Tesla introduces roof tiles with integrated solar panels

Tesla has announced a new kind of solar panels for home use. The panels are incorporated in roof tiles, so that in fact the entire roof can generate energy from sunlight. Tesla plans to start installing its first solar roofs next year.

The new roof tiles were announced by CEO Elon Musk during a Tesla event. On a film set he showed a number of houses whose roof tiles had been replaced by the solar variant of Tesla. The difference with a conventional roof was almost invisible, Wired noted. Although the roof tile is in fact transparent, to allow sunlight to pass through for the integrated solar panel, it appears solid. The integrated solar panel can only be seen by looking straight at the roof tiles, while it appears as a whole at an angle.

For the production, Tesla uses quartz, a sturdy material that should give the roof tile a ‘quasi-infinite’ life. Musk also demonstrated that the Tesla roof tile is sturdier than those manufactured with conventional materials. Four different color styles will be available, although they may not all be available at launch.

It is possible to integrate a Powerwall battery into the system, allowing excess generated electricity to be stored for later use. At the same time as the solar roof, Tesla announced a new version of the Powerwall with a storage capacity of 14Kwh. Compared to the previous version, the housing is flatter. The price is USD 5500, but what the price will be in euros is not yet known.

No specific prices have yet been disclosed, but Musk did promise that installing a Tesla roof will cost less than installing a conventional roof. Tesla plans to start building solar roofs from next summer, but it’s unclear whether this will happen on a global scale.

Tesla is collaborating with SolarCity for the solar roof tiles. The latter is also a company founded by Elon Musk. Some time ago, the CEO announced plans to merge the two companies.