Buffalo will play a key role in the development of the newest generation of solar panels.
Entrepreneur Elon Musk announced in Los Angeles Friday night that the new panels look like and are roughly the same size as traditional roof shingles. The Solar City plant opening at RiverBend in South Buffalo next year will manufacture most of the panels.
Musk, who is chief executive officer at Tesla Motors and chairman of Solar City, said the technology also includes a new battery that is able to store more electricity than current models.
"You can take a four bedroom house and power the fridge, sockets and lights for a day," Musk said. "And if you have solar on your house, you can power it indefinitely."
Financial details, including how much the roofs would cost, will be released at a later time.