Tesla Solar

• Solar Power (Global Market)
• Solar power (Russian market)
• Solar power in the United States

Previously, the company was called SolarCity

2022: Tesla began to refuse to install solar panels in the United States

On November 10, 2022, it became known that Tesla began to gradually curtail the business of installing solar panels in the United States.

In 2016, Elon Musk's company acquired SolarCity in order to develop the solar panel business. Panels can be mounted on the roofs of residential buildings or any buildings to generate "green" energy. In the second quarter of 2022, Tesla mounted a record number of solar panels in US households in terms of power. In the third quarter of 2022, a result of 94 MW was shown, and the growth compared to the same period in 2021 was 13%.

Tesla to wind down energy generation systems installation business

However, it has now become known that recently many customers of Tesla solar panels have begun to receive a refusal from the company to install them. This, in particular, was faced by residents of Angeles California Northern, Oregon and Florida. Moreover, in some cases, Tesla refuses to implement even those projects that have received official approval from the relevant departments.

All customers who have been denied solar panel installation by Elon Musk's company receive an email notifying them that their structure is outside Tesla's service area. At the same time, it is said that in connection with the cancellation, the customer will receive the money paid back in full within 7-10 working days. Judging by the information available on the Internet, hundreds of customers may find themselves in this position.

Thus, the company, apparently, radically changes the strategy for the development of the solar panel business. Moreover, it is known that Tesla has already laid off a number of employees in its solar power planning and development department. However, it is not yet clear whether the company is going to completely curtail this line of business.^[1]

2021: Tesla hid a marriage in solar panels installed on 60,000 homes for years

On December 6, 2021, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC SEC) announced the launch of an investigation into Tesla a whistleblower complaint that the company had failed to properly notify its shareholders and the public of fire risks associated with defects in Tesla's Solar Solar panel system for several years.

The investigation adds to pressure on the world's most valuable automaker, which is already facing a federal investigation into incidents involving its driver assistance systems. Concerns about fires in Tesla's solar systems have been released previously, but this is the first report of an investigation by the securities regulator.

Tesla for several years hid the marriage in solar panels installed on 60 thousand houses

It comes after Steven Henkes, a former quality manager at Tesla, filed a whistleblower complaint against the company in 2019. The SEC investigation was made public following Henkes' request for information about his report under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). According to a copy of the SEC's response to Henkes on September 24, 2021, he declined his request but stated:

We have confirmed to Law Enforcement Division officials that the investigation into which you are requesting records is still active and ongoing.

However, an SEC spokesperson also noted that the letter does not imply any wrongdoing.

Henkes claims Tesla and SolarCity, which Tesla acquired in 2016, did not warn customers and shareholders about the fire risks associated with faulty electrical connectors in solar panel systems. The complaint alleges Tesla misled customers by telling them that the company simply should have maintained the systems rather than informing them of potential fire risks.

Henkes says he told Tesla executives that the company should shut down faulty systems, notify customers and inform relevant authorities. Tesla fired the former quality manager in 2020, a move he believes was made in retaliation. Henkes has since filed a wrongful dismissal lawsuit in response.

According to his lawsuit filed in November 2020 against Tesla Energy over the illegal termination of the contract, more than 60 thousand private houses in the United States suffered from defective solar panels.

Walmart previously sued Tesla after several fires that started at several stores in the chain over defective solar panels. The retailer claimed the solar panels were faulty - some of them allegedly installed by SolarCity before it was acquired - and that Tesla had failed to properly ground the systems. However, Walmart later dropped the lawsuit in 2019, saying the two companies had come to an agreement.^[2]

2016: Tesla buys SolarCity. Subsidies and state support through a focus on "sustainability"

In 2016, Elon Musk's business, in addition to Tesla electric vehicles, includes the SolarCity project. Due to the focus on sustainability, an entrepreneur can receive subsidies and state support aimed at stimulating projects to reduce carbon dioxide emissions and switch to renewable energy sources.

At a meeting of SolarCity management with shareholders, Elon Musk announced the creation of a roof that consists entirely of solar panels for generating electricity. Musk clarifies that this is not just a solar panel, but a whole roof - the solar panel^[3].

The merger between SolarCity and Tesla was announced on August 1, 2016, and this acquisition fits perfectly into Musk's main idea of ​ ​ Master Plan Part Deux ("Master Plan, Part Two"). Under the plan, Musk wants to create a vertically integrated company that makes electric cars, batteries to store energy and propel those cars, and solar panels to generate energy.

According to SolarCity, 5 million new roofs of houses are installed annually in the United States. According to the head of SolarCity Lyndon Raiv, the problem with the use of classic solar panels in houses is that before repairing and replacing the roof, the panels have to be dismantled. He added that this serves as a reason why many refuse to switch to this renewable type of electricity. If a roof consisting of solar panels is on the market, which can generate electricity without the need to install panels, then this will encourage people to pay attention to solar energy. Choosing between the usual roof, on which you need to separately put the panels, and the "solar roof," which generates energy itself, the choice, according to Musk and Raiv, is obvious.

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