Tesla unveils its new ‘sleek and low-profile’ solar panel made by Panasonic

Re:Tesla unveils its new ‘sleek and low-profile’ solar panel... by mikekchar on Tuesday April 11, 2017 @04:02AM (#14085725)

I've seen panels very much like these in Japan. They've been around for a couple of years. It may very well be the ones from Panasonic, but a quick glance at the Panasonic Japanese web page is inconclusive.

But in any case, the concept is already tested in the field. And in case you are wondering, it get's very hot where I live in the summer (40C is not unheard of). It would be interesting to see what they are doing to ensure airflow.

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Re:Tesla unveils its new ‘sleek and low-profile’ solar panel... by skamoen on Tuesday April 11, 2017 @05:20AM (#14086069)

Electrek.co states they're indeed from Panasonic https://electrek.co/2017/04/09/tesla-solar-panel-panasonic/

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Re:Tesla unveils its new ‘sleek and low-profile’ solar panel... by usrusr on Tuesday April 11, 2017 @07:22AM (#14086640)

So basically, Musk-oil infused off the shelf products? This could be the "rounded corners" of energy, cue the Samsung jokes.

There have been different levels of awareness for the visual quality of photovoltaic installations before, this one does not strike me as a particularly large jump. Maybe the baseline standard in the US is particularly low so this is relevant? Or do these aesthetics skirt a common HOA threshold?

But in the end it does not matter much. Even if it's all just hype, if the hype leads to installations that would not have happened otherwise it must be a net positive.

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