Ken Whittaker, Front Rush
Most of us have probably heard of Tesla – the motor company famous for their electric cars capable of operating hundreds of miles on a single charge. Whether or not you are a “car person” it’s hard to deny the fact that such a technical and engineering accomplishment is impressive. However, the company does more than just build cool and energy efficient cars and SUVs. They are a power company, aiming to build some of the most innovative products and solutions. With Earth Day being this past Saturday, you may have seen some discounts on small appliances or gadgets to help reduce your energy bill. We’ll take a look at some more extreme products currently being developed by Tesla, which may not be too extreme within the next few years.
There’s no doubt that walking or driving around your neighborhood you have seen some of your neighbors with solar panels on their roof. Hey, maybe you even have them. Ignoring the hefty price tag and installation costs, Tesla has entered the solar panel market – claiming to offer a product that is more natural and cleaner. However, the most fascinating solar product they offer is what is known as the “Solar Roof.” With this product, the roof shingles each contain solar panels. This allows a home to keep the standard traditional look – currently offered in 4 different patterns, but provide the benefit of regular solar panels.
The most fascinating part to me is that Tesla advertises their product stating, “Our roof costs less than an equivalent roof, with projected savings from your utility bill.” If you’ve ever had a roof estimate, this may sound intriguing. If you’re interested or just want to see what this looks like, check out this video!
The last residential product currently offered by Tesla is the Powerwall – a product that stores energy and can be used in a variety of situations. You can think of the Powerwall as a more modern backup generator, but one that doesn’t require gas to start up. While there are limitations as to how much power it can provide, it also integrates with solar products to allow more flexibility.
It will be interesting to watch how these products transform and advance over the next few years. Coming from the company that has successfully marketed long range electric vehicles, I’d expect that the solar panel roof and Powerwall are just the start of what Tesla is hoping to develop in the near future.
Some information quoted or referenced in this article was taken from https://www.tesla.com/energy