Energy
Tesla patents custom cooling system for longer-lasting energy storage devices
A significant part of Tesla’s business relies heavily on the durability and longevity of its battery packs, and in the spirit of disruptive innovation, the Silicon Valley-based company has continued to make improvements to its battery technology to make them more durable and more efficient. Tesla was able to achieve this through several ways, one of which was discussed in a recently published patent application.
It is pertinent for battery packs, particularly those that are used for energy storage, to be robust enough that they last for a very long time. To accomplish this, battery packs must be able to handle multiple charge and discharge cycles on a regular basis. They must also be able to weather faults in the system, including those that may cause damage to the actual cells in the pack itself.
Such a system was outlined by Tesla in a patent simply titled “Energy Storage System.” Explaining its rationale, the Silicon Valley-based company stated that “cells and other components in a pack generate heat during operation, both during the charging process to store the energy and during the discharge process when energy is consumed.” Tesla further explains that “when the cells fail, they typically release hot gases. These gases may impact the integrity of other cells in the pack and may cause substantial damage to the functional cells which have not failed.”
With this in mind, Tesla maintains that there is a need to develop an “improved energy storage system” that will be capable of reducing or removing “one or more of the issues mentioned.” Tesla’s patent describes two strategies that could improve its battery packs. One of these involves the use of a novel system that utilizes a cold plate, which could help remove heat generated by the battery pack during use. Heat pipes may also be used together with a cold plate to achieve this purpose.
“In certain embodiments, a cold plate (which provides liquid cooling) may be in thermal connection with the battery cells 100 to further remove heat generated during system use. The cold plate may be in direct thermal contact with the battery cells 100 or, alternatively, one or more layers and/or features may be between the cold plate and the battery cells 100. In certain embodiments, the battery cells 100 are in contact with one or more heat pipes to remove excess heat disposed under the battery cells. A cold plate is disposed below the heat pipe or pipes (on the side of the heat pipe away from the battery cells 100) that helps dissipate the heat contained in the heat pipe.”
“In certain embodiments, the cold plate may be in thermal contact with one side of the cells without any heat pipes disposed between the cells. The cold plate may physically consist of a single plate or multiple plates that are thermally connected to the cells and/or one another. In other embodiments, one or more heat pipes are disposed between the battery cells 100 and a cold plate is disposed below the battery cells 100. The heat pipes and the cold plate may be in thermal connection with one another.”
Apart from the use of cold plates, Tesla also described a battery pack with regions that are designed to give way when mechanical failures happen. By using such a system, the majority of the cells in a battery pack become protected even if some cells were to fail.
“The top plate includes one or more weak areas above the one or more battery cell. The weak areas are regions that have less integrity and thus, where mechanical failure is more likely to occur if a battery cell releases gas. These regions may be physically weaker areas compared to the surrounding areas and may rupture when pressure builds up due to a failed cell. Alternatively, the weak areas may be chemically weaker and preferentially rupture when exposed to the caustic gases released by a failed battery cell. The weak areas may also fail due to a combination of physical and chemical weakening.”
The full text of Tesla’s Energy Storage System patent could be accessed here.
Tesla’s focus on battery integrity in its recently published patent application suggests that the Silicon Valley-based company is looking to develop packs that are capable of lasting a very long time. Such improvements have been teased before, especially in a paper released by Tesla lead battery researcher Jeff Dahn and members of the Department of Physics and Atmospheric Science at Dalhousie University. The cells described in the paper are capable of lasting over 1 million miles on the road, or 20 years if used in grid energy storage.
Looking at these initiatives, as well as the battery pack contingencies outlined in the recently released patent, it appears that Tesla is building up towards creating an ecosystem of products that are capable of lasting decades. This, of course, plays a huge part in pushing Tesla’s overall goal of accelerating the advent of sustainable energy.
Energy
Tesla VP hints at Solar Roof comeback with Giga New York push
The comments hint at possible renewed life for the Solar Roof program, which has seen years of slow growth since its 2016 unveiling.
Tesla’s long-awaited and way underrated Solar Roof may finally be getting its moment. During the company’s Q3 2025 earnings call, Vice President of Energy Engineering Michael Snyder revealed that production of a new residential solar panel has started at Tesla’s Buffalo, New York facility, with shipments to customers beginning in the first quarter of 2026.
The comments hint at possible renewed life for the Solar Roof program, which has seen years of slow growth since its 2016 unveiling.
Tesla Energy’s strong demand
Responding to an investor question about Tesla’s energy backlog, Snyder said demand for Megapack and Powerwall continues to be “really strong” into next year. He also noted positive customer feedback for the company’s new Megablock product, which is expected to start shipping from Houston in 2026.
“We’re seeing remarkable growth in the demand for AI and data center applications as hyperscalers and utilities have seen the versatility of the Megapack product. It increases reliability and relieves grid constraints,” he said.
Snyder also highlighted a “surge in residential solar demand in the US,” attributing the spike to recent policy changes that incentivize home installations. Tesla expects this trend to continue into 2026, helped by the rollout of a new solar lease product that makes adoption more affordable for homeowners.
Possible Solar Roof revival?
Perhaps the most intriguing part of Snyder’s remarks, however, was Tesla’s move to begin production of its “residential solar panel” in Buffalo, New York. He described the new panels as having “industry-leading aesthetics” and shape performance, language Tesla has used to market its Solar Roof tiles in the past.
“We also began production of our Tesla residential solar panel in our Buffalo factory, and we will be shipping that to customers starting Q1. The panel has industry-leading aesthetics and shape performance and demonstrates our continued commitment to US manufacturing,” Snyder said during the Q3 2025 earnings call.
Snyder did not explicitly name the product, though his reference to aesthetics has fueled speculation that Tesla may finally be preparing a large-scale and serious rollout of its Solar Roof line.
Originally unveiled in 2016, the Solar Roof was intended to transform rooftops into clean energy generators without compromising on design. However, despite early enthusiasm, production and installation volumes have remained limited for years. In 2023, a report from Wood Mackenzie claimed that there were only 3,000 operational Solar Roof installations across the United States at the time, far below forecasts. In response, the official Tesla Energy account on X stated that the report was “incorrect by a large margin.”
Energy
Tesla China’s Megafactory helps boost Shanghai’s battery exports by 20%: report
Located in the Lingang New Area of the Shanghai Free Trade Zone, the Tesla Megafactory has been running at full throttle since opening in February.
Reports from China have indicated that the Tesla Shanghai Megafactory has become a notable player in China’s booming battery export market.
Located in the Lingang New Area of the Shanghai Free Trade Zone, the Tesla Megafactory has been running at full throttle since opening in February. It produces Tesla Megapack batteries for domestic and international use.
Tesla Shanghai Megafactory
As noted in a report from Sina Finance, the Tesla Shanghai Megafactory’s output of Megapack batteries helped drive a notable rise in lithium battery shipments from the city in the first three quarters of 2025. This is quite impressive as the Megafactory is a rather young facility, though it has been steadily increasing its production capacity.
“The establishment of this benchmark factory has not only driven the rapid development of Shanghai’s energy storage industry but also become a new growth engine for foreign trade exports. Driven by the Tesla energy storage factory’s opening, Shanghai’s lithium battery exports reached 32.15 billion yuan ($4.5 billion) in the first three quarters, a 20.7% increase,” the publication wrote.
Ultimately, the Shanghai Megafactory has proved helpful to the city’s “new three” industries, which are comprised of new energy vehicles, lithium batteries, and photovoltaic systems. Exports of the “new three” products reached 112.17 billion yuan ($15.7 billion), a 6.3% year-over-year increase during the same period. The city’s total trade volume grew 5.4% year-over-year as well, with exports up 11.3%, driven largely by the clean energy sector’s performance.
Energy storage is helping Shanghai
Since opening in February, the Shanghai Megafactory has been firing on all cylinders. In late July, Tesla Energy announced that the new battery factory has successfully produced its 1,000th Megapack unit. That’s quite impressive for a facility that, at the time, had only been operational for less than six months.
Speed has always been a trademark of the Shanghai Megafactory. Similar to Tesla’s other key facilities in China, the Megafactory was constructed quickly. The facility started its construction on May 23, 2024. Less than a year later, the site officially started producing Megapack batteries. By late March 2025, Tesla China noted that it had shipped the first batch of Megapack batteries from the Shanghai plant to foreign markets.
Tesla will recall Powerwall 2 units in Australia after a handful of property owners reported fires that caused “minor property damage.” The fires were attributed to cells used by Tesla in the Powerwall 2.
Tesla Powerwall is a battery storage unit that retains energy from solar panels and is used by homeowners and businesses to maintain power in the event of an outage. It also helps alleviate the need to rely on the grid, which can help stabilize power locally.
Powerwall owners can also enroll in the Virtual Power Plant (VPP) program, which allows them to sell energy back to the grid, helping to reduce energy bills. Tesla revealed last year that over 100,000 Powerwalls were participating in the program.
Tesla announces 100k Powerwalls are participating in Virtual Power Plants
The Australia Competition and Consumer Commission said in a filing that it received several reports from owners of fires that led to minor damage. The Australian government agency did not disclose the number of units impacted by the recall.
The issue is related to the cells, which Tesla sources from a third-party company.
Anyone whose Powerwall 2 unit is impacted by the recall will be notified through the Tesla app, the company said.
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