Posted by Brandi Casey on 25th Mar 2017
Solar shingles have had a short but troubled history, the
shingle tiles have been difficult to install, highly inefficient, and have been
recalled numerous times due to causing roof fires. That being said, Tesla has
decided to change the history of the solar shingle to a positive one. They
announced their new solar shingle designs in an October at an event with their
partner, SolarCity. The CEO Elon Musk announced Friday, via Twitter, that they
will begin taking orders for the shingles in April 2017. Sales will start in
California and will branch out to other states with high electricity costs. As
of now, they have not announced the cost of their shingles, but claim that the
solar shingles will cost less than the cost of a traditional roof when combined
with energy savings. The company hopes to drive down the cost of the shingles
further to match the cost of a traditional composite shingle roof.
Tesla’s solar shingles are designed to look like regular
shingles from the ground which adds to their appeal as traditional solar tiles
are noticeably made from solar panels. The design has three layers the back
layer, the Anatomy layer, is a color film and that allows the cells to blend
into the roof while exposing the solar cells to the sun. The middle layer is a
hybrid high-efficiency solar cell that is approved for a wide range of
temperatures. The cells are expected to utilize both Panasonic and Silevo cell
technology. Panasonic is well known have high efficiency modules, the lesser
known Silevo was bought up by SolarCity and also utilizes highly efficient cell
technology. The final layer is the top layer which uses durable and impact
resistant glass. The company believes that their shingles will work as well as
traditional roofs, if not better.
Their designs come in a number of styles including: Tuscan glass, slate glass, textured glass and a smooth glass design. These various designs are not only aesthetically pleasing, but offer a number of options for any home design. The life expectancy of the shingles is expected to be on par with traditional roofs and perhaps more than traditional solar installations. This would give the shingles added value and will certainly be a sought-after item 2017 summer solar installation projects. We are confident that Telsla, Panasonic and SolarCity’s collaboration will user in a new era in solar shingles that will be sure to last long into the future. Furthermore, the past issues with solar shingles are likely to be gone and will be both highly efficient and technologically sound.
To find out more about Tesla’s solar shingles and their new generation
of solar batteries, the PowerOne 2 and commercial grade storage systems view
the video below.
Very few people have not heard Tesla's exciting news about their new Powerwall battery. The Powerwall works hand in hand with home solar applications, offering power solutions both at night and during power outages. Tesla will produce both 7kWh, and 10kWh batteries, that equate to 2.0kw of continuous power and 3.3kw of peak power. The models can be combined to [...]