Tesla CEO Elon Musk just announced a brand new product for the no-longer-just-a-motor-company: a groundbreaking new type of building integrated photovoltaic shingle with the goal of making rooftop solar more affordable, better looking, and longer lasting than a regular shingled roof. This is the first jointly branded product with Tesla and SolarCity. Unlike a traditional roof-mounted solar panel array, which is bolted on top of an existing roofing system (such as composite shingles or ceramic tiles), the just-launched Tesla/SolarCity solar roof is an integrated system that eliminates the need for separate roofing materials and solar panels. Instead, the new elegant glass roofing tiles have photovoltaics embedded right into the material, creating a completely seamless look with great curb appeal that is also an emissions-free source of renewable electricity to power nearly all of a home’s energy needs.
