Solar energy as a main form of powering homes could become viable within the next decade.
Elon Musk Unveiling A New Solar Roof
Recently we've had another advancement in solar technology by none other than Elon Musk. In a presentation to the press he unveiled two things. Solar roof tiles and an updated version of the Tesla Power Wall, a battery that powers homes.
The press have been absolutely loving this.
In this post I'll talk a little about both. So let's start with solar roof tiles. What are they?
Instead of putting ugly solar panels on top of your roof to generate power, why not make the entire surface of your roof generate power by making each and every roof tile a miniature solar panel. The result would be fully intergrated and arguably better looking than a standard roof.
This solar energy from the roof can be used immediately or stored for use at night by using the Tesla Power Wall.
So right off the bat I'm going to say this.
Solar roof tiles are nothing new. They are actually called solar shingles and have been around for over a decade.
What's happening now is just a phase shift in the technology. Often what's needed for such technology is a revolutionary kick. Someone to come along and make it actually appealing to the consumer.
Think of it like the electric car. That technology has been around for a hundred years, but nobody had gotten the product of the electric car right until the Tesla Model S came around. The Model S was a good performer, good looking and practical. Basically it was something that people actually wanted.
Now bring that concept back to solar roofs and Tesla and Solar City want to do the same thing.
So here's the basic pitch that was delivered at the press conference. Compared to standard tiles, these tiles look better, are better insulators, last longer, are more durable and cost less when energy savings are factored in.
OK, this all sounds great but I really think we need to wait for the technical details before we can call this a real game changer, but still the concept seems pretty sound.
In terms of market scope, there's about 80-100 million new roofs installed globally every year. So there's a huge market for this kind of thing.
There are a few cool things about the tiles.
Firstly, they're designed to have a dual appearance. From the ground they look like normal tiles, that is opaque, but from the perspective of the sun they look transparent, allowing sunlight to hit the integrated solar cell.
Secondly, Elon has Tweeted that the panels can keep themselves clean by using heating elements much like the rear windshield of a car.
Thirdly, the tiles are much more durable withstanding much more impact which should increase the lifetime use of the tiles in comparison to normal roofs according to Musk.
I'm guessing there is some kind of clip to connect all the tiles together eliminating the need for thousands of wires.
The fact that the solar tiles look great is actually critical for mainstream success. If the roof performed well but looked as bad as previous efforts from other companies, the adoption rate would be low.
With Tesla, it's no longer a choice between style and being environmentally friendly. Now both can be done simultaneously. To further this, the push of the Tesla brand is likely to help with mainstream adaptation.
The Power Wall 2
Compared to the original Power Wall it has double the energy storage at 14-kilowatt hours and 17-Kilowatts of peak power.
Musk claims that you can power a 4-bedroom house all day with one of these and if you add a solar roof you can power that house indefinitely.
Some construction companies are already including the Power Wall on newly built houses. This makes complete sense for many climates around the world.
Conclusion
So in conclusion, the proposed idea of these new roof tiles and battery is to move a step closer to the seamlessly, fully integrated, off-the-grid house that looks great but with very little hassle.
The aim is to make solar attractive, exciting and desirable. Now, of course, these are the very early stages in a long road to fully sustainable housing and really, this is the babyface of this technology. The worst it will ever be.
Things will only get more efficient, cheaper and more viable as time goes on. I think in the grand scheme of things it's some really cool stuff.
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