The exec isn't shedding light on how this solar roof will function, although he notes that buyers will get to customize their design. That's rather important given the sheer variety of housing on the market, but it also suggests that you won't just get a patch of solar shingles (like those above) and call it a day. Just when you'll see it isn't clear. SolarCity's Peter Rive says the company only started talking about roofing "a couple of weeks ago," but it's also going to be a key part of a ramp-up in production around the second quarter of 2017. In other words, you may get more details when SolarCity has finished merging with Tesla.