A solar panel system produces clean energy and can help you get significant energy savings. In today’s post, local roofing company State Roofing takes a closer look at one such system, the Tesla Solar Roof, and how it differs from other solar panel systems.
How Do Solar Panel Systems Work?
A residential solar panel system is made of three parts: solar panels that capture sunlight and convert it to electricity, a solar inverter that takes the raw electricity from the panels and converts that to useable power for the house’s electrical lines, and a solar gateway that captures data about the solar panel system such as the energy it produces and its daily, monthly or annual usage. Most systems allow users to view the data through an app on their phones or their smart home system’s interface.
The solar inverter also controls switching between the solar panels and the power grid connection. If the electricity from the solar panels does not meet the house’s energy requirements during times of heavy energy use, the solar inverter makes up for it by allowing energy from the grid to fill just what’s needed. It also helps ensure a seamless transition at night between the solar panels and the grid.
Grid-Tied vs. Hybrid vs. Off-Grid Systems
It’s important to note that the solar panel system described above is a grid-tied system. This means the solar panel system supplements your connection to the grid, therefore you will not be able to use electric power if there is a grid outage. An optional storage system — essentially an oversized battery — turns a grid-tied system into a hybrid system. The solar inverter switches to the stored energy first before switching to the grid, allowing the homeowner to have a few extra hours of free energy at night or during a blackout. An off-grid system is a solar panel system that is completely disconnected from the grid and only uses electricity gathered from the panels and stored in the batteries.
Tesla Solar Roof
The Tesla Solar Roof operates under the same principles as other solar panel systems, with some key features. One is the Solar Roof Tiles which, unlike standard solar panels, are designed to blend into an existing roof. Viewed from the curb, Tesla Solar Roof Tiles are virtually indistinguishable from standard roofing materials. Another feature is the Tesla Solar Inverter, which has integrated safety and power management features. Lastly, every Tesla Solar Roof system is bundled with a Powerwall, which makes each one a hybrid system — or even an off-grid one.
Learn more about the Tesla Solar Roof. Call State Roofing at (360) 794-7164, or fill out our contact form to schedule an appointment. We serve customers in Seattle, Bothell and Everett, WA.