Billionaire inventor Elon Musk took to a Universal Studios Hollywood backlot two night ago to hype Tesla’s newest product release, a solar roof that is not only tech-forward, but fashion forward
He came to talk about roofs. But like all things Musk, there was nothing normal about the roofs he came to discuss.
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On Wisteria Lane, the backlot set of what used to be the Desperate Housewives TV series at Universal Studios Hollywood, Musk showed off a new kind of solar roof that will be offered starting next year through SolarCity, the home solar installation company that he is seeking to merge into Tesla.
Instead of a massive, unattractive array of solar panels typically seen in suburbia, SolarCity had installed roof tiles that are solar collector themselves on several of the houses that are part of the film set. Whether meant to emulate clay tiles on a Spanish-style house or shingles on a colonial, Musk says they have 98% of the ray-collecting power of a conventional solar panel, are durable and will last longer than the house itself.
"The solar roof consists of uniquely designed glass tiles that complement the aesthetics of any home, embedded with the highest efficiency photovoltaic cells," said Tesla in a statement. "Customers can choose which sections of their roof will contain the hidden solar technology while still having the entire roof look the same."
Paula Mints, chief market research analyst at SPV Market Research, questions the economics of the new offering, which can be combined with a home battery.
"People spend a lot of time trying to create an attractive home,” said chairman of the industrial design graduate program at the ArtCenter College of Design in Pasadena, Andy Ogden, according to the Los Angeles Times. “They don’t want funny glass boxes stuck on one side of their roof.”
Approximately 5 million homes get new roofs each year, said SolarCity executive and Musk’s cousin Lyndon Rive. Musk also chairs SolarCity, America’s top solar provider.
Musk has long sought greater collaboration between SolarCity and Tesla, which culminated in Tesla offering to buy SolarCity in August. Musk says his long-term vision includes a fleet of electric cars powered by a solar grid.
At home, Tesla solar roof users will generate and store solar energy in a battery called Powerwall. The battery can be stored inside or outside, and will power homes around the clock with energy gathered during daylight hours.
Peter Rive, another cousin and co-founder of SolarCity, said he expects solar roofs to have a five percent share of the roofing market within two years.
