New solar tiles from Tesla

Tesla CEO Elon Musk has promised to make solar sexy, as he took the stage at the Universal Studios in LA, unveiling a range of textured glass tiles with integrated solar cells that are indistinguishable from conventional tiling. He also unveiled the sleek update to the Powerwall, Tesla’s energy storing device.

Guests, mostly Tesla owners, were in for a treat as Musk revealed a row of suburban American houses on Wisteria Lane — the old set of Desperate Housewives. The houses were topped with solar roofs. The original roof material had been stripped away, and replaced with one of the four new styles of solar tile.

From a distance, it is practically impossible to discern whether they are actually tiles or solar embedded, glass covered tile. The secret of all this, as Musk reveals, is a special coating that becomes more or less see-through depending on the viewing angle. From shallow angles, the tiles appear non-transparent. But as viewing angle reaches 90 degrees, the underlying solar cell becomes more and more visible. The final result is the tile that permits the passage of sunlight from overhead, but still looks opaque to anyone at ground level.

Musk also showed the durability of the tiles for people who were concerned about the strength of them by showing them the drop test to demonstrate that glass was tougher than materials like clay and slate. “It’s never going to wear out, its made out of quartz, it has a quasi-infinite lifetime,” Musk said.

“We need to make solar panels as appealing as electric cars,” Musk said. He wants to make every roof solar and irresistible. “It needs to be beautiful, affordable, and seamlessly integrated. The panels certainly look good but the company is yet to provide details on the pricing, availability, or installation process.