Tesla must cease its solar roof progress for an unknown cause; however, a lack of solar tiles is likely to be at fault.
Tesla's Solar Roof Installation Dilemma
In the majority of US markets, Tesla has stopped scheduling new solar roof installations. Uncertain of what is going on, the solar product's rollout lags well behind Elon Musk's target.
Elon Musk, the company's CEO, touted the solar roof as a crucial product for accelerating the adoption of solar energy since it expands the market to include those who would soon require a new roof while also introducing an alluring new product.
By the end of 2019, he said, he wanted Tesla to create 1,000 new solar roofs weekly. Tesla was always obviously well behind schedule on that objective.
In addition, to include them with its solar panel retrofits, which make up the overwhelming bulk of its solar power deployment, the business never disclosed statistics on its solar roof installations.
Tesla has improved Solar Roof's cost and installation time, but it's still an expensive product with flaws that have caused consumers trouble.
It has to halt installations for an unexplained reason, although a shortage of solar tiles is probably to blame. Due to supply constraints, Tesla suspended solar roof installations in March, leaving customers worried about being roofless for months.
Regardless, the building of solar panels, which is still proceeding well, has been shifted by Tesla. Last month was the strongest month ever for Tesla in terms of solar panel installation.
Tesla is Far From its 1,000 Solar Roofs Installation Goal Per Week
Tesla's solar roofs seem more like a pastime than a revolutionary invention. The company's most recent averages are allegedly a minuscule fraction of Elon Must's aim of 1,000 solar roof installations each week, despite his stated target.
Tesla built 2.5 megawatts of solar roofing in the second quarter, Electrek writes. That's around 20 weekly, or 260 medium-sized (9.6-kilowatt) houses installed last quarter. A more liberal estimate (assuming each installation is 5 kW) puts Tesla at 38 per week or 4% of its 1,000-per-week ambition.
Tesla's roofs were first seen in 2016 on Wisteria Lane, where "Desperate Housewives" was shot. The roof has nothing. It's the roof," Musk said, selling it as a stylish alternative to bolt-on solar arrays.
Tesla did not answer a request for comment on the story, but the business could have taken on too much. Last year, when Tesla increased its costs for specific customers, Musk stated, "We essentially made some substantial errors in evaluating the difficulties of some roofs." There just cannot be a one-size-fits-all scenario, he added.
Problems with the supply chain may also have a role. Tesla announced a substantial decline in solar installs for the first quarter of 2022, the majority of which use conventional panels. The business attributed the reduction to "import delays beyond our control on some solar components."
