Tesla ends sales of its solar roof tiles, 'Solar Roof'.
In 2016, Tesla Motors, led by Elon Musk, unveiled solar power-related products such as '
Tesla discontinues its Solar Roof tiles, not economically viable | Electrek
https://electrek.co/2026/08/20/tesla-discontinues-solar-roof-panels-only/
In October 2016, Tesla announced the 'Powerwall 2,' which incorporates a lithium-ion battery and inverter to supply the electricity needed by an average household; the 'Solar Roof,' a solar panel that is indistinguishable from roof tiles on an ordinary house; and the 'Powerpack 2,' a lithium-ion battery storage system for businesses and power companies. These products were expected to solve the problem of electricity generation being possible but storage being difficult, and to enable the stable practical use of sustainable (renewable) solar energy on a household basis, with estimates suggesting that even an average household could see a positive return over 30 years.
Tesla announces Powerwall 2 home battery and Solar Roof integrated roof tile solar panels - GIGAZINE
However, two sources close to Tesla's solar power project told Electrek that Tesla has notified its network of certified third-party installers that it will 'stop accepting orders for solar roofs and will only supply conventional solar panels going forward.'
Furthermore, one source revealed that 'Tesla has concluded that solar roofs are not profitable.' Solar roofs were touted as being cheaper than a traditional roof with solar panels, but installation costs far exceeded initial estimates, leading to contract prices being nearly doubled by 2021.
In fact, if you access the long-used Tesla Solar Roof page ' tesla.com/solarroof ', at the time of writing this article, you will be redirected to the solar panel page ' tesla.com/solarpanels ', which will only display solar panels, Powerwalls, and Powerpacks. According to Electrek, this change was made on August 20, 2026.
A few weeks after SolarRoof was announced, SolarCity , the solar power equipment company where Musk was the largest shareholder and chairman and which was run by Musk's cousins, was acquired by Tesla. Electrek points out that 'SolarRoof was not just a product, but a product created to sell a heavily indebted company to shareholders.'
Electrek states, 'This is disappointing news. When the solar roof was launched, we were really excited about the concept of having power generation capabilities on the roof while avoiding the look of solar panels. However, like several other Tesla products, Tesla released a premature and unfinished product. The concept was announced years before the product could actually be realized, the price fluctuated wildly, and customers who signed up believing the initial promises were hurt. The fundamental problem is that it was not economically viable. Due to the complexity of manufacturing, the effort involved in installation, and the limitations of shading with tiles, the solar roof ended up being profitable only for very expensive homes where buyers are not so price-sensitive.'
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in Hardware, Posted by log1e_dh