Tesla Solar Roof mimics traditional tiles, Powerwall 2 boosts capacity

Tesla has revealed its new solutions for sustainable energy over the weekend, starring a boosted second generation of its Powerwall battery pack and a new solar roof system that mimics the look of roof tiles.

The company detailed three different products that it says can help address climate change, and allow owners to generate and store electricity, while also powering their homes and electric cars.

Solar Roof

Developed in partnership with SolarCity, the Tesla solar roof aims to be the most beautiful and efficient roof ever – made up of special glass tiles that are embedded with invisible photovoltaic cells.

Above: Tesla solar roof in tuscan glass

The tiles are also customisable to suit different home styles – available in textured glass, slate glass, tuscan glass and smooth glass – while buyers can also choose which sections of their roof will contain the hidden solar energy technology, allowing them to have the entire roof looking the same.

Tesla’s solar roof has the capacity to supply renewable energy to homes, battery storage systems and back to the grid. Additionally, homes equipped with a solar roof and the Tesla Powerwall can power the entire household with 100 per cent renewable energy, the company says.

Powerwall 2

Also revealed was the new Tesla Powerwall 2, which features twice the capacity of the original – although a 10kWh version of the first Powerwall was offered for a short time after launch.

Now offered with a 14kWh battery pack as standard, the Powerwall 2 also features a liquid-cooled thermal control system, an integrated inverter and software that dispatches power when it is most required.

Like the first-generation Powerwall, the new unit stores surplus electricity not used at the time it was generated so that it can be used later, for example, at night.

It also functions as a backup generator in the event of a grid outage.

The Powerwall 2 comes with an unlimited cycle warranty for up to 10 years.

Powerpack 2

Also revealed over the weekend was the second-generation Powerpack system (below).

Providing twice the energy of the first-generation, the new Tesla Powerpack 2 features a new inverter designed in-house and produced at the company’s new Gigafactory.

Between one and 20 Powerpacks can be connected per Tesla inverter and the system is scalable from 200kWh to 100+MWh, making it suitable for commercial- and utility-scale implementations.

Tesla says the Powerpack brings numerous benefits for businesses – including avoiding peak demand charges, buying electricity when it’s at its cheapest, and acting as a backup for critical business operations in the event of an outage – along with maximising the consumption of on-site renewable power.

Australia

Speaking to CarAdvice, Heath Walker, marketing and communications manager at Tesla’s local arm, confirmed that the new products will be available in Australia from February 2017.

Walker added that customers will be able to check out the new Tesla Energy solutions in-store, however, by next week.

Check out the Tesla Energy launch video here.

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