Tesla unveils integrated ‘solar roof and Powerwall 2’
Fred Lambert, Electrek.co, Oct 28, 2016
We were live at Universal Studios in Los Angeles today for Tesla’s unveiling of its new integrated energy solution with ‘solar roof and Powerwall’. For the event, Tesla and SolarCity retrofitted with the new solar roof solutions a bunch of houses used for film and tv sets by Universal Studios.
The company surprised everyone with not only one solar roof, but several new solar roof options, including designs that look like Textured Glass Tile, Slate Glass Tile, Tuscan Glass Tile, and Smooth Glass Tile.
Some of the options look opaque from a street angle and transparent from a birdseye view – aka the sun’s view. That’s what enables the roof to look nothing like solar, but for the solar cells to still capture solar energy from sunlight.
Here’s Tesla’s description of the solar roof system:
“The solar roof consists of uniquely designed glass tiles that complement the aesthetics of any home, embedded with the highest efficiency photovoltaic cells. It is infinitely customizable for a variety of different home styles, each uniquely engineered so that the photovoltaic cells are invisible. Customers can choose which sections of their roof will contain the hidden solar technology while still having the entire roof look the same. These new roofs will seamlessly and beautifully supply renewable energy to homes, battery storage systems and back into the grid creating savings for owners. When combined with Tesla Powerwall, the solar roof can power an entire home with 100% renewable energy. “
CEO Elon Musk claims that they could last 2-3 times longer than traditional roofs.
You can find a few pictures of the event and solar roof product below – and a closer look at each option in our follow up post here.
The Powerwall 2.0 also got a significant update with now twice the energy capacity:14 kWh. It got a little more expensive though at $5,500, but that’s nothing when you consider that the inverter is integrated. That’s right. A 14 kWh battery pack with an integrated inverter for $5,500.
Elon Musk said that he expects to sell more Powerwalls than cars and at the price point, it’s understandable. Powerwall 2 starts shipping in December.
The company is taking orders right now for the solar roof, but Musk said that installations will start summer of next year. Musk refused to give details about pricing, but said that it will be competitive.
Tesla’s new residential solar and energy storage solutions are quite innovative. You can visit Tesla’s website to see if they could work for your house or business, but solar and energy storage prices are highly dependent on your market (electricity cost, gov incentives, etc.) and your property. We suggest to get quotes from more than one installer to make sure you get the best energy solution for your place. UnderstandSolar is a great free service to link you to top-rated solar installers in your region for personalized solar estimates for free.