Energy
Tesla patent hints at system that makes Solar Roof tiles look even better
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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- Tesla’s solar shingle design outlined in its recent patent application. (Photo: US Patent Office)
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- Tesla’s solar shingle design outlined in its recent patent application. (Photo: US Patent Office)
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.”
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.
Energy
Tesla meets Giga New York’s Buffalo job target amid political pressures
Giga New York reported more than 3,460 statewide jobs at the end of 2025, meeting the benchmark tied to its dollar-a-year lease.
Tesla has surpassed its job commitments at Giga New York in Buffalo, easing pressure from lawmakers who threatened the company with fines, subsidy clawbacks, and dealership license revocations last year.
The company reported more than 3,460 statewide jobs at the end of 2025, meeting the benchmark tied to its dollar-a-year lease at the state-built facility.
As per an employment report reviewed by local media, Tesla employed 2,399 full-time workers at Gigafactory New York and 1,060 additional employees across the state at the end of 2025. Part-time roles pushed the total headcount of Tesla’s New York staff above the 3,460-job target.
The gains stemmed in part from a new Long Island service center, a Buffalo warehouse, and additional showrooms in White Plains and Staten Island. Tesla also said it has invested $350 million in supercomputing infrastructure at the site and has begun manufacturing solar panels.
Empire State Development CEO Hope Knight said the agency was “very happy” with Giga New York’s progress, as noted in a WXXI report. The current lease runs through 2029, and negotiations over updated terms have included potential adjustments to job requirements and future rent payments.
Some lawmakers remain skeptical, however. Assemblymember Pat Burke questioned whether the reported job figures have been fully verified. State Sen. Patricia Fahy has also continued to sponsor legislation that would revoke Tesla’s company-owned dealership licenses in New York. John Kaehny of Reinvent Albany has argued that the project has not delivered the manufacturing impact originally promised as well.
Knight, for her part, maintained that Empire State Development has been making the best of a difficult situation.
“(Empire State Development) has tried to make the best of a very difficult situation. There hasn’t been another use that has come forward that would replace this one, and so to the extent that we’re in this place, the fact that 2,000 families at (Giga New York) are being supported through the activity of this employer. It’s the best that we can have happen,” the CEO noted.
Energy
Tesla launches Cybertruck vehicle-to-grid program in Texas
The initiative was announced by the official Tesla Energy account on social media platform X.
Tesla has launched a vehicle-to-grid (V2G) program in Texas, allowing eligible Cybertruck owners to send energy back to the grid during high-demand events and receive compensation on their utility bills.
The initiative, dubbed Powershare Grid Support, was announced by the official Tesla Energy account on social media platform X.
Texas’ Cybertruck V2G program
In its post on X, Tesla Energy confirmed that vehicle-to-grid functionality is “coming soon,” starting with select Texas markets. Under the new Powershare Grid Support program, owners of the Cybertruck equipped with Powershare home backup hardware can opt in through the Tesla app and participate in short-notice grid stress events.
During these events, the Cybertruck automatically discharges excess energy back to the grid, supporting local utilities such as CenterPoint Energy and Oncor. In return, participants receive compensation in the form of bill credits. Tesla noted that the program is currently invitation-only as part of an early adopter rollout.
The launch builds on the Cybertruck’s existing Powershare capability, which allows the vehicle to provide up to 11.5 kW of power for home backup. Tesla added that the program is expected to expand to California next, with eligibility tied to utilities such as PG&E, SCE, and SDG&E.
Powershare Grid Support
To participate in Texas, Cybertruck owners must live in areas served by CenterPoint Energy or Oncor, have Powershare equipment installed, enroll in the Tesla Electric Drive plan, and opt in through the Tesla app. Once enrolled, vehicles would be able to contribute power during high-demand events, helping stabilize the grid.
Tesla noted that events may occur with little notice, so participants are encouraged to keep their Cybertrucks plugged in when at home and to manage their discharge limits based on personal needs. Compensation varies depending on the electricity plan, similar to how Powerwall owners in some regions have earned substantial credits by participating in Virtual Power Plant (VPP) programs.
Tesla is updating Cybertruck owners on its timeline of a massive feature that has yet to ship: Powershare with Powerwall.
Powershare is a bidirectional charging feature exclusive to Cybertruck, which allows the vehicle’s battery to act as a portable power source for homes, appliances, tools, other EVs, and more. It was announced in late 2023 as part of Tesla’s push into vehicle-to-everything energy sharing, and acting as a giant portable charger is the main advantage, as it can provide backup power during outages.
Cybertruck’s Powershare system supports both vehicle-to-load (V2L) and vehicle-to-home (V2H), making it flexible and well-rounded for a variety of applications.
However, even though the feature was promised with Cybertruck, it has yet to be shipped to vehicles. Tesla communicated with owners through email recently regarding Powershare with Powerwall, which essentially has the pickup act as an extended battery.
Powerwall discharge would be prioritized before tapping into the truck’s larger pack.
However, Tesla is still working on getting the feature out to owners, an email said:
“We’re writing to let you know that the Powershare with Powerwall feature is still in development and is now scheduled for release in mid-2026.
This new release date gives us additional time to design and test this feature, ensuring its ability to communicate and optimize energy sharing between your vehicle and many configurations and generations of Powerwall. We are also using this time to develop additional Powershare features that will help us continue to accelerate the world’s transition to sustainable energy.”
Owners have expressed some real disappointment in Tesla’s continuous delays in releasing the feature, as it was expected to be released by late 2024, but now has been pushed back several times to mid-2026, according to the email.
Foundation Series Cybertruck buyers paid extra, expecting the feature to be rolled out with their vehicle upon pickup.
Cybertruck’s Lead Engineer, Wes Morrill, even commented on the holdup:
As a Cybertruck owner who also has Powerwall, I empathize with the disappointed comments.
To their credit, the team has delivered powershare functionality to Cybertruck customers who otherwise have no backup with development of the powershare gateway. As well as those with solar…
— Wes (@wmorrill3) December 12, 2025
He said that “it turned out to be much harder than anticipated to make powershare work seamlessly with existing Powerwalls through existing wall connectors. Two grid-forming devices need to negotiate who will form and who will follow, depending on the state of charge of each, and they need to do this without a network and through multiple generations of hardware, and test and validate this process through rigorous certifications to ensure grid safety.”
It’s nice to see the transparency, but it is justified for some Cybertruck owners to feel like they’ve been bait-and-switched.
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