The Power of the Brand

Recently, Elon Musk (CEO of Tesla, Chairman of SolarCity, and more...) introduced the Solar Roof. Solar tiles as opposed to solar panels.

SolarCity's Solar Roof

Solar tiles are not new, but it wasn't until Tesla arrived on the scene that they received the level of attention they now do. The same goes for home battery systems. Tesla are already selling the second version of their home battery, Powerwall 2, which can store energy generated or pulled from the grid during the day to then power the home at night. All of this, the cars, the batteries, the tiles, has been presented to consumers with the same slick style as Apple. Whether the tiles prove to be as disruptive as Tesla's cars is yet to be seen. But it does highlight the significance of industry, how it adopts renewable energy and how they capture people's imagination (and money). 

We the consumer do not base our spending habits on education, petitions and legislation alone. So we shouldn't just rely on these things to see electric cars, solar cells and other such products flourish (and they are, ultimately, products). If we hope to translate scientific advances and suggestions into real-world transformation, encouraging faster uptake of renewable energy and accompanying technologies will be key. Betting everything on the success of lone figures such as Elon Musk is risky business, and just a bit unfair!