Tesla’s Musk unveils solar roof tiles, longer-lasting batteries

While the cost of the solar roof is yet to be determined and the launch date is still kept secret, a lot of people are starting to get interested and hyped about the fantastic future that Musk’s empire is trying to envision. Tesla, however, has unveiled its new textured quartz glass tiles which replace the traditional asphalt shingles used in homes. The tiles are made from glass and meant to be a more attractive way to add solar panels to homes than what’s now available.

As a customer, you can choose the sections of the roof that will most likely contain the hidden solar technology.

Tesla’s current Powerwall is a 200-pound lithium-ion battery that can be mounted on the wall of your home. He believes that as the world moves to electric (for transport and storage of power) there will be a dramatic increase in the total requirement for power, as such utilities would still make up two thirds of total power usage. (No word on pricing just yet, unfortunately.) The companies are bringing design and manufacturing in-house (or almost so), with Tesla churning out lithium ion batteries at its Nevada Gigafactory, and SolarCity building next generation panels at its 1.2-million-square-foot factory in upstate NY. Tesla made several varieties, created to match common roof shingle or tile styles (such as terra cotta tiles, French slate, and so on).

Asked about investors’ concern, Musk said Friday, “This is not about balance sheet questions”. At the event, Musk bragged that “they should last longer than the house”.

“The goal is to have solar roofs that look better” with an “installed cost that is less than the cost of a normal roof plus the cost of electricity”, the Tesla Motors CEO said.

Industry insiders say that like some of Musk’s other technological ventures, solar integrated roof technology is not groundbreaking on its own. Looked at from above, each solar tile appears transparent with an obvious solar cell inside. Panasonic will build the panels at a SolarCity plant and then Tesla will buy them.

The roofs are also a stepping stone for Tesla to fully acquire SolarCity, which is helping produce the tiles.

Musk also revealed that the solar roof panels will be available in a number of versions to suit personal preference.

Addressing a large gathering of guests, Tesla CEO Musk disclosed that the objective of the new product is to create better and enhanced solar roofs than normal ones.