Elon Musk Unveils Tesla Solar Roofing

teslasolarOn October 28th, Elon Musk unveiled his new solar roofing system, directly integrated with the Powerwall 2.0, which will serve as a home energy storage solution.

The solar roofing material is designed to aesthetically match a few different roofing structures, such as French slate, flat modern, and even Tuscan style curved roof tiles.

From the ground, the tiles look like the tiles they are mimicking regular roof tiles, but viewed at a top-down angle they become more transparent. Musk stated, “The goal is… to have solar roofs that look better than a normal roof, generate electricity, last longer, have better insulation and actually have an installed cost that is less than a normal roof plus the cost of electricity.”

The cost of the materials is said to be less than the cost of traditional materials, plus electricity. Unfortunately, the system isn’t designed to be a retrofitted into existing homes, only for new constructions or as a complete replacement for an aging roof. Other concerns, such as the need to install it at “latitude-appropriate angles,” or its durability when exposed to harsh elements, have also been raised.

Source: Wired