Image: Tesla
To generate solar power in residential and commercial solar power installations, rooftop solar panels are commonly installed, which may include a two-dimensional array of solar cells. Meanwhile, photovoltaic roof tiles (or solar roof tiles) can be a certain type of photovoltaic module that provides weather protection for a home, have a pleasant aesthetic appearance, and also function as a photovoltaic module for converting solar energy into electricity.
A solar roof tile can be in the form of a conventional roof tile and can include one or more solar cells sandwiched between the front cover and the back cover, but usually holds fewer solar cells than a conventional solar panel.
The front cover must be transparent to ensure sufficient sunlight transmission, while encapsulated PV structures are often dark in color. When viewed from a shallow angle (for example, when looking at the roof from the street), dark photovoltaic structures may become visible. The color contrast between the photovoltaic structures and the glass cover can create an unaesthetic picture. Apart from this, a solar roof usually includes a mixture of photovoltaic tiles as well as tiles without photovoltaic cells, which requires them to have the same look.
Tesla strives to create the perfect appearance of solar roofs, therefore constantly works to improve their color. The company has filed a patent: 'System and method for improving color appearance of solar roofs.'
Filing Date: 08.03.2020
Publication Date: 11.02.2021
FIG. 16A shows various exemplary microtexture patterns on a glass surface, according to one embodiment.
FIG. 16B shows a partial view of a roof having tiles with different texture patterns, according to one embodiment.
The patent describes methods of making a tile with paint applied to it and its texturing, as well as new materials with which this can be achieved. This patent will solve the technical problem of improving the aesthetics of solar roof tiles while striving for the lowest possible cost.
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Article edited by @SmokeyShorts, you can follow him on Twitter
About the Author
Eva Fox
Eva Fox joined Tesmanian in 2019 to cover breaking news as an automotive journalist. The main topics that she covers are clean energy and electric vehicles. As a journalist, Eva is specialized in Tesla and topics related to the work and development of the company.
