Tesla's solar tiles are still striving for a breakthrough, despite being generally known that Tesla is not solely focused on manufacturing groundbreaking two-wheeled vehicles. The company aims to penetrate the renewable energy market as well. Its battery systems are reliable, functioning even in remote areas and enabling a higher quality of life in previously inhospitable or challenging locations. If only the same success could be achieved with solar roof tiles. Tesla continues to make efforts to achieve a greater breakthrough in this area, which has been elusive so far.
A product with high potential but limited production capacity
The slow adoption of this intriguing technology can be partially attributed to the slower production process. However, production capacity is gradually increasing, satisfying the long queue of customers. At first glance, you won’t even recognize that this type of roofing is anything other than conventional tiles or shingles. While solar tiles from Tesla are still quite unique in Europe, with limited installations in homes, they are becoming increasingly sought after in America. Evidence of this is a relatively new installation, boasting a record for being installed on the steepest roof.
Solar tiles are particularly suitable for owners of older properties that will eventually require roof replacement. It is true that Tesla’s solution is not among the cheapest, but it certainly stands out as one of the most stylish. American Home Contractors, an authorized roofing contractor with a license for installing this unique system, has installed a photovoltaic power plant on a house with a roof slope reaching up to 77 degrees.
An elegant roof with a hidden function
A total of 206 active solar tiles were installed on the roof. The entire system offers a capacity of 14.8 kW, with an estimated annual production of around 11.3 MWh. The energy is then stored in four Powerwall batteries. We recommend watching a video of the installation process, as the whole installation appears to be as simple as assembling a puzzle. The panels are larger and elongated, and handling them looks very easy, thanks to their low weight.
Unfortunately, since the inception of this division, Tesla has never disclosed data regarding the number of installations or the average installed capacity. Estimates suggest that approximately 2.5 MW of capacity was deployed in the second half of last year, with around 23 installations per week. These numbers are far from reaching the heights Elon Musk envisioned when announcing the formation of the division. By the end of 2019, the company aimed to produce and install a thousand “roofs” per week.
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