Part of a grand vision for a solar-filled future Tesla founder and CEO Elon Musk is giving solar-powered homes a serious uplift. Last Friday night in Los Angeles, the ever-radical tech bigwig revealed the company?s latest project: its own line of sleek ?rooftop solar tiles,? along with complementary upgrades to Tesla?s Powerwall home batteries.
With its multi-billion dollar acquisition of leading solar energy provider SolarCity in progress, Tesla has been leading the charge in a burgeoning industry. And a future of PV-integrated roofs?an idea already being explored in tiny houses and electric cars?has also been a much-teased component of the company?s grand plans. Now, we have a closer look at that vision.
Below, five key things to know about Musk?s recent reveal.
1. These definitely don?t look like regular rooftop solar panels

A big draw of these Tesla panels is their inconspicuous aesthetic. Musk unveiled four different types of glass panels integrated with solar cells, ranging from a Tuscan glass tile to a textured glass tile. To the unsuspecting eye, they look just like conventional roof tiling. In fact, Musk chose to showcase the tiles on the Desperate Housewives set at Universal Studios, suggesting just how easily they can be integrated into the standard American home.

The ?Slate Glass Tile?

The ?Tuscan Glass Tile?

The ?Textured Glass Tile?

The ?Smooth Glass Tile?

2. They...