If you’ve ever seen solar panels installed on top of roofs of homes before, you know that for the most part they tend to stand out like a sore thumb. Unfortunately this is pretty much one of the few ways that one can install a solar panel for their home, and it also makes sense as it has more exposure to collect the energy from the sun.However Tesla could have a game changer on their hands as the company has revealed its latest solar roof tile efforts. As you can see in the image above, it looks like there isn’t a solar panel installed on the roof, but the reality is that Tesla has managed to design its solar panels in such a way that they will blend right in, making it look like you have a regular roof.
The solar panel roofing will come in four different styles: Textured Glass Tile, Slate Glass Tile, Tuscan Glass Tile, and Smooth Glass Tile, and while each of them represents a different look, the idea is to get them as close to more traditional roofing styles as possible. They are also transparent to accept the solar energy, but are opaque when viewed at an angle.
According to Tesla, they are boasting that their tiles have a 2% loss on efficiency, meaning that you’ll be getting 98% of what you’d get on more traditional solar panels, but we reckon it’s a decent price to pay for the aesthetics. There is no word on how much it will cost, but it is expected to be available in 2017 and will last a long time. Tesla’s CEO Elon Musk said, “We expect this to have two or three times the longevity of asphalt. It’s really never going to wear out. It’s got a quasi-infinite lifetime. It’s made of quartz.”