Tesla Engineer & NJIT Alum Talks Product Design, Roofing, & His Cybertruck

Tommy Rodrigues ‘16 came to Hillier College’s industrial design program while employed in the roofing industry. Now he is working at Tesla, based in California, in the role of staff mechanical design engineer. He is part of a team of engineers developing Tesla Solar Roof. He took some time out to share his experience and the value of an industrial design education. 

AS: You were already working in the roofing industry when you came to NJIT, did you consider other program options such as architecture or engineering and how did industrial design win out?  

TR: I started my career in 1999 as a laboratory technician and began attending NJIT in 2013. I worked alongside many scientists, chemists, and engineers, so at first, I thought I wanted/needed to go the traditional STEM route. Working and attending school full-time, with a young family, I had to find something I felt passionate about and something I could immediately apply in my career. I became fascinated with industrial design and “design thinking” after watching a 60-minutes segment on David Kelly, Founder of IDEO and Stanford’s Design School. Color theory and composition, modeling and prototyping, integration of mechanics, electronics, human factors, and material investigations were all extremely relevant to me. I was developing roofing systems that needed to be aesthetically pleasing, durable, made for high-volume manufacturing, and install easily. The industrial design program at NJIT seemed to be a perfect match.

AS: You went from designing roofing material products to designing and producing solar roofing tiles. These are both highly technical endeavors, how did the skills/experience you gained at NJIT/Hillier College support that move into solar technologies? 

TR: I’m still designing roofing products – they just happen to also harvest solar energy. Electrification of the roof complicates material selection, mechanical design, and dramatically changes how the product is installed. NJIT taught me that a product is far more than just an object – it is an experience.  

AS: What was your motivation to work in solar technology? 

TR: As a research professional in the roofing industry, the use of solar technology on the roof was an obvious potential future disrupter. I became the internal expert in 2005, but the technology was still very expensive and not yet ready for mass deployment. When the price of solar dropped significantly, I was asked to lead an internal incubator to scout new technologies, develop a product roadmap, and assist with creating a new business. I truly believe that the roofing industry, like the car industry, is and will continue to undergo a major shift in technology. Building a more sustainable future should motivate everyone.   

AS: The construction industry is moving fast to adapt materials, processes and technologies, what do you see as the potential for Tesla solar roofing panels? 

TR: Electrification is changing everything. The demand for energy will increase dramatically in the near future. Tesla’s mission is to “accelerate the world's transition to sustainable energy.” Solar Roof combined with Powerwalls will have the ability to become virtual power plants to support the grid to meet demand while offering homeowners peace of mind and savings. Solar Roof is an integrated, seamless solution for those who don’t like the look of traditional solar panels. The ecosystem allows homeowners to monitor, store, and manage their energy via an app. Solar Roof is a major part of the master plan to achieve Tesla’s mission.  

AS: Innovative technologies often run into barriers.  What are potential barriers to adoption for residential solar panel roofing? (regulatory, capability within the construction industry, cost etc.?) 

TR: The biggest challenge is the shortage of skilled labor. Solar technology is now mature and cost effective. Regulations and technology have made the systems extremely safe for all stakeholders, including fire fighters. Residential roofing has not seen any major change in technology since the introduction of the asphalt composite shingle over 100 years ago. Integrated Solar Roof requires not only advanced roofing skills, it requires an understanding of electricity and construction management. We are training a new generation of roofers and those who learn this now will have a competitive advantage heading into the future. 

AS: You've been working with solar technology for almost a decade. What skills do you feel should be taught in the undergraduate curricula, (or that students should try to learn independently), in order to be ready for work in the field? 

TR: There are many types of careers in the solar industry. The obvious answer is to understand how electricity works.  The less obvious is to understand how people use energy, either for transport, comfort, cooking, convenience, etc. Understanding how we get our energy and the trends happening with how utility companies are charging for that energy. A sustainable future doesn’t mean a future without energy, it’s really about harvesting, managing, and offsetting your own energy. We should be thinking about how energy management will impact our lives, our own home, our devices. 

AS: NJIT and Hillier College are known for their rigorous courses. Silicon Valley companies are similarly known for their intensity, long hours, and demanding requirements. What have you found are the similarities and differences and how did you adapt to it?

TR: Late nights sketching, prototyping, testing, researching, and preparing astonishingly crafted presentations may sound like studio life, but in the industry, they are called “sprints.” The industrial design course structure is very well modeled to represent industry, especially given the new trendy business culture built around “agility”. One huge difference is the independence of studio life. Developing products within a system requires a tremendous amount of collaboration with many different disciplines. NJIT is a perfect place to collaborate with other disciplines, which I think is an opportunity for industrial design students to provide value or receive support.  

AS: What would you say to a student considering a major in industrial design and how can one best determine if that program is a good fit for their interest and skill sets? 

TR: There are many types of engineers, builders, designers, and scientists in this world, within companies, or even departments. Industrial designers, meanwhile, are uniquely qualified to lead the front-end of innovation, which is where opportunities are identified and concepts are developed.

AS: Would you share an anecdote about a studio, project or professor that made an impact on you during your time at NJIT/Hillier College? 

TR: There was one professor who reminded us every day that everything you present to the world should be designed, whether a presentation, email, business card, letter, everything. I think about that when spending hours fine tuning a presentation, crafting emails or developing project plans. How we communicate is equally, if not more important, than the design itself. 

AS: You work on roofing, but Tesla is best known for cars. What's your dream car and why?

TR: I have placed my reservation for the Tesla Cybertruck. It is designed to have the utility of a truck with sports car performance. I ordered the Tri Motor AWD edition, which can achieve 0-60 in 2.9 seconds, has a range of 500 miles, towing capacity of 14,000 pounds, adaptive air suspension, and autopilot.