A shining moment for technology

Do you remember where you were when Apple CEO Steve Jobs introduced the first iPhone?

OK, for most people, it’s not a moment like the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, the moon landing, or the fall of the Berlin Wall. I remember it because I was doing the same thing I usually do when companies announce interesting things: watch the market. And the market really liked this announcement.

But I remember Apple and his iPhone because I sat down and thought, “Jobs has something great there.”

This smartphone was going to be all we needed. It was elegant, powerful and easy to use. It had the “cool” factor that Apple had established with the iPod years earlier.

We’re in for another “Apple moment” with a company that has made some amazing technological innovations while still making them sleek, easy to use, and cool.

It started with a car

Tesla took the next step in trying to revolutionize the way we think about and use energy for our daily needs.

The first step was with its Model 3, the first electric, Internet-connected and autonomous car. The company has received roughly 400,000 pre-orders for this car worth more than $10 billion, and it’s not even scheduled to launch until later this year.

This sleek-looking car has an affordable entry price of $35,000 and appeals to millennials for being environmentally friendly while also giving them access to the latest technology.

In addition, Tesla comes with an innate “cool” factor, being at the forefront of the latest innovations.

And now Tesla wants to have a hand in his house… well, his roof to be exact.

State-of-the-art technology for your roof

Tesla recently announced that it had started taking orders for its new solar roof system with its so-called “infinity” warranty.

Instead of adding today’s huge solar panels on top of your existing roof to capture the sun’s rays, Tesla has created tiles that look like terracotta, slate, or asphalt tiles, but are actually a type of glass with the solar cell . built inside. And Tesla’s warranty states that the roof will outlast the life of your home.

So instead of having the unsightly panels, you can get shingles that look just like regular shingles. Tesla has made the solar power collection aesthetically pleasing…and it’s cheaper than many analysts anticipated. Tesla CEO Elon Musk announced that active tiles would cost $42 per square foot and inert tiles would cost $11 per square foot.

Bloomberg estimated that renovating a 2,000-square-foot home in New York with 40% active tile coverage and a battery to store the energy would cost approximately $50,000 (after federal tax credits), but would generate $64,000 in energy over a period of 30 years year period. Not a bad deal, especially if your home has good sun exposure.

Musk’s vision is that his home will collect solar energy through roof tiles and the energy will be stored in a central battery. From that battery, you can charge your electric car. All your energy needs will be covered in one convenient place: clean, efficient and easy.

Capturing the Apple moment

We’ve been here before…in 2001, when Apple released its first iPod, revolutionizing the way we carry and listen to music. Sure, an iPod was a bit more expensive than other devices at the time, but the technology was cutting-edge, offering everything we wanted right at our fingertips.

Apple did it again in 2007 when it released its first iPhone, and people flocked to it, allowing the iPhone to sell over 6 million units before moving on to the next generation.

Now, I’m not saying that Tesla is going to get 270,000 pre-orders for its solar roof like Apple did for its iPhone in the first 30 hours. The price is certainly higher, but Tesla is playing the same mix that Apple managed years ago: cutting-edge technology, ease of use, an affordable price, and a certain “cool” factor that other solar companies just haven’t been able to get. achieve in the past. Plus, the 400,000 Model 3 pre-orders mean the company certainly has the world’s attention.

Tesla is a prime example of the kind of technological innovations and opportunities that are on the market right now.

You don’t want to miss the next Apple or Tesla moment.