On Friday, Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk introduced a new line of products to add to his vision of a “sustainable integrated future” – solar roofs. Although solar roofs are not a new concept, the technology has shown little success to date. Just recently, Dow Chemical has discontinued a solar shingle it has launched a few years ago. Partnering with solar installer SolarCity, Musk unveiled a solar-powered roof tiles that would look far better than any similar product on the market.
To the naked eye, the tiles Musk unveiled look no different to any other regular tile. In fact, during release event, no one took notice of the homes because they “seemed so normal”. That was exactly what Tesla was going for.
They are being produced in a variety of styles, blending into the design of the house rather than sticking out like conventional panels.
“Tesla’s glass solar roof tiles would look far better than any similar product,” Musk said.
Tesla, however, is not just hinging on the notion that people will buy their tiles simply because they “look better” than competitors. By eliminating the need for conventional tiles and separate solar panels, the cost of the roof would be less than what is being currently being offered. Moreover, he insists that the shingles will be more durable and have better insulation than conventional roofs.
“The key is it needs to be beautiful, affordable and seamlessly integrated,” Musk said.
Tesla differentiates themselves with their existing reputation as cutting-edge innovators. With their existing electric cars and Powerwall home battery system, the solar roofs are a key component in realizing Musk’s vision of a sustainable home – a product line which is cohesive and simply ‘works’ together. The solar roofs provide energy for the battery system which powers a home and Tesla’s electric vehicles.
“Solar and batteries go together like peanut butter and jelly,” Musk said.
Tesla follows up on that philosophical statement by taking a significant step in combining their company with SolarCity. On Tesla’s company blog, they announce how a “combined Tesla and SolarCity will make solar and storage as compelling as electric vehicles.” It’s a bold move that affirms Tesla’s position as trailblazers in the industry. Tesla has consistently shown the world that they are not simply just an automaker, but innovators in energy technology and sustainable design who are not afraid to experiment. Their move to combine these two companies together shows that they have not given up on those values.
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References
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-tesla-solarcity-idUSKCN12T01T – Tesla’s Musk adds solar roofs to his clean energy vision
https://www.tesla.com/en_CA/blog/ – Tesla Company Blog
https://www.tesla.com/en_CA/about – About Tesla
http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/cars/2016/10/28/teslas-elon-musk-promotes-solar-roof-tiles/92920894/ – There’s nothing normal about Elon Musk’s solar roofs
