Solar panels, although effective, do not score much in the looks department. Many homeowners also tend to skip the idea of installing solar panels in and around their homes owing to the bulky appearance of the panels. All that is about to change now though with the creation of opaque solar panels that are almost invisible unless viewed from a specific angle.
Looks Matter
Image Source : HindustanTimes.Com
The CEO of Tesla, Elon Mush recently unveiled a line of solar panels the company had been working on for quite some time now. Featuring textured glass tiles that are integrated with solar cells, these solar panels are extremely good looking to the point that they can even be called as sexy.
The tiles are offered in four different flavors, including Slate Glass, Textured Glass, Smooth Glass and Tuscan Glass. Tesla revealed how a number of American homes located in Wisteria Lane now had these solar roofs installed over existing roofing structures, and could literally fool a person into thinking there was no solar paneling on the roof at all.
The Secret behind the Opacity
The new range of solar tiles from Tesla is installed by stripping away the top layer of the existing roofing material and replacing the same with any one of the four variants of solar tiles. The tiles come with a special coating that contributes to the see through quality of the tile. The coating features micro louvers which act like a privacy screen pretty much like those found on laptops.
The result is a tile that looks nontransparent at a normal viewing angle and will highlight the solar cell embedded in it only as one views it from a 90 degree angle. It also results in a tile that looks opaque and yet does the efficient job of allowing sunlight to pass through from overhead.
Many may feel a bit apprehensive about installing glass tiles on the roof. However, Tesla has revealed that its tiles are stronger than slate, clay or other roofing materials in addition to having a quasi-infinite lifetime.
Battery power for additional needs
The solar roof revealed by Tesla will work with the Tesla Powerwall Version 2.0 which was also revealed at the same time as that of the roof. Costing about $5,500, the battery can produce a power output of 7kWh which is enough to provide power to a four bedroom house for an entire day. The battery can also store excess power generated during the day to power the house at night. Tesla plans to use both the solar roof and the battery to promote sustainable living on a global scale.
Possible Plans in the Pipeline
With its solar roof unveiled, Tesla aims to create an overall strategy that would help buyers get all that they want in terms of sustainable energy in the same store. For instance, they will be able to buy batteries, solar panels and even an electric car from a Tesla store, thus promoting climate change via different elements that interact and support each other in perfect synergy. However, this plan can work effectively only if Tesla were to make less expensive solar roofs.
Tesla is also in talks with SolarCity in order to partner with the latter for new products. The CEO of Tesla announced earlier this year that the electric car company will merge with the solar panel installer, with the company’s new range of solar tiles probably being enough to influence the decision of the shareholders of both companies.
Tesla recently unveiled its new range of textured glass tiles for solar roofs in homes. These solar tiles are opaque enough to remain invisible at a normal viewing angle, and can effectively allow sunlight to pass through them in order to power the household.