Tesla has removed references to the Solar Roof from its website
Tesla has removed public references to its Solar Roof—a roof with built-in solar panels—from its website. The product page and support pages now redirect users to Tesla’s general section on solar energy, according to TechCrunch.
Two solar installers told the publication that their companies still offer the Solar Roof. However, one of them noted that availability would depend on the timeline of a specific project. This may indicate that Tesla is selling off its existing inventory of the systems.
The company had planned to install up to 1,000 Solar Roofs per week. However, as of 2022, after several years of refinements and changes to manufacturing processes, the installation rate stood at approximately 20 to 40 units per week.
From the start, Solar Roof was positioned as a premium product: solar modules were integrated into roofing tiles that mimicked clay tiles, terracotta, or slate. Tesla compared the cost of the system to that of conventional solar panels combined with a roof replacement. At the same time, some potential buyers reported installation estimates of $200,000.
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Conventional solar panels have become cheaper thanks to the mass production of standardized cells and modules. For the Solar Roof, Tesla had to use unique tiles and develop and purchase specialized manufacturing equipment. With sales lower than expected, the cost of this equipment per system increased.
There were also reports of deformation in parts of the roof without solar panels, melting of the roof underlayment, and the system generating less electricity than Tesla had claimed. TechCrunch notes that one possible reason for the lower performance could have been overheating: solar cells operate more efficiently at lower temperatures, whereas the ventilation gap in the Solar Roof was smaller than in conventional panels.
Other manufacturers, including GAF and Merlin Solar, continue to develop the integrated solar roof segment. Tesla, on the other hand, is steering customers toward traditional solar panels.
