little notice, so participants are encouraged to keep their Cybertrucks plugged in when at home and to manage their discharge limits based on personal needs. Compensation varies depending on the electricity plan, similar to how Powerwall owners in some regions have earned substantial credits by participating in Virtual Power Plant (VPP) programs.
Tesla is updating Cybertruck owners on its timeline of a massive feature that has yet to ship: Powershare with Powerwall.
Powershare is a bidirectional charging feature exclusive to Cybertruck, which allows the vehicle’s battery to act as a portable power source for homes, appliances, tools, other EVs, and more. It was announced in late 2023 as part of Tesla’s push into vehicle-to-everything energy sharing, and acting as a giant portable charger is the main advantage, as it can provide backup power during outages.
Cybertruck’s Powershare system supports both vehicle-to-load (V2L) and vehicle-to-home (V2H), making it flexible and well-rounded for a variety of applications.
However, even though the feature was promised with Cybertruck, it has yet to be shipped to vehicles. Tesla communicated with owners through email recently regarding Powershare with Powerwall, which essentially has the pickup act as an extended battery.
Powerwall discharge would be prioritized before tapping into the truck’s larger pack.
However, Tesla is still working on getting the feature out to owners, an email said:
“We’re writing to let you know that the Powershare with Powerwall feature is still in development and is now scheduled for release in mid-2026.
This new release date gives us additional time to design and test this feature, ensuring its ability to communicate and optimize energy sharing between your vehicle and many configurations and generations of Powerwall. We are also using this time to develop additional Powershare features that will help us continue to accelerate the world’s transition to sustainable energy.”
Owners have expressed some real disappointment in Tesla’s continuous delays in releasing the feature, as it was expected to be released by late 2024, but now has been pushed back several times to mid-2026, according to the email.
Foundation Series Cybertruck buyers paid extra, expecting the feature to be rolled out with their vehicle upon pickup.
Cybertruck’s Lead Engineer, Wes Morrill, even commented on the holdup:
As a Cybertruck owner who also has Powerwall, I empathize with the disappointed comments.
To their credit, the team has delivered powershare functionality to Cybertruck customers who otherwise have no backup with development of the powershare gateway. As well as those with solar…
— Wes (@wmorrill3) December 12, 2025
He said that “it turned out to be much harder than anticipated to make powershare work seamlessly with existing Powerwalls through existing wall connectors. Two grid-forming devices need to negotiate who will form and who will follow, depending on the state of charge of each, and they need to do this without a network and through multiple generations of hardware, and test and validate this process through rigorous certifications to ensure grid safety.”
It’s nice to see the transparency, but it is justified for some Cybertruck owners to feel like they’ve been bait-and-switched.
Energy
Tesla starts hiring efforts for Texas Megafactory
Tesla’s Brookshire site is expected to produce 10,000 Megapacks annually, equal to 40 gigawatt hours of energy storage.
Tesla has officially begun hiring for its new $200 million Megafactory in Brookshire, Texas, a manufacturing hub expected to employ 1,500 people by 2028. The facility, which will build Tesla’s grid-scale Megapack batteries, is part of the company’s growing energy storage footprint.
Tesla’s hiring efforts for the Texas Megafactory are hinted at by the job openings currently active on the company’s Careers website.
Tesla’s Texas Megafactory
Tesla’s Brookshire site is expected to produce 10,000 Megapacks annually, equal to 40 gigawatt hours of energy storage, similar to the Lathrop Megafactory in California. Tesla’s Careers website currently lists over 30 job openings for the site, from engineers, welders, and project managers. Each of the openings is listed for Brookshire, Texas.
The company has leased two buildings in Empire West Business Park, with over $194 million in combined property and equipment investment. Tesla’s agreement with Waller County includes a 60% property tax abatement, contingent on meeting employment benchmarks: 375 jobs by 2026, 750 by 2027, and 1,500 by 2028, as noted in a report from the Houston Business Journal. Tesla is required to employ at least 1,500 workers in the facility through the rest of the 10-year abatement period.
Tesla’s clean energy boom
City officials have stated that Tesla’s arrival marks a turning point for the Texas city, as it highlights a shift from logistics to advanced clean energy manufacturing. Ramiro Bautista from Brookshire’s economic development office, highlighted this in a comment to the Journal.
“(Tesla) has great-paying jobs. Not just that, but the advanced manufacturing (and) clean energy is coming to the area,” he said. “So it’s not just your normal logistics manufacturing. This is advanced manufacturing coming to this area, and this brings a different type of job and investment into the local economy.”
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