Tesla chief and Solarcity chairman Elon Musk is now discussing the idea of integrating solar panels with roofs to create solar roofs.
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“I think this is really a fundamental part of achieving differentiated product strategy, where you have a lovely roof”, Musk said. “It’s not a thing on the roof, it is the roof”. “It is the roof”.
Finishing the buyout of Solar City, Tesla’s CEO Elon Musk set his sights on selling a new kind of roof made of solar panels, even though they already exist.
Roofs certainly don’t last forever. With 5 million new roofs being built every year in the US, there are lots of potential costumers. The solar cell roof is just what is seems to be: a handsome roof with integrated solar panels, so they won’t ruin the external aspect of your new home.
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Secondly, one of the major producers of the shingle design solar roofs just shipped its last order, leaving an untapped market for Musk to fill. “And so, why not have a solar roof that’s better in many other ways as well?” It will be interesting to see exactly what Musk and company are coming up with. Dow’s Powerhouse was the biggest name to forge this path around 2009, but the technology was possibly too expensive and perhaps impractical to take off. For existing buildings, that product is doing well and is going to be supported along with the new one. According to electrek.co, two new products will be unveiled by the end of the year, which is when the two companies are scheduled to tie the knot. In announcing its decision to combine with SolarCity, Tesla said it has a vision of “creating the world’s only vertically integrated sustainable energy company”.
