Conference Session C7
Paper #96
Disclaimer — This paper partially fulfills a writing requirement for first year (freshman) engineering students at the University
of Pittsburgh Swanson School of Engineering. This paper is a student, not a professional, paper. This paper is based on
publicly available information and may not be provide complete analyses of all relevant data. If this paper is used for any
purpose other than these authors’ partial fulfillment of a writing requirement for first year (freshman) engineering students at
the University of Pittsburgh Swanson School of Engineering, the user does so at his or her own risk.
THE TESLA SOLAR ROOF AND POWERWALL 2: A MECHANICAL
BREAKDOWN AND AN EXPLORATION OF FUTURE IMPACTS
Adam Malagari, [email protected], Mena Lora, 1:00, Michael Mascherino, [email protected], Budny, 10:00
Abstract—Tesla (American automaker, energy storage
company, and solar panel manufacturer) has been
reimagining the world of electric power. Their Powerwall 2
system and Solar Roof allow each individual house to
generate its own electricity using only the Sun as a source of
power. This would help to eliminate the need for burning
fossil fuels to create electricity in residential settings. Elon
Musk, CEO of Tesla, stated that the Solar Roof will cost less
than traditional roofing, which of course includes the cost of
electricity in the years after the installation of the Solar Roof.
In the case of the Tesla Solar Roof and Powerwall 2, the
electricity gathered by the shingles is transferred through
integrated circuiting in the house’s attic down to the
Powerwall 2, a wall-mounted battery to be used in
conjunction with Tesla’s Solar Roof. Throughout this paper,
sources ranging from government reports to peer-reviewed
articles will be utilized in order to provide a well-rounded
analysis of current environmental conditions. These sources
will be consulted in conjunction with scientific documents
describing the function of solar panels, Tesla’s solar shingles,
and the Powerwall 2 allowing for a very in-depth analysis.
Sources will also be utilized in an examination of the cost of
electricity versus this alternative method of powering homes.
Lastly, sources about and from competing companies in the
consumer solar industry will be consulted.
distribution of electricity to residential and commercial areas,
fossil fuels continue to be burned.
Solar energy as a solution
Solar energy has, for years, been an available and
environmentally friendly way of generating electricity. Until
recently, it has been specifically used in large scale
operations, with the exception of a few experimental
applications. However, the use of solar cells to provide energy
has not been made available to consumers in a beneficial or
meaningful way. Much like wind, hydro, and geothermal
energy, solar energy has been mostly a large-scale energy
resource. Because of this, it has not been viable to implement
this type of energy production in a cost-effective method at a
consumer level. Tesla is looking to redefine the market of
solar energy by making it available to the homeowner. Telsa’s
new Solar Roof and Powerwall 2 system allows each home to
generate enough electricity to power a 2-bedroom home all
day on a full charge independently of other sources [1].
THE SOLAR ROOF AND POWERWALL
2 SYSTEM
The use of solar panels has been growing in terms of
uses and popularity since the 1950’s when they were
invented. They are an affordable and efficient method of
electricity production that function by converting solar energy
into electric energy through the use of semiconductors and
charged plates. When these panels are exposed to sunlight, the
loosely held electrons of the semiconductor are knocked off
and allowed to flow through a wire, producing an electric
current. The current method of solar panel installation has
been to have free-standing solar panels mounted to the roofs
of homes or being placed on ground level. Through this
method, the existing roof is preserved and exists almost as a
hindrance to the panels, as the electricity must now be either
worked through the roof and the shingles, or down the side of
the house and wired into the fuse box of the house [2]. This
means that there is more work to be done in the installation of
wiring to bring the electricity down to where it is needed. In
addition, the fact that structures are being erected on the
rooftop prevents the solar panels from occupying the most
Key Words—Powerwall 2, Solar energy, Solar Roof, solar
shingles, Tesla
THE DILEMMA
Since we have been able to harness it, electricity has
become widely used all over the world. It has sparked
countless new inventions and has been at the forefront of
mankind’s progress since the 1800’s. The combustion
burning of fossil fuels is a common method of electricity
production. While these sources are reliable over time, they
release carbon dioxide emissions and contribute to climate
change. The combustion of fossil fuels must be reduced, but
without a viable replacement for the mass production and
University of Pittsburgh Swanson School of Engineering
Submission Date 10.02.2017
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Michael Mascherino
area possible, which leads to less energy being converted on
a daily basis. With the need to leave room for the mounts, the
solar panels are not capable of covering the entirety of the
roof, costing the homeowner valuable space that could
potentially be creating electricity for the home.
Tesla is reimagining the market of consumer solar
energy. Their Solar Roof redefines what it means to have solar
panels on the roof of a home and the Powerwall 2 eliminates
the need for grid based electricity storage and dissemination.
By removing the need to mount the solar panels to the roof,
Tesla has increased the amount of energy their roofs are able
to convert by an immense number yearly. Their panels, or as
they are better described, “solar shingles”, allow for the entire
roof to function as one integrated solar panel unit that is
actually made up of many shingle-sized and shingleappearing panels that all connect through the attic of the home
to the Powerwall 2 battery system [3].
FIGURE 1 [5]
The above figure shows the structure and function of
an individual photovoltaic cell.
Recently, more residential homes have been adding
solar cells to their roofs in order to reduce their carbon
footprint and monthly electricity bill. These solar cells are
standard arrangements of photovoltaic cells mounted to
rooftops which are then connected to each other and often into
the home’s electrical supply. This method of solar energy is
referred to as Building-Applied Photovoltaics (BAPV) [6].
This term means that the solar cells are simply in place as an
addition to a pre-existing structure as opposed to things like
satellites which have solar cells directly built in and integrated
into their structure.
These panels function the same as traditional solar
panels, but allow the electric current to flow through the atticintegrated wiring into the Powerwall 2 where the energy is
either stored or immediately dispersed throughout the house
for use. The Powerwall 2 is capable of powering a 2-bedroom
home for a whole day on a full charge, which is unheard of in
previous electrical storage units for consumer use.
The Solar Roof
Solar energy is an eco-friendly alternative method of
generating electricity. In simple terms, this process involves
using the Sun’s rays (photons) to stimulate metal sheets in
order to loosen electrons from the metal. These electrons then
break free of the metal sheets and form a flow of electricity
[4]. These metal sheets are comprised of multiple layers of
photovoltaic cells , which convert sunlight into electricity,
linked together to form larger solar panels. These photovoltaic
cells are often composed of silicon, which is a substance
commonly used in microelectronics. These cells function by
having one sheet of silicon being positively charged which is
called the p-type, while the other is negatively charged, called
the n-type [5]. This results in a magnetic field across the cell.
Due to this, when the sun strikes the side that is negatively
charged (stocked with extra electrons), the electrons that are
knocked loose are pushed across this magnetic field through
a junction of the two sheets towards the positively charged
sheet. The cell is also encased in an electrode which is where
wiring and energy transfer take place. One more key
component to the photovoltaic cell is the reflection-resistant
film which allows the most sunlight to pass through to the
silicon layers. A technical depiction of a solar cell’s
construction can be seen in figure 1.
Tesla has taken the current standards of consumer solar
energy and reinvented. In this case, rather than mounting
standard solar cells which are collections of photovoltaic cells
on top of a pre-existing roof, Tesla has produced the Solar
Roof. The Solar Roof is a system that replaces the current
shingles with many individual photovoltaic cells which are
then all interconnected through wiring in the attic of the
house. These shingles not only capture light, but when
compared to competing standard, non-solar shingles, Tesla’s
Solar Roof is a better insulator according to Musk. It is more
durable, as demonstrated by a drop-test which included a
weight being dropped on to the Solar Shingle and the 3
leading types of shingles [7]. The solar shingles are also
available in 4 different styles including Tuscan Glass Tile,
Slate Glass tile, textured Glass Tile, and Smooth Glass Tile.
What is even more remarkable is that a house with the Solar
Roof would appear to simply have a normal roof from ground
level. Through the use of an advanced anti-reflective film, the
photovoltaic cells are only visible from the top where the
Sun’s rays will reach the roof. The Tesla Solar Shingle is
composed of a high efficiency solar cell with a “Color Louver
Film” which is what allows the cells to appear as normal
shingles from ground level but solar cells from above, all
covered with tempered glass, which is what is responsible for
the strength and durability of the Solar Shingles [7]. On top
of this, Musk stated that “Tesla’s new solar roof
product…will actually cost less to manufacture and install
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than a traditional roof—even before savings from the power
bill” [3].
discharge only, which is when the Powerwall 2 is fully
charged and discharged throughout the day. In this second
scenario, the system is not used in conjunction with a solar
system, and instead is being charged by the power grid that
supplies the home. In this use, the Powerwall 2 is being used
as a backup system in case there is a power outage from the
grid. This application would also be able to power a home for
up to a full day. The foreshadowed cost of roughly the same
amount as a traditional roof has raised some points for
argument based on what the calculations took into
consideration. Due to this, some contrasting views have
displayed skepticism on whether this promise is true or not,
and whether the system would actually be able to produce the
self-sufficiency that has been advertised.
Tesla’s Solar Roof would redefine the meaning of
consumer solar through its Building-Integrated Photovoltaics
(BIPV) which differ significantly from BAPV, which is the
current standard due to the desire to have a building’s power
supply be augmented by solar energy without needing to
restructure the building [6]. The integration of solar cells into
the house’s structure and using them as roofing will allow for
direct wiring into the attic or top floor of buildings. Each cell
would be wired into the attic independently. Through this
wiring, the electricity will flow down to Tesla’s sophisticated
Powerwall 2 battery and home electricity system.
The Powerwall 2
CRITICISMS OF POTENTIAL
PERFORMANCE AND COST
The Powerwall 2 is essentially just a large lithium ion
battery, a technology that has been around for decades. The
system is a fully integrated AC battery system that is designed
to be used for either residential or light commercial use [8].
It can be paired with a solar system, so the Powerwall 2 will
store the energy collected from the sun’s rays through the
solar panels. However, it can also be used without a solar
system, where the Powerwall 2 would just be a back-up
system to provide energy for up to a full day in the case of a
power outage. The main implication that will be focused on
is its use in conjunction with Tesla’s Solar Roof.
Since Tesla’s solar roof is not yet on the market, some
of the largest criticisms that the product faces deal with Elon
Musk’s promise of low cost. Musk initially claimed that the
solar roof would cost roughly the same as a traditional roof
[3]. He later made a statement that compared the solar roof to
some of the highest end roofing materials on the market [3].
This brings up the point that Tesla’s solar roof may not be a
product that is accessible for the common consumer. It may
be a strictly luxury product that only the rich can afford.
However, if the efficiency of Tesla’s design is proven and the
roof produces enough electricity to cover all costs of the roof,
it may be possible to integrate the technology into more
middle-class and working-class homes.
The Solar Roof, which has been previously described, is
being designed so the system will work in sync with the
Powerwall 2. As of the first few months of 2017, no official
Solar Roof has been released by Tesla yet, but Tesla states
that the roof is currently in production and will be available
soon [7]. The whole system is basically designed so that the
average, two bedroom, home with the Tesla Solar Roof could
provide enough energy to charge the batteries of the
Powerwall 2. The Powerwall 2 basically is an efficient and
long-lasting storage device for the power. The power
collected throughout the day and stored in the system could
then power the home for essentially a full day. This could
eventually lead to homes becoming electrically selfsufficient, and not need at all or only on rare occasion need to
draw electricity from a power grid. This topic will be
discussed in further detail in the “Impacts” section of this
paper.
The Tesla solar roof may not be able to completely
eliminate the need for outside electricity production for the
homes that it is used on. Several experts in the solar energy
field have given their input and done calculations regarding
the efficiency of Tesla’s roof. Barry Cinnamon, CEO of Spice
Solar, explained that “dummy” shingles will have to be used
as a filler between and around the actual solar cells in order to
meet certain safety code criteria [6]. Cinnamon estimates that
Tesla’s roof will need to use a roughly 2:1 ratio of dummy
shingles to solar cells in the roof [6]. This figure accounts for
shaded areas of the roof, a three-inch fire setback along the
ridges and sides, as well as north slopes of the roof.
Cinnamon also estimates that the whole roof would only
produce about 9,000 kilowatt-hours per year [6]. To put that
into perspective, the average American home used 10,812
kilowatt-hours of energy in the calendar year of 2015 [10]. If
Barry Cinnamon’s estimation is correct, Tesla’s solar roof
will not be able to yield an electrically self-sufficient home.
However, at this stage in the development of the Tesla solar
roof, it is difficult for even professionals in the field to provide
an accurate estimate.
Each Powerwall 2 system is capable of holding 14 kWh
of power and each unit runs for a rough total of $7,000. This
figure includes the cost for the system, $5,500, and the cost
for installation and supporting hardware, $1,500 [1].
According to specifications provided from Tesla, the
maximum of the continuous apparent power is 5.8 kVA, and
the peak of the apparent power is 7.2 kVA [9]. The max
continuous value refers to when the Powerwall 2 is working
with a solar system and is continuously charging and
discharging throughout the day. The peak value refers to
Projections of the total cost of the solar roof are also
vague and unclear. There are many factors that will play in
to the total cost of the roof. The price of the system is
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dependent on many factors including cost of the materials,
high installation costs due to complex wiring integrated into
the attic of the home, and transportation fees. This doesn’t
include variability in sizes of roofs and complexity of roof
structures. However, it is fairly safe to assume that material
cost will be proportional to size of the roof, and that larger
roofs will be able to generate more electricity, thus
compensating for the increase. It is also assumed that the
increase in cost due to complexity of roof structures (simple
two-planed versus many-planed roofs) will be negligible.
One of the short-term benefits of the Tesla Solar roof is
its projected cost. Musk stated that the solar roof will cost
less than a “…dumb roof…” [3]. In this comparison, Musk
was not describing the average cost of a roof in the United
States. He was comparing the cost with some of the most
expensive roofing materials on the market, because the Solar
Roof would be a premium product. It is also unclear what
Musk meant by the Solar roof costing less than a dumb roof.
However, it can be estimated that this cost would include the
cost of materials, installation, and the first few years of the
electric bill. In turn, after this period, the Solar Roof would
essentially be paying for itself and providing free electricity
to the home. Musk’s statement of costing less than a dumb
roof will also have to absorb the variety of costs for the roof.
IMPACTS
Tesla’s Solar Roof will undoubtedly affect the world in
numerous ways if the solar roof lives up to Tesla’s standards.
Many of the changes that will occur because of this innovation
may be seen as detrimental to some and as saving graces to
others.. First, the solar energy industry as a whole will have
taken a huge leap forward in terms of consumer and
residential solar. With this, it is possible to have solar panels
on top of a house without affecting the aesthetic of a
neighborhood, but as Musk said in his unveiling of the Solar
Roof, an entire neighborhood, and eventually an entire city,
nation, or even world, would all be using the same fashionable
and efficient shingles [7]. Second, although the solar industry
is held to high standards in the production of its solar panels,
there will certainly need to be occasional repairs to the Solar
Roof. With the Solar Roof, one shingle may be damaged and
the rest of the roof will continue to produce energy, whereas
if one portion of a traditional panel is damaged, the rest of the
panel is effectively damaged as well and can no longer
provide energy to the house. Third, the need for fossil fuel
burning for electricity production would be greatly reduced
and would eventually be eliminated in the market of
residential and consumer housing. This would provide an easy
next step of allowing all vehicles to be powered by electricity
as well. This could be done by introducing charging stations
in residences, and possibly workplaces.
One of these expected costs, even within the short-term
period, is the cost of repairs on the roof. It is possible that a
shingle, or group of shingles, could get damaged by objects
falling on it with a decent amount of force. Two examples of
this would be a fallen tree limb or hail coming in contact with
the roof. Both of these conditions are assumed to be pretty
rare, and for the most part are negligible and can be left out of
calculations for cost.
The Solar Roof would also change the economics of the
bills that a consumer pays. For example, according to the U.S.
Energy Information Administration, the average household
spends roughly $1400 each year on electricity [12]. With the
implementation of Tesla’s Solar Roof, this figure could
completely disappear. Over a period of 5 years, that sums to
nearly $7000. Even if Tesla’s roof costs more than the
average roof, this sum of money saved displaces some of that
cost, and will eventually pay for the roof itself. These
calculations are of course assuming that the residence will
collect enough solar energy as to make it completely
independent from the power grid. It is also possible that in
certain sunny areas of the United States that the solar system
could generate an excess of electricity and actually sell it back
to the power company.
Another key issue that Tesla’s Solar Roof and
Powerwall 2 would address is the effects that fossil fuels have
on the environment. Currently, the burning of fossil fuels
produces millions of tons of carbon dioxide every year which
is the leading cause of the damage to our atmosphere and
environments [11]. The implementation worldwide of the
Solar Roof would completely erase the need for fossil fuel
dependence in the area of residential electricity production.
This, of course, for the economically-minded, would mean a
huge drop in the industries of oil, gasoline, and coal, as they
are three of the leading sources of electricity today [11].
Long-term Benefits
In addition to the short-term benefits that can be
foreseen with the use of the Tesla Solar Roof and Powerwall
2 systems, there are also several long-term benefits that can
be projected. One of the major benefits is the possibility for
complete electrically self-sufficient homes.
This
independence from the power grids can have some major
implications. Without the need to be connected to the grid for
electricity, people can move to places that have never been
able to be settled and still enjoy the commodities of usable
and available electricity. This of course has yet to be
accomplished and is purely hypothetical. However, this
would expand the areas of the United States that people could
build homes on, increasing options for the consumer. One of
these potential areas would be in the middle of the desert. The
Tesla Solar Roof would solve the problem of electricity, but
Of course, these are the impacts in the distant future; in
the near-future the short-term benefits of these Solar Roofs
being implemented are just as pertinent as the big picture
goals of the innovation.
Short-Term Benefits
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there still might be no way to get water there. This poses
another issue, so the ability to live in a completely
independent home may still be further off in the future. With
homes producing their own electricity, there would
undoubtedly be an economic shift.
sun, so it can be said that the sun will always be there to
provide energy.
Instead of taking a substance and burning it to release
the energy stored within its bonds, solar power simply
harnesses energy that is already naturally occurring in nature.
The burning of fossil fuels is a very environmentally harmful
method of generating electricity. Due to this, there is a large
drive in the today’s society to transition to cleaner and greener
forms of power. Some of these alternative electricity
production methods include hydropower, nuclear power, geothermal power, wind energy, and solar power. The Tesla Solar
Roof is an example of some of the innovative advances in
solar energy technology.
If widespread use of the Tesla Solar roof is embraced, it
could entail a detrimental effect on the fossil fuel industry.
Currently coal, oil, and natural gas account for roughly twothirds of the electricity production in the United States. A
popular cause in our society is a push towards cleaner,
renewable energies. Attempts are being made to make solar
energy on the forefront of the energy industry, and one of
these attempts is Tesla’s solar roof. In 2013, homes and
residences accounted for 37 percent of the electricity
consumption in the United States [13]. If Tesla’s solar
technology is a success in the consumer market and is used
throughout the residential industry, overall fossil fuel
consumption would be drastically reduced. This would cause
an economic shift in the energy industry from fossil fuels to
solar energy. This could cause a shift in the job market as the
coal and natural gas industries would lose jobs, but there
would be an increase in the amount of jobs in the
manufacturing industry for solar panels. It is currently not
foreseeable whether this would have a positive or negative
effect on unemployment and the economy as a whole.
However, a transition to solar energy would not only have an
effect on the economy, but it would also have a large effect
on the environment.
There is, however, a downside to the production of the
Powerwall 2 and Solar Roof system. Specifically, the
manufacturing of the Powerwall 2 requires Lithium for its
Lithium ion battery pack. Lithium, being an alkali metal, is
not extremely abundant on Earth. The widespread production
of these battery packs would use up a great deal of Lithium
which is not a renewable resource. Using large quantities of
this metal could deplete the natural reserves, therefore, this is
not a very sustainable practice.
Although solar energy in general is considered a very
sustainable energy source due to absolutely no pollutants and
carbon emissions being produced by it, a solar panel system
alone is not sustainable. Due to the nature of our solar system
and the weather patterns on earth, a solar panel system will
not receive 24-7 contact from sunlight. This is slightly
problematic for a society such as our own where electricity is
in constant demand. For solar power to be a viable source of
electricity, the panels must be connected to a battery of some
sort to store the energy that is collected through the panels.
This lack of ability to store massive amounts of energy for use
when lacking sunlight is one reason why solar energy has not
been successful on large scale energy production. However,
solar energy has been more effective on small scale usage.
One of the biggest environmental trends that would
change with a reduction of the consumption of fossil fuels is
the reduction of carbon emissions released into the
atmosphere. The burning of fossil fuels for electricity in the
U.S. released over two thousand metric tons of carbon dioxide
into the atmosphere in 2014 alone [11]. This is roughly 30
percent of the total carbon emissions per year in the United
States [11]. These carbon emissions have been linked to
climate change, also dubbed global warming, by
environmental scientists. While it is known that our planet
goes through natural heating and cooling cycles, many
environmentalists hold the position that humans have had a
large impact on this climate change in recent years due to a
huge increase of carbon emissions from industrialization. If
we can reduce the amount of emissions that we are releasing
into the atmosphere, we can help to pave the way to a greener,
more eco-friendly, tomorrow.
The Powerwall 2 system solves this issue by providing
an efficient battery system to store the energy collected by the
Tesla Solar Roof. When paired together, the systems provide
an option for solar power that could potentially be successful
on large scale. The innovative part of this solution to
widespread use of solar energy is the Powerwall 2 system.
This design places an efficient battery system inside of the
residence or business. With solar energy collected during the
day and stored in this battery, the problem of constant
electricity demand is solved. Although a component of the
production of the Powerwall 2 is not very sustainable, these
resources are being used to produce electricity in a very
sustainable way. Due to this, the Tesla Solar Roof paired with
the Powerwall 2 is a possible sustainable solution to
widespread use of solar power across the country.
SUSTAINABILITY OF SOLAR ENERGY
Solar energy is by its very nature a form of sustainable
energy that can be harnessed for human consumption. Unlike
fossil fuels, which exist in limited amounts on this planet,
solar energy is vastly abundant and virtually inexhaustible.
Although the sun only has a limited lifetime and a finite
amount of fuel, life itself cannot exist on earth without the
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Michael Mascherino
<http://www.gosolarcalifornia.ca.gov/solar_basics/how.php
>
[3] Randall, T. “Musk Says Tesla’s Solar Shingles Will Cost
Less Than a Dumb Roof.” Bloomberg Technology.
11.17.2016. Accessed 1.11.2017.
<https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-1117/musk-says-tesla-s-solar-shingles-will-cost-less-than-adumb-roof>.
[4] Dhar, M. “How Do Solar Panels Work?.” LiveScience.
12.16.2013. Accessed 1.11.2017.
<http://www.livescience.com/41995-how-do-solar-panelswork.html>.
[5] “Photovoltaic Solar Cells.” Life Free Energy. 2017.
Accessed 2.19.2017.
<http://lifefreeenergy.com/p/photovoltaic-solar-cells.html>.
[6] Cinnamon, B. “Running the Numbers for Tesla’s Solar
Roof: How Much Will It Cost You?.” Greentech Media.
11.8.2016.
Accessed
1.11.2017.
<https://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/theeconomics-of-teslas-solar-roof>.
[7] “Solar Roof.” Tesla. 2017. Accessed 1.10.2017.
<https://www.tesla.com/solar>.
[8] Spector, J. “Here’s Everything New About Tesla’s
Updated Powerwall 2.0.” Greentech Media. 07 Nov. 2016.
Accessed 03.02.2017.
<https://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/what-reallymatters-from-tesla-battery-powerwall-powerpack>
[9] “Powerwall 2 AC.” Tesla. 01 Nov. 2016. Accessed
3.2.2017
<https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/e6f64851ea309616b
569efcdb1b17a28c9f0975f3dadc5af3dd25c8af6383bca.png>
[10] “How much electricity does an American home use?.”
U.S. Energy Information Administration. 8.18.2016.
Accessed
1.11.2017.
<https://www.eia.gov/tools/faqs/faq.cfm?id=97&t=3>.
[11] “Sources of Greenhouse Gas Emissions.” United States
Environmental Protection Agency. 2014. Accessed
03.02.2017
<https://www.epa.gov/ghgemissions/sourcesgreenhouse-gas-emissions>
[12] “2015 Average Monthly Bill- Residential.” U.S. Energy
Information Administration. 2015. Accessed 1.11.2017.
<http://www.eia.gov/electricity/sales_revenue_price/pdf/tabl
e5_a.pdf>.
[13] “Electricity Customers.” United States Environmental
Protection Agency. 2013. Accessed 03.02.2017.
<https://www.epa.gov/energy/electricity-customers>
SOLAR ROOF AND POWERWALL 2:
IMPROVING RESIDENTIAL ENERGY
SYSTEMS
Since the conception of harnessed electricity in the
1800’s, its uses have increased with every new invention that
has come along. Countless innovations have continued to
reimagine the world we live in, leading to a diverse and
advanced modern society. Despite all of the progress made
through electricity, the process of actually making the
electricity has not changed much since the start of its
utilization. This process of burning fossil fuels to convert
energy into electricity which is then distributed to the masses
is a major cause of the carbon dioxide in our atmosphere.
Now, new technologies have been developed which allow for
alternative methods of producing electricity. Specifically,
solar energy is a leading prospect to eliminate the need for
burning fossil fuels. However, solar energy has been
primarily a large-scale method of creating energy and has not
been made readily available to use in commercial products.
Tesla, however, is making this possible through their new
Solar Roof and Powerwall 2 system. This system grants every
home the ability to generate its own electricity and become
self-sufficient, no longer relying on the grids powered by
fossil fuels. Through many individual solar cells that will
serve as shingles and simultaneously convert the Sun’s rays
into electrical energy, Tesla aims to make this once farfetched
fantasy a reality across the country. The future impacts are
staggering, allowing for individual homes to depend solely on
themselves for energy production, and even making it
possible to settle areas that had previously been too far or
isolated for a grid system to power. The environmental
impacts are immense; with a complete conversion to Tesla’s
new system, the country would see a substantial reduction in
fossil fuel burning. Tesla is out to reach for the stars,
specifically, our star, and turn it into our greatest ally to
defend us against the harmful byproducts of our current
methods. This new Solar Roof and Powerwall 2 system are
the next step in becoming entirely environmentally friendly in
the future, and as Musk has stated, costs less than a “…dumb
roof” and the electricity “… is just a bonus” [3]. The
widespread use of the Solar Roof would help to usher the
world into a greener age of reduced emissions and
dependency on fossil fuels for electricity.
SOURCES
[1] “Powerwall 2.” Tesla. 2017. Accessed 1.10.2017.
<https://www.tesla.com/powerwall>.
[2]"How Solar Electricity Systems Work - Go Solar
California." How Solar Electricity Systems Work - Go Solar
California. State of California, California Energy
Commission & California Public Utilities Commission,
2017. Web. 01 Mar. 2017.
ADDITIONAL SOURCES
“Breakdown of Electricity Generation by Energy Source.”
The Shift Project Data Portal. n.d. Accessed 03.02.2017.
<http://www.tsp-data-portal.org/Breakdown-of-ElectricityGeneration-by-Energy-Source#tspQvChart>.
Hoium, T. “No, Tesla’s Solar Roof Will Not Cost the Same
as a Traditional Roof.” 11.19.2016. Accessed 1.11.2017.
6
Adam Malagari
Michael Mascherino
<http://www.fool.com/investing/2016/11/19/no-teslas-solarroof-will-not-cost-the-same-as-a-t.aspx>.
"How Solar Electricity Systems Work - Go Solar California."
How Solar Electricity Systems Work - Go Solar California.
State of California, California Energy Commission &
California Public Utilities Commission, 2017. Web. 01 Mar.
2017.<http://www.gosolarcalifornia.ca.gov/solar_basics/how
.php>.
Wagner, V. “Engineers Who Work With Solar.” n.d.
Accessed 1.11.2017 <http://work.chron.com/engineerswork-solar-1835.html>.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
We would like to acknowledge Daniel Sauder for taking
time out of his schedule to meet with us and advise us on the
best course of action to take throughout this paper. He has
been a great benefit to us and continues to be. We would also
like to thank Joshua Zelesnick from the writing center here at
the University of Pittsburgh for aiding in the technical
components of this paper such as format and requirements.
7