You don’t really have to be “rich” to afford this roof. It’s a totally sensible investment that actually pays for itself between 10-20 years and you can use a loan to finance it. It’s also very sensible for new home construction which is also traditionally financed via a mortgage.
>It’s a totally sensible investment that actually pays for itself between 10-20 years
You can't say that!!!
That may be sort of true for traditional solar panels. There is scant data on whether a solar roof will ever be cost-effective. They are an unproven technology at this point.
There are several differences between solar panels and solar roofs:
1) Solar roof is more expensive and less efficient. You're trading efficiency for something that looks nice. Is that something a government should subsidize? Rich people getting subsidies for aesthetic reasons?
2) Solar roof panels are not as durable as solar panels, are not as scalable, and the market for them is tiny - limited to people who want to get solar panels and a new roof. V1 and V2 versions of Tesla roof was a disaster.
3) Installation is much much harder and requires specialized professionals. Installing solar panels is already fraught with challenges (safety and otherwise), and all those need to do is collect sunshine. A solar roof also needs to take into account protection from the elements and therefore needs increased durability.
