Tesla Solar Panels: an Overview

Tesla solar panels are among the best ones on the market. They showcase sleek, low-profile design that enables them to blend into your roof with integrated front skirts and no visible mounting hardware. A streamlined look is guaranteed! 

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On top of them being eye-pleasing, they also provide seamless integration with Powerwall, the latter being charged with energy produced by solar panels. That is to say that energy is available exactly when you need it to be – day or night. Powerwall also guarantees that your solar panels will keep producing energy during grid outages.

Tesla Solar Roof’s glass solar tiles are so durable that they are warrantied for the lifetime of your house. Solar Roof consists of two types of tiles: solar and non-solar. This allows for perfect customization of your needs. The tiles are made with tempered glass, which is three times stronger than standard roofing. 

As for the value of energy generated, it depends on your home’s electricity usage, amount of the energy storage available, and utility regulations on solar in the area. The overall cost of a Solar Roof includes materials, installation, and the removal of your old roof. It is based on estimated roof square footage for your home. The overall cost of a Powerwall battery includes the battery itself, supporting hardware, and installation cost.

Warranty and Specifications

As stated above, warranty is provided for the lifetime of your house.

•  Power warranty 30 years 
•  Weatherization warranty 30 years 

Specifications

•  Roof Pitch 3:12 to vertical 
•  Hail rating Class 4 ANSI FM 4473 
•  Wind rating Class F ASTM D3161 
•  Fire rating Class A UL 790 

Solar panels designs.

Solar panels designs vary depending on the structure of your house. Designing your solar power system is one of the biggest challenges you are likely to face in your lifetime. And so it should be, for, once installed, your solar roof is to endure all hardships – unto infinity! 

Major system components

The components vary depending on the solar system type, applications, and site location. The major components are a solar charge controller, inverter, battery bank, auxiliary energy sources, and appliances (loads).

•  PV module converts sunlight into electricity. 
•  Solar charge controller regulates the voltage and current and prevents battery overcharging. 
•  Battery stores energy. 
•  Auxiliary energy sources - a diesel generator or another renewable energy source. 
•  Load is an electrical appliance connected to a solar system (lights, TV, computer, refrigerator, etc). 

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Solar PV System Sizing

The sizing depends on the total energy consumption of all loads that need to be supplied by the solar system. Different sizes of modules produce different amounts of power. To determine which one you need, calculate your total peak watt produced needs. Then, the so-called “panel generation factor” needs to be taken into account. It varies from site to site. Determining the inverter sizing comes next. An inverter is used where AC power output is called for. The inverter’s input rating should never be lower than the total watt of appliances and it must have the same nominal voltage as the battery. For stand-alone systems, the inverter must be able to handle the total amount of Watts used at one time. Its size should, therefore, be 25-30% bigger than total Watts of appliances. For grid tie systems, the input rating of the inverter should be the same as the PV array rating. A deep cycle battery is recommended for solar systems. It is designed to be discharged to low energy level and rapid recharged or cycle charged and discharged day after day. It is highly durable and expected to last for years. The battery should be large enough to store sufficient energy to supply all the appliances at night and cloudy periods. 

New Solar Panel Technologies: Major Breakthroughs

New solar panel technologies are popping up at a fast pace. It is not only solar panels we are talking about here, but a far wider range of inventions. 

Tesla solar panels certainly are among the best ones (and so are their EVs: see Tesla 3 review, but there is more to going green than simply powering your house with renewable energy. Broadly speaking, there are two main types of solar technology: photovoltaics (PV) and concentrated solar power (CSP). Solar PV technology captures sunlight to generate electricity, while CSP uses sun’s heat to generate thermal energy that powers heaters and turbines. These present numerous opportunities for technical innovation. At a glance: 

• Solar skin
• Many people consider solar panels an unsightly addition to their house. Boston-based design firm Sistine Solar has a solution. The company has customized solar panels, creating what they call the “solar skin” design. Their products make it possible for solar panels to match the appearance of a roof without interfering with panel efficiency or production. 
• Solar tracking mounts
• Some roofs are just not suitable for solar panels. Tracking mount technology allows solar panels to follow the sun as it moves across the sky and thus maximize electricity generation. 
• Solar water purifiers
• In collaboration with the Department of Energy, Stanford University researchers are developing a new solar device that will be able to purify water when exposed to sunlight. The purifier (a small tablet) accesses visible light and takes only a few minutes to produce clean drinking water.

Tesla solar panels light the way to innovation

Tesla solar panels are good news in more ways than one. The past few years in the solar industry have seen solar cell efficiency skyrocket, with the trend likely to continue. As of today, the current record for solar panel efficiency is 23.5% (held by SunPower).

The discovery of Perovskite solar cells (silicon cells are currently in use) will bring forth an increment of 20%+ in terms of solar panel efficiency and still remain one of the cheapest options on the market. So, it’s high time you stopped worrying about your electricity bills. 

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