A homeowner from New Jersey who had the Tesla Solar Roof installed in his residence recently shared some insights about the integrated solar shingles’ resilience against heavy snowfall. Based on the Tesla owner’s experience, it appears that the Solar Roof handles large amounts of snow fairly well.
Tesla owner Tomas Nochta decided to check out how his recently-installed Solar Roof performs during a snowstorm. Nochta took several videos and pictures over the night while the snowstorm was ongoing, allowing him to get a good idea of how the Solar Roof tiles, which are made of tempered glass, would respond to the buildup of snow.
The Solar Roof installation proved quite resilient. Granted, a notable part of this is due to the steep pitch of the Tesla owner’s home and the fact that the snow itself was powdery. Nevertheless, the Solar Roof’s tempered glass design made it quite difficult for snow to build up. At several points in the video, large amounts of snow could be seen sliding down the roof.
Thanks in part to the Solar Roof’s slippery tempered glass surface, the Tesla owner’s home was partially free of snow by the time the snowstorm ended. This should allow the Solar Roof tiles to immediately gather energy as soon as sunlight was available. It also made it quite easier for the homeowner to clear out the remaining parts of the roof that were still covered by snow during the night.
Overall, the Tesla owner noted that his Solar Roof installation performed admirably during the snowstorm, which was stronger than what he typically experiences in New Jersey. No damage was observed in the Solar Roof tiles as well, though the Tesla owner did note that it would be wise for homeowners to ensure that the areas directly under the roof are free of any objects that may break due to the snow falling from the roof.
Tesla’s Solar Roof tiles are currently in their third iteration, and so far, Tesla has made a lot of headway in improving the installation times of the flagship energy system. Elon Musk has proven to be very optimistic about the Solar Roof’s potential. During Tesla’s third-quarter earnings call, Musk noted that the Solar Roof will be recognized as a “killer product.” “This will become obvious next year (2021),” Musk said.
Watch a video of the Solar Roof’s performance during a snowstorm in the video below.
Don’t hesitate to contact us for news tips. Just send a message to tips@teslarati.com to give us a heads up.