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Tesla patent hints at system that makes Solar Roof tiles look even better

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While Tesla’s Solar Roof tiles are already being installed on the homes of first customers in the United States, the shingles themselves are still in initial production. Unveiled back in October 2016, the Solar Roof tiles are expected hit larger production volumes this year. As the company heads into yet another ramp of a potentially disruptive product, though, Tesla appears to be working on some improvements on the tiles’ design as well.

As noted in a recently published patent application, Tesla is developing a system that would allow the company to improve the aesthetics of the solar shingles even further. In the patent application’s description, Tesla noted that integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) roofing systems such as the Solar Roof tiles are becoming more popular in the residential solar market, thanks to their benefits in both function and design. That said, while BIPV systems present an excellent solution for design-conscious customers, the system itself faces some challenges — the most notable of which is visual uniformity.

Tesla notes that in prior art BIPV roofing systems, the active solar portions of a roofing module end up being visibly different in appearance compared to inactive parts of the roof. The company notes that this contrast in appearance can get so pronounced that it becomes easy to spot which tiles are active and which are inactive from road level. Tesla notes that even in the design of the shingles themselves, it is quite easy to determine which parts of the tiles are active and which ones are not.

“This problem of visual mismatch, however, is not limited to BIPV versus non-BIPV sections of the roof. Even within a single roof tile and/or BIPV roofing module, the solar cells or active solar regions are clearly distinguishable from the other surrounding materials. This is due in part to edge setback constraints that impose a fixed, non-active edge border around active solar portions of solar roof tiles or BIPV roofing modules. Therefore, there exists a need for a solar roof tile or BIPV roofing module that ameliorates deficiencies of prior art BIPV roofing systems,” Tesla wrote.

 

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The design of Tesla’s solar shingles outlined in its recent patent application. (Photo: US Patent Office)

Tesla explains this design issue for BIPV roofing systems more extensively in the section below.

“In either tile 105 of FIG. 2 or tile 106 of FIG. 3, the lack of active thin-film material within the edge setback results in a relatively large, e.g. ˜16 mm, visible border around the outside of active area 112 that is noticeable not only when viewed up close, but even at street level distances from a roof surface. This result can be seen in the extended partial array 100 of FIG. 4. The relatively large percentage of tile surface area of the edge setback that is devoid of thin-film material creates a sharply contrasting two-color/two-tone pattern between the area surrounding the active area of thin-film photovoltaic material and the active area of thin-film photovoltaic material. In embodiments, techniques are used to provide aesthetic uniformity such as depositing colored material on the underside of top glass 110 prior to lamination to conceal active area 112 beneath. This approach, however, may result in a reduction in energy collection because these extra materials may block photons from reaching active area 112.”

Tesla’s solution for this aesthetic challenge — which uses an inactive area of thin-film photovoltaic material that surrounds a solar shingles’ active area — is simple and clever. Tesla describes its design in the section below.

“As shown, the tiles 205 include a substantially rectangular active 212 surrounded by a substantially rectangular board of an inactive area 225. In embodiments, the inactive area may completely surround the active area or may only be present on one, two or three sides of the active area. As shown in FIG. 5, the tiles 205 create a more uniform look and, when viewed at distances, such as in shown in FIG. 8, adhesion area 215 blends into the natural seams between adjacent tiles or between active areas 212 of adjacent tile sections. The visible material difference has been attenuated by the use of non-active thin-film material within a portion of the setback region allowing for a smaller adhesion zone.”

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Tesla’s recent patent application would be particularly useful for the other Solar Roof variants planned by the company. So far, social media posts from Solar Roof owners show homes fitted with the company’s Textured tiles, whose design inherently bypasses the uniformity issues described in the patent application. As for other Solar Roof variants like Smooth and Tuscan, though, the recent application’s innovations would certainly be beneficial.

Tesla’s Solar Roof tiles are being produced at Gigafactory 2 in Buffalo, NY. Over the years, the facility has largely evaded attention, particularly as Tesla’s energy business was mostly overshadowed by the company’s ramp for the Model 3. Last year, though, Tesla opened the doors of Gigafactory 2 to the media, providing a glimpse of what is in store for the company’s residential solar business. While Tesla did not provide specifics on the facility’s current output, the electric car and energy company did state that Gigafactory 2 is operating 24/7, and that the long waiting list for the Solar Roof tiles would likely keep the entire facility busy for years.

Simon is an experienced automotive reporter with a passion for electric cars and clean energy. Fascinated by the world envisioned by Elon Musk, he hopes to make it to Mars (at least as a tourist) someday. For stories or tips--or even to just say a simple hello--send a message to his email, simon@teslarati.com or his handle on X, @ResidentSponge.

Energy

Tesla inks multi-billion-dollar deal with LG Energy Solution to avoid tariff pressure

Tesla has reportedly secured a sizable partnership with LGES for LFP cells, and there’s an extra positive out of it.

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Credit: Tesla

Tesla has reportedly inked a multi-billion-dollar deal with LG Energy Solution in an effort to avoid tariff pressure and domesticate more of its supply chain.

Reuters is reporting that Tesla and LGES, a South Korean battery supplier of the automaker, signed a $4.3 billion deal for energy storage system batteries. The cells are going to be manufactured by LGES at its U.S. factory located in Michigan, the report indicates. The batteries will be the lithium iron phosphate, or LFP, chemistry.

Tesla delivers 384,000 vehicles in Q2 2025, deploys 9.6 GWh in energy storage

It is a move Tesla is making to avoid buying cells and parts from overseas as the Trump White House continues to use tariffs to prioritize domestic manufacturing.

LGES announced earlier today that it had signed a $4.3 billion contract to supply LFP cells over three years to a company, but it did not identify the customer, nor did the company state whether the batteries would be used in automotive or energy storage applications.

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The deal is advantageous for both companies. Tesla is going to alleviate its reliance on battery cells that are built out of the country, so it’s going to be able to take some financial pressure off itself.

For LGES, the company has reported that it has experienced slowed demand for its cells in terms of automotive applications. It planned to offset this demand lag with more projects involving the cells in energy storage projects. This has been helped by the need for these systems at data centers used for AI.

During the Q1 Earnings Call, Tesla CFO Vaibhav Taneja confirmed that the company’s energy division had been impacted by the need to source cells from China-based suppliers. He went on to say that the company would work on “securing additional supply chain from non-China-based suppliers.”

It seems as if Tesla has managed to secure some of this needed domestic supply chain.

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Energy

Tesla Shanghai Megafactory produces 1,000th Megapack for export to Europe

The Shanghai Megafactory was able to hit this milestone less than six months after it started producing the Megapack. 

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Credit: Tesla Asia/X

Tesla Energy has announced a fresh milestone for its newest Megapack factory. As per the electric vehicle maker, the Shanghai Megafactory has successfully produced its 1,000th Megapack battery. 

The facility was able to hit this milestone less than six months after it started producing the grid-scale battery system. 

New Tesla Megapack Milestone

As per Tesla Asia in a post on its official accounts on social media platform X, the 1,000th Megapack unit that was produced at the Shanghai Megafactory would be exported to Europe. As noted in a CNEV Post report, Tesla’s energy products are currently deployed in over 65 countries and regions globally. This allows Tesla Energy to compete in energy markets that are both emerging and mature.

To commemorate the 1,000th Megapack produced at the Shanghai Megafactory, the Tesla China team posted with the grid-scale battery with celebratory balloons that spelled “Megapack 1000.” The milestone was celebrated by Tesla enthusiasts on social media, especially since the Shanghai Megafactory only started its operations earlier this year.

Quick Megafactory Ramp

The Shanghai Megafactory, similar to Tesla’s other key facilities in China, was constructed quickly. The facility started its construction on May 23, 2024, and it was hailed as Tesla’s first entry storage project outside the United States. Less than a year later, on February 11, 2025, the Shanghai Megafactory officially started producing Megapack batteries. And by March 21, 2025, Tesla China noted that it had shipped the first batch of Megapack batteries from the Shanghai plant to foreign markets.

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While the Shanghai Megafactory is still not at the same level of output as Tesla’s Lathrop Megafactory, which produces about 10,000 Megapacks per year, its ramp seems to be quite steady and quick. It would then not be surprising if Tesla China announces the Shanghai Megafactory’s 2,000th Megapack milestone in the coming months.

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Energy

Tesla launches first Virtual Power Plant in UK – get paid to use solar

Tesla has launched its first-ever Virtual Power Plant program in the United Kingdom.

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Credit: Tesla Energy | X

Tesla has launched its first-ever Virtual Power Plant program in the United Kingdom. This feature enables users of solar panels and energy storage systems to sell their excess energy back to the grid.

Tesla is utilizing Octopus Energy, a British renewable energy company that operates in multiple markets, including the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Australia, Japan, New Zealand, and the United States, as the provider for the VPP launch in the region.

The company states that those who enroll in the program can earn up to £300 per month.

Tesla has operated several VPP programs worldwide, most notably in California, Texas, Connecticut, and the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico. This is not the first time Tesla has operated a VPP outside the United States, as there are programs in Australia, Japan, and New Zealand.

This is its first in the UK:

Tesla is not the only company that is working with Octopus Energy in the UK for the VPP, as it joins SolarEdge, GivEnergy, and Enphase as other companies that utilize the Octopus platform for their project operations.

It has been six years since Tesla launched its first VPP, as it started its first in Australia back in 2019. In 2024, Tesla paid out over $10 million to those participating in the program.

Tesla VPP program in California hits new capacity milestone

Participating in the VPP program that Tesla offers not only provides enrolled individuals with the opportunity to earn money, but it also contributes to grid stabilization by supporting local energy grids.

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