Elon Musk just pulled off a Steve Jobs-ian “one more thing” surprise. https://bloom.bg/2zaIMum
Home builders are starting to see the advantage of incorporating solar and energy storage products directly as part of their offerings. One home builder in Australia decided to make solar arrays and Tesla Powerwalls standard in 50 “knockdown rebuild homes” and claims that ‘it’s like putting around $50,000 in your pocket’. Earlier this week, we reported on how Tesla’s giant Powerpack system in Australia made around $1 million in just a few days through the country’s wholesale electricity market. Homeowners can do the same on a smaller scale if they have a home solar array and a Powerwall, Te…
Washington: Scientists have discovered a new material for next-generation smart windows that not only darken automatically when the Sun is too bright but also convert solar energy into electricity.
Researchers at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) in the US found a form of perovskite that works well as a stable and photoactive semiconductor material that can reversibly switch between transparent and non-transparent state, without degrading its electronic properties.
The scientists made the discovery while investigating the phase transition of the material, an inorganic perovskite.
Continue reading “Gen-next smart solar windows could produce electricity” »
BMW is promising a series of new all-electric cars starting next with the first all-electric Mini, but the most anticipated one is the 2021 iNext electric vehicle, which the German automaker has been positioning as a Tesla Model 3 competitor.
They are now hinting at a major range increase for the upcoming vehicle.
Tesla has apparently begun manufacturing its solar roof tiles at its Buffalo, New York, factory, according to Reuters. The company is also starting the process of surveying the homes of people who placed a deposit on the tiles last year for installation purposes. We’ve reached out to Tesla for confirmation.
Preorders for the solar roof tiles began back in May; customers paid $1,000 as a deposit on the product, and US installation was supposed to start in the summer of 2017. However, unsurprisingly, the process was delayed. But now, it looks as though most of the kinks have been worked out, and Reuters reports that the roofs will be installed in coming months.
Tesla claims that the solar roof tiles will cost less than a typical roof, around $21.85 per square foot instead of $24.50. The tiles are a solid option if you’re planning on replacing your roof in the next few years, or if you’re considering solar panels. The tiles look like regular shingles; in fact, not every shingle installed is solar, though you can’t distinguish between the two. You can customize what percentage of your roof tiles are solar in their online tool; the max is 70 percent. Obviously, the more solar panels you install, the more expensive your roof is. The company is still taking preorders with $1,000 deposits. You can sign up at their website if you’re so inclined.
Continue reading “Tesla has finally begun manufacturing solar roof tiles” »
Lightyear One, a car whose ability to use solar power has been thought of as an impossible feat, just won a Climate Change Innovator Award.
Designed by the Dutch startup Lightyear, the “car that charges itself” can supposedly drive for months without charging and has a 400–800 km range. But is a solar-powered car feasible?
Continue reading “A Fully Solar-Powered Car May Be Hitting The Road by 2019” »
