"What if we can offer you a roof that looks way better than a normal roof? What if we could offer you a roof that lasts far longer than a normal roof? Now, it's a different ballgame." – Elon Musk on solar roofing.

Considering that the move to building-integrated photovoltaic (BIPV), and specifically solar roofing, technologies is a natural evolutionary step in an increasingly solar-centric world—and while such technologies hold a wow factor for many—are they actually commercially viable? While it is hard to bet against a man that simultaneously runs sports car, battery and space companies, Eric Wesoff makes a pretty compelling argument that solar roofing might be a little tougher than Musk would like to admit. For an interesting take on the challenges faced by BIPV, see Greentech Media.

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