Roofs of the Future: New Developments in Tiling

Tiling is an ancient art. Clay tiles have been produced and used in roofing since at least the time of the ancient Greeks. From the Helladic period to the present day, there has been precious little change in the humble roof tile. But that might all be about to change. New developments in tiling technology from Tesla Motors mean that roofs of the future may feature a very different type of tile.

The Tesla Motors Electric Dream

Tesla Motors is a company co-founded by the eccentric futurist billionaire Elon Musk. Their electric cars are already shaking up the automotive industry, but the company also have a strong interest in the generation and storage of electricity to power their cars. What if a Tesla solar cell could draw energy from  the sun that could be stored in a Tesla battery that will power an emission free Tesla car? That is the Tesla dream and it appears to have a noble environmental sheen.

The Tesla Approach to the Roofing Tile

Recently, Elon Musk unveiled his company’s electricity generating roofing tiles. The idea is that, rather than having unsightly glass solar panels attached to the roof of your house, the tiles themselves would contain the photovoltaic cells. The tiles have been manufactured so that when viewed from the angle of the sun, they have the transparency needed to operate at maximum efficiency. However, when viewed from the angle of the kerbside they will mimic the appearance of ordinary tiles.

The Only Catch Is…

Unfortunately, the Tesla roof tiles are a proof of concept rather than a viable roofing option. As things stand, it seems likely that the tiles and the batteries to store the energy would cost more than you would save from installing the system. Hopefully, the system will gain in popularity and there will be a drop in price. We’ve seen this process before with other environmentally friendly products - including the Tesla electric car.

These next generation roof tiles aren’t available in the UK just yet. When they are, we will be more than happy to embrace the new technology. In the meantime, if you need anything doing to your roof, don’t hesitate to get in contact. You can call us on 01603 418818 or email enquiries@roofsuk.co.uk. 

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