The Tesla Solar Roof is an excellent choice for homeowners who want to produce their own sustainable power. As a potential customer, you may wonder exactly how solar energy is used. In other words, how does the energy get from the Tesla Solar Roof to your appliances? The answer depends on your situation.
Each Tesla Solar Roof is paired with a gateway. This mechanism controls where the power is coming from and where it is going. In most setups, there are four main pathways the gateway regulates.
1. Direct From the Roof
As your Tesla Solar Roof generates power during the day, the gateway will direct power directly to your home from the roof. The solar panels will produce direct current. The direct current will flow through an inverter, converting it to an alternating current. Then, the alternating current will power your home.
Sometimes your Tesla Solar Roof produces more electricity than you’re using. When this occurs, extra electricity may be routed into your Tesla Powerwall and stored for later use. Or, it can be fed back into the utility through your electrical meter. Your power company will reimburse you for any electricity you feed into the grid.
2. Direct From the Utility
If you don’t have a Tesla Powerwall and your Tesla Solar Roof is not producing, the gateway will ask for power from the grid into your home. Still, if your solar system puts more power into the grid than you draw, you’ll receive a check rather than a bill from the utility company.
3. From the Battery
If you have a Tesla Powerwall, your home will draw from it when the solar system is not actively producing. This allows you to have electricity on cloudy days or if the public power goes out.
4. During a Storm
Your gateway can recognize when there is a problem with lines on the grid, so stops any current from flowing back into the public power grid. This helps prevent injury to those working on damaged power lines. Your home will draw electricity either from your battery or from the roof. Hopefully, this overview has given you some insight into how the Tesla Solar Roof and associated components work. If you’d like to learn more about these systems, don’t hesitate to contact Kelly Roofing. We’re proud to be a Tesla Certified Installer in Florida.
