Tesla shows thin solar panels from Panasonic

Tesla has unveiled solar panels that people can put on the roof of their homes. These are produced by the Japanese Panasonic. This is a different project than the roof tiles with integrated solar panels.

The images of the solar panels recently added to Tesla’s website were discovered by Electrek, which is publishing some additional details about the panels. For example, the solar panels must only be installed by Tesla; the company does not supply them to other installers. In addition, once production starts, Tesla plans to use the panels for all new residential real estate projects.

The 325Watt panels have an unknown conversion efficiency. The panels that Panasonic sells to other companies have an efficiency of 21.76 percent. Tesla has not yet disclosed further specifications, according to Electrek. The panels were designed by Zep Solar, a company that was part of SolarCity, which was itself acquired by Tesla in 2016 for $2.6 billion.

The deal between Panasonic and Tesla was announced in October of last year. Tesla and Panasonic are already collaborating on the production of batteries for electric vehicles, which are made at Tesla’s Gigafactory. The production of the solar panels must take place in the Gigafactory 2, which is located in the American Buffalo, in the state of New York. Tesla will use the panels for systems that work together with its solar energy storage products: Powerwall and Powerpack.