Tesla is making headlines for developing American-built solar panels that give customers a product line offering from the rooftop to the road.
PV Magazine likened it to a "holy grail" integration that includes hardware, software, and energy management. But the scenario might be more akin to a one-stop shop.
That's because Tesla Solar Panels join Powerwall batteries and its popular lineup of electric vehicles on the product inventory — all under one roof.
"While Tesla has been a dominant player in storage with the Powerwall, a market leader with its inverter, and in electric vehicles, the company has historically relied on third-party solar panels," PV Magazine's Ryan Kennedy wrote.
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For Tesla's part, the panels aren't the company's first foray into roof-based solar, as its Solar Roof — panels that look like shingles — have been around for about a decade.
The new product improves upon other panel designs with an electrical architecture that's divided into 18 zones, instead of the standard six. This means that if a tree or chimney temporarily shadows a portion of a panel, a greater percentage of the surface continues to convert sunrays into electricity without shutting down. The cells provide a competitive 20% efficiency rate, per PV Magazine.
"It is based on our long history of innovation and engineering when it comes to solar," Tesla Energy Senior Director Colby Hastings told the magazine.
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The panels were designed in California and are assembled in Buffalo, New York. Tesla said it has reduced the number of clamps and hardware needed to attach the array to rooftops, speeding up installation times by 33%.
While government policy changes have nixed federal incentives for home solar, EnergySage reported that the tech is becoming mainstream. Its experts estimated that the average system costs more than $30,500 before state or local rebates. However, arrays will provide electricity savings of $37,000 to $154,000 over their 25- to 30-year lifetimes.
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Battery storage is a great add-on, as the saved electricity can be used when grid power is most expensive. It's also a reliable safeguard against outages. What's more, EnergySage's services extend to the battery front, too, with competitive installation estimates.
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The packs can also become part of virtual power plants, which are programs that allow customers to sell excess electricity back to the grid to earn revenue or credit, benefiting both sides.
It's one of the perks Tesla promotes.
"We announced recently that we have a million Powerwalls deployed worldwide and 25% of those are enrolled in a virtual power plant program of some kind," Hastings said, per PV Magazine.
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